The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 4:5,
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
Paul refers to unbelievers as "outsiders." Necessarily then, believers are "insiders." This points to a reality that needs underscoring from time to time. As an "insider", I consider myself a member of God's family, his kingdom. I have an inheritance following this life that designates me as a co-heir with Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17.
As insiders, believers enjoy God's love and acceptance. To be sure, God loves the entire world, but not in the same way he embraces those who are his. John makes an observation relative to insiders versus outsiders, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us [the "insiders"], that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world [the "outsiders"] does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1. In the same chapter John divides all humanity into two groups, and only two: "This is how we know who the children of God ["insiders"] are and who the children of the devil ["outsiders"] are...", verse 10.
Figuratively speaking, insiders live in God's tent and outsiders are at a distance. Insiders dwell with God and God's people, outsiders remain on the outside and can only peer into God's family from a distance. You can imagine the hostility, the relative deprivation, the rejection those on the outside may feel from time to time. They have no connection to the Creator, they have no connection to the hub of the cosmos, they dwell at a distance fumbling about either masking the gap that makes them an outsider or venting hostility because of it.
John points to the story of Cain and Abel as an example of this hostility of outsiders toward insiders. In 1 John 3:12-15, Cain represents the perspective of the outsider, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him." Notice the observation, "his [Cain's] own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Why did it disturb Cain that Abel was right with God? Because Abel was a living reminder that he was an outsider, unlike his brother. Don't discount this animosity, this hatred, this malevolence. John doesn't and warns insiders that the world, the outsiders will hate them.
Of course, any outsider can become an insider. It is just that they cling to their sin and prefer to stay where they are as an outsider. An unfortunate and poor choice on their part. They have made their choice and live in hostility toward those who dwell within God's tent as insiders.
How wonderful to be an insider! How wonderful to know that since we have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, we are God's children, members of God's family, that we have a place at God's table, that we have connection with the Source and Originator of the cosmos, we have access to the mainstream of life, that we will dwell with God for an eternity! As such we will no longer consider ourselves as "insiders" versus "outsiders" as all who remain will be members of God's family following judgment day. This, of course, is our motivation to help as many outsiders become insiders as we can today through the gospel message.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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