By John Thiel

Hebrews 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Jesus was outside the camp because he had our sins. He took our sins in his body to the tree. He partook with us of our sin.

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Our sins were in his body. With our sins in his body, he is crying with the reproach that is upon me as it is also upon him. He was numbered with the transgressors. That being the case, he is out of the camp, suffering outside. His reproach is my reproach. This is the atonement. We go out of the camp with Jesus to suffer the sin that has brought me to such a position. Jesus suffered it with me. I’m suffering with him. If we will suffer with him, we shall also live with him.

1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Go without the camp and suffer the reproach which is suffering. Arm yourselves with exactly the same mind as Jesus had that I will no longer live my time in the flesh.

Romans 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

7:10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death.

7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

7:12 Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good.

7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.

7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

The lusts of the flesh were getting the better of him. How did he conquer?

As far as outward acts were concerned –he was “blameless” (Philippians 3:6); but when the spiritual character of the law was discerned, he saw himself a sinner. Judged by the letter of the law as men apply it to the outward life, he had abstained from sin; but when he looked into the depths of its holy precepts, and saw himself as God saw him, he bowed in humiliation and confessed his guilt. {SC 29.3}

After the vision at Damascus, Paul retired into Arabia, for communion with God. It was not until three years had elapsed that he went up to Jerusalem; and he then made a stay of but fifteen days, thence going out to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. He declares that he was “unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they had heard only, that he which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.” {LP 190.4}

What did he go into Arabia for? He sought God earnestly with all his heart. Till he knew his great sin pardoned. He would not give up the conflict. Paul came in close connection with heaven. Paul learnt what Jesus had actually done, his flesh was weak. God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. He saw himself as God saw him and he bowed in humiliation and confessed his guilt. When he saw his spiritual nature of the law, Sin appeared in his true hideousness. Apostle Paul is showing us the experience of being cleansed from sin. It’s when you see it as God sees it.

As Saul yielded himself fully to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he saw the mistakes of his life and recognized the far-reaching claims of the law of God. He who had been a proud Pharisee, confident that he was justified by his good works, now bowed before God with the humility and simplicity of a little child, confessing his own unworthiness and pleading the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Saul longed to come into full harmony and communion with the Father and the Son; and in the intensity of his desire for pardon and acceptance he offered up fervent supplications to the throne of grace. {AA 119.2}

As I yield, the Lord will cleanse and do his work. What Apostle Paul discovered was that he saw the law could not do in that it was weak in the flesh, do what Jesus did and condemn sin in the flesh.

If we have become the disciples of Christ we shall be learning of Him–every day learning how to overcome some unlovely trait of character, every day copying His example and coming a little nearer the Pattern. If we are ever to inherit those mansions that He has gone to prepare for us we must here be forming such characters as the dwellers there are to possess. {TMK 121.4}

That He might by His own example condemn sin in the flesh, He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. Constantly he beheld the character of God; constantly He revealed this character to the world. {AG 322.3}

Christ desires His followers to reveal in their lives this same character. {AG 322.4}

Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. In that likeness of sinful flesh, he condemned sin by constantly beholding the character of God. In every study of God’s word is his character, God’s absolute correct way of doing things, he was going to slay the sinner. That’s his character. Jesus constantly beheld that character. That is how he condemned sin in the flesh. Christ desires his followers to reveal in their lives his character. With the clamouring’s that we suffer under the Lord is reviving the real experience in us. It’s going to take a while. That is the experience going out of the camp suffering his reproach.

Amen.