The Riches Of The Reproach Of Christ (Are His Values, Our Values?)


There are obnoxious individuals you have to deal with; abhorrent places you find yourself in, extremely difficult situations/circumstances you're going through & earnestly seeking escape from, yet God put you therein to form Christ in you.


Egypt was a crucible God put Israel in to form her as a nation; Egypt was a place of the affliction and reproach of Israel as they were enslaved and maltreated, in bondage and affliction, in pain and agony of soul.
It was God's will and plan that they should pass through that time/phase of intense affliction and suffering in Egypt to be formed as a nation.

Moses by faith refused greatness, refused to be identified with royalty, and rather chose to suffer affliction with his brethren(Israel) & scripture says he did this, having esteemed, deemed/reckoned the reproach of Christ as greater riches/wealth than the treasures/treasury of Egypt(Hebrews 11:24-26).

Who would have thought that the affliction of Israel(God's people) in Egypt in the old testament was associated with the reproach of Christ?
It is only in the light of the new testament that we are made to see that Israel did not merely pass through affliction in Egypt, but that their history of affliction, as terrible as it was, was linked to, in relation with & pointing to the reproach of Christ.

How immensely valuable and rich is such a history to God and to all, who by faith like Moses, would see it's intrinsic values, and have/show respect to the recompense/reward that goes with being identified with it.

Scripture speaks of how valuable and precious the trial of our faith is to God; it is much more valuable to Him than of gold that perishes(1st Peter 1:7)

The big question then is: do we have/share the same values with God?
Why would one profess to be a child of God and have no value whatsoever for that which God greatly values?

How can one claim to be a servant of Christ and loathe/despise the reproach of Christ/the fellowship of his suffering?

How can we identify with the reproach of Christ, how can we bear his reproach, if we do not esteem, reckon & value the fellowship of his suffering/reproach, as greater riches/wealth than all the treasures/wealth this world can offer?

How can we go without/leave the camp of organized/established christianity(mixture of christianity & judaism - Babylon) if we do not identify with the fellowship of Christ's suffering and bear his reproach? - Hebrews 13:12-14.

How can we escape the fate of apostasy which organized/earth-bound christianity is heading to, if we are at ease, complacent, indifferent & even ill-disposed to the cross of Christ which goes with the fellowship of his suffering, and his reproach?

These and more, are pertinent scriptural questions we should ask as we examine ourselves to know if we are really in the faith of Christ or have embraced a false/spurious profession of faith in Christ.

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: do ye not recognise yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed ye be reprobates?

Note: The word translated as "Reprobate" in the text is "Adokimos" in the original greek and means unfit, not standing the test, spurious: unapproved, rejected ; by implication worthless (literally or morally): - castaway, rejected, reprobate.

If that which is of great value to God is of no value to us, then we are profane, and are worthless/of no value to God like reprobates; unfit & not able to stand the test/trial of faith.
This must not become our lot.

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