Double Life, or New Life?

As long as you try to dwell in two worlds at the same time, you’ll be miserable.

Having a double-life only leads to trouble.  Sure, you might think you’re getting away with it for a while—but it will always end up biting you in the backside.  Once you are exposed, you be left with NOTHING of substance on either side, and those who feel betrayed will never be able to trust you again.

It’s the same with Jesus.  If you identify with HIM, you have to leave the old life behind.  I’ve said this before:  God takes you where you are, but He doesn’t leave you there.  If the old life was ‘good enough’—what was the point of Calvary?

God called Abraham out. He told him to leave EVERYTHING that was familiar, everything he knew. He left a “sure thing”—his inheritance.  Why?  Because GOD IS ENOUGH.  He is sufficient.  Abraham knew this.

Hebrews 11:8-10 NKJV

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Moses was raised in a palace, as the Egyptian Pharaoh’s own family—and when it came right down to it, he chose the calling of God over a life of ease and luxury.  Why?  Because he knew that all the stuff of Egypt would never satisfy.  He left it all behind.

Hebrews 11:24-26 NKJV

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

There are more examples, but not enough time to tell them all.  The point is this:  you HAVE to come out of Egypt.  For a time, through Joseph, God used Egypt to preserve His people, but they were always separate.  They didn’t intermingle—and by this, I mean that while they knew Egyptians, I am sure, they didn’t give themselves to them emotionally, and relationally, because they knew they were set apart.

I was reading the incredible story of Joseph’s life yesterday.  Something that I’ve read a thousand times stood out to me in a totally different way.  Maybe you’ve already seen this, so just bear with me.

After Joseph has revealed himself to his brothers, and they’ve been reunited in one of the most emotional stories ever told, Joseph sends for his father and his household to come to Egypt so he can care for them.  He works to have the land of Goshen set aside for their use.

Genesis 46:31-34 NKJV

³¹ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. ³² And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ ³³ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ ³⁴ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Does anyone else see it?  Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.

Who called Himself a shepherd?

John 10-11-16 NKJV

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

He IS the Good Shepherd.  Jesus.  And He called us OUT of Egypt.

But the Shepherd is an abomination to Egypt.  In other words, Jesus is an abomination to this world.  So you might as well quit trying to bring the world, with all its luxuries and comforts and wicked practices and appearances INTO the church, because, honey, Egypt hates the Shepherd. 

Who is the one you’ll allow to care for your soul?  If it’s the Shepherd, quit looking for Egypt’s approval.

Quit identifying yourself with the way they look, the way they act, the way they speak.

Quit watching what they watch.  Quit going where they go.  Don’t be deceived—you won’t win them if you’re so much LIKE them that no one can tell you belong to the Shepherd.  Why would they want something that leaves them just like they already ARE?

My pastor quoted a blog yesterday that says today’s young people wonder if there really IS a ‘transforming gospel’—probably because they’ve never seen real transformation, because most churches today are so busy being ‘relevant’, or on the flip side, so married to traditions, that NO ONE EVER CHANGES.  They look like Egypt, and not like the Shepherd. 

Here’s the whole point:  when you get a REAL salvation experience, YOU CHANGE. If you want to change.  When the baptism of the Holy Ghost comes inside you (Acts 2), and you don’t stay the same.  When you wash away your past in Baptism in Jesus’ Name (Acts 2, 8, 10, 19), the old life is GONE.  If you need further explanation about CHANGE, see Paul’s words:

Romans 6:1-4 NKJV

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in NEWNESS of life.

One last thought:  if it looks, smells, walks, talks, and sounds like the OLD life—it’s not a NEW life.

*spoiler alert*  Life lived wholly for the Shepherd?  Best. Life. EVER.

Love y’all.