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希伯来书：13:10-14我们有一祭坛，上面的祭物是那些在帐幕中供职的人不可同吃的。11原来牲畜的血被大祭司带入圣所作赎罪祭，牲畜的身子被烧在营外。12所以耶稣要用自己的血叫百姓成圣，也就在城门外受苦。13这样，我们也当出到营外，就了他去，忍受他所受的凌辱。14我们在这里本没有常存的城，乃是寻求那将来的城。
魔鬼喜欢利用的我们的罪性之一，就是我们渴望被接纳和归属于某个群体。上帝创造我们的特性之一，就是社会属性。人们彼此生活在一起，希望彼此能和平相处，这本是好的。但当罪性败坏了我们内心本来好的东西，那就变得危险起来。
这一点在孩子身上表现得尤为明显。比如，当一个孩子非常想让自己加入某个看上去很酷的小团体，为此这个孩子愿意做任何事情来向他们证明自己。他开始说脏话，就是为获得一种归属感。我们称之为来自同辈的压力，但这个压力实际上并不来自我们的外部，而是来自我们的内心，来自我们的罪性。
我们作为成年人，这点在我们身上看上去也许不那么明显，但确实存在，不是吗？为什么我们会如此穿衣打扮？当餐桌上的聊天演变成八卦，我们本该出面制止的，可是我们为什么保持沉默？为什么我们想通过吹嘘自己的成就，来给人留下好印象？
《希伯来书》的作者提醒我们，我们真正的归属并不是这个世界，我们是天国的子民。他提醒我们，我们的救主被这个世界弃绝，被带到城外钉十字架，因为耶路撒冷那些冷漠的人，那些大人物，他们并不想和他有任何关系。他就像在赎罪日被献上的祭物，只是他的献祭是真正的献祭，是能使我们圣洁的献祭。所以如果你的基督徒的生活使你不被这个世界接受，你应该高兴，因为这意味着你属于耶稣。
祷告：主耶稣，我的罪性让我渴望被这个世界接受。请提醒我，我不属于这个世界，我还有那些一同在十字架前敬拜你的人，我们都属于你—我的救赎主。我这样祈求是奉你的名，阿们。
Hebrews 13: 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the high priest brings the blood of the animals sacrificed for sins into the Most Holy Place, and then their bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 Jesus suffered outside the gate for this reason: to sanctify people by his own blood. 13 So then let us go to him, outside of the camp, bearing his disgrace. 14 For we do not have a permanent city here, but we are looking for the city that is coming. (EHV)
A part of our sinful nature that the devil loves to exploit is our desire to be accepted and to belong. God created us to be social beings, people who live in community with each other and desire to live at peace with each other. That’s a good thing. But when sin corrupts a good thing in us, it becomes dangerous.
You can see that in children, especially. Tommy wants so badly to be part of the cool crowd that he would do ANYTHING to prove himself to them. So he starts using bad language just to belong. We call that peer pressure, but the pressure really doesn’t come from OUTSIDE of us. The pressure comes from the INSIDE of us, from our sinful natures.
It may not be so obvious to us as adults, but it is there, isn’t it? Why do we dress the way we do? Why do we remain silent when the conversation at the table turns to gossip, when we should speak up? Why do we want to impress others by boasting about our accomplishments?
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we don’t really belong to this world. Our citizenship is in heaven. He reminds us that we have a Savior who was rejected and taken outside the city to be crucified, because the cool people, the important people in Jerusalem wanted nothing to do with him. He was like the sacrifice made on the Day of Atonement, only his sacrifice was the real one, the one that makes us holy. So if living your Christian life makes you unacceptable to the world, be glad, because it means that you belong with Jesus. Prayer: Lord Jesus, my sinful nature longs to be accepted by the world. Remind me that I do not belong to the world. I belong to you, my Savior and Redeemer, and with those who worship at your cross. I ask this in your name. Amen.