Genesis 45 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. …

The story of Joseph is a great story about the perception of identity. His brothers had one perception about who Joseph was in relation to his place in the family and the observations of the treatment of the father towards him. Siblings do not make it easy on a child if they perceive favoritism. Jacob had twelve children born to him by four women. Jacob’s true love was Rachel, and Joseph was the first born of that love. I doubt Joseph’s brothers gave that any consideration in their perception of Joseph.

His brothers had opportunity to come to know Joseph for who he truly was, but ignored the signs of that identity because of the jealousy and hatred they felt. Likewise Jacob’s love for Joseph was not bound in who Joseph was but rather what his mother meant to him. None of them looked at Joseph for who Joseph truly was.

Psalm 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

God knows you. Even if no one else sees you for who you are.

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

In Luke 4 we saw Jesus, as was His custom, and here in Acts Paul, as was his manner. There is a lesson here to be learned about consistency of behavior. Situations changed for both Jesus and for Paul. Each had come to a point where they began revealing the truth of the scriptures, that Jesus is the Messiah. Both reasoned out of the Old Testament, which is a foretelling, an indicator of who would be the Messiah and what He would do.

Until this time had come, people were comfortable with their own piety and worship. The world was comfortable with their piety and worship. It was theirs and no one was speaking to the root problem, the sin nature of man. When truth is spoken, a straight line is drawn and man finds himself on the wrong side of the line without Jesus and the salvation that is offered.

As much as I would like to do it, no amount of pulling on my part moves a soul from one side of the line to the other. People have to see their condition for themselves and make a choice to cross over. That bridge is the cross of Christ and the consistency in our message has to be in that work and not our own.

We plead with those we love to come to Christ. How do you speak to those you do not like? Is there any consistency of speech? The issue has to be that your motivations, your manner, your custom, cannot be based on your love for the world. It has to be based on your love for Jesus.

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Matthew 28:14 NASB “go and make disciples…”