As the writer neared the completion of his letter to these Hebrew believers, he put the finishing touches on what the superiority of Christ looked like. Verse 28 of chapter 12 said, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. We are to have grace. What does that mean? What does it look life in my life? And how do we serve God acceptably? What does it mean to have reverence and godly fear?
Grace is an unmerited gift. You did nothing to receive it and you can do nothing to retain it. It is solely based on the work of the giver. We can receive the kingdom of God by grace, and that's the only way, given by Christ. Our response is to serve God acceptably and revere Him; never forgetting that He is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 13:1-3
Brotherly love is to be an important part of our life. This brotherly love was supposed to continue, so we can assume there was already brotherly love among these people. There are 4 Greek words for Love:
- Eros is sexual love.
- Storge is familial love; it's the love a parent shows a child or a brother and sister have for each other.
- Agape' is the strongest word used for love. It's the unconditional love we associate with the love God has for us. It's sacrificial and unchanging.
- Then there is the word used in verse 1; Philadelphia. This love is a brotherly love. Philadelphia is a deep friendship or partnership. These are people that aren't related by blood but feel as though they are among family when they are together. This is what we have among our fellowship. Nobody is judging each other, none of us are perfect, none of us have all this figured out. We're just on the journey together. As we run the race set before us, we run alongside each other, encouraging and exhorting in brotherly love.
By nature, we are selfish people. It's so easy to focus on our race that we look only to ourselves. Having brotherly love helps us to get our eyes on others instead of ourselves. We get to exercise our servant heart in the setting of brotherly love.
In exercising this kind of love and hospitality in serving our brothers and sisters, some have even entertained angels. This is thought provoking isn't it? We've all heard angel stories and we some of us have experiences we believe are angels. More important here is you remember back to the beginning of our study. Some of these Hebrews were worshiping angels. They had placed angels higher than the Lord. This thinking was dismissed early on as the superiority of Jesus was preached all through this letter. Now, the writer brings the angels back up. These messengers of God have a place in God's work.
This word for angels is actually translated elsewhere as messengers. Whether its an angel or a person, the idea is that they carry God's word and will. They were sent as an envoy with a message. Some of you in entertaining strangers, exercising brotherly love in your life, at home, work, neighborhood, have been messengers speaking God's message into someone else's life. I think in most cases you don't even realize it. When we live a Christ centered life all we do speaks of the God we serve. You become a living message. Sometimes others see you as an angel.
In brotherly love these Hebrews were to entertain strangers and remember the prisoner as if they themselves were chained with them. Some of their brothers and sisters had already been imprisoned for their faith. They were to make their incarceration very personal as if they were the ones behind bars.
Understanding that nature of God brings us to Grace and serving God in fear and reverence. In our day to day life this looks like brotherly love.
Hebrews 13:4
Among the false religions that were all around and in the Roman culture there were all kinds of sexual sin that brought all kinds of baggage. God created marriage and the undefiled marriage bed is God's design. Everything else becomes a tool that Satan uses to bring shame and guilt and to drive people from the Lord. When marriage is done God's way, we are blessed. And just like brother love, marriage done God's way reflects a life lived in reverence and Godly fear.
Hebrews 13:5-6
God is ever present in our lives. If we aren't content, we are being drawn to covetousness. When we are discontent with the circumstances of our life covetousness is right there. We have our own idea how life should go. When it doesn't go that way, we begin to look elsewhere. It's easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking, I've been following the Lord for many years; I've given to church; I don't cuss or drink; I help little old ladies and I buy girl scout cookies every year; therefore, we conclude that God owes me a good life. And when we don't get the good life we think we've earned, we are easily drawn away. We can become bitter with God and covet some idea of what our life should be like. That's what was happening to these Hebrews. The persecution they were experiencing wasn't part of their idea of the Christian life.
We are approved by God, not by our works, but by our submission to Him and agreeing that there is nothing I can do. Contentment comes by accepting what He has set before us. This is my agon; my race course. It's set before me. I can do no better than run it with the Lord, for the Lord, to the Lord; not wasting one second wishing I had an easier course. Besides, if I am God's, what can man do to me? What can this world do to me? God didn't save us and then abandon us to fend for ourselves in this dark world. He won't leave us or forsake us.
A life characterized by grace, reverence and godly fear, is a content life.
Hebrews 13:7-9
This is just telling us to remember those who are leaders in the body of Christ. They are the people who speak the word. As these Christians looked around them, if there was any question who these leaders were, the writer says you can recognize them by their faith and their conduct. People come and people go. Leaders rise and they fall. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And although the faces change the message of these leaders should never change.
There are all kinds of various and strange doctrines out there. Don't get carried away by your feelings or emotions. Don't be wooed away to some weirdness. The instruction to these Hebrews was to be established in grace. Don't worry about eating a list of foods someone has declared will make them holy. These guys were being drawn back to Judaism. Instead of suffering persecution they thought they could just go back and keep the dietary laws and God would be pleased with them.
For us, we live in a time where many churches work to draw a crowd. For some, church is no different than putting on a show. People will be impressed by a show. It appeals to the flesh. They'll pack the place and come back to see what you do next week. Spiritually, though, it is void. People are being fooled. That temptation to be drawn away exists in all of us. It's our sinful nature to be drawn away; to find something we like and some word that tickles our ears and makes us feel better about sin. But in the end, all those things will leave you empty. It's not the gospel. There's no hope in it.
These shows and strange doctrines, all these things that pop up that are outside the unchanging God of the bible and outside Jesus Christ, are without hope. They are clouds without rain. These things we covet never deliver on the promise.
The man or woman of God that is characterized by grace and reverence and fear of the Lord are people who have found their contentment in the unchanging Lord; not in money, power, sex, drugs, parties, cars, boats, prestige or anything else this world has to offer.
Hebrews 13:10-16
Those that serve the tabernacle were the Jews offering sacrifices at the altar. It was legalism. It was dead religion and it was drawing these men from Jesus. Those priests making sacrifices were entitled to eat a portion from that altar. But the writer said they had a different altar from which to eat, that was the symbolic altar of Christ. Certain sacrifices were offered with a higher degree of sanctity. The blood of these was sprinkled at the altar. The remains of the animal was not eaten but burnt outside the camp. The writer is indicating Jesus is this highest level of sanctity. His blood was sprinkled as he suffered outside the camp. This work of Jesus detracted from the holy and religious center that Jerusalem had become. The work of Christ looked forward for a city to come. Because of the one-time, complete work, we should rightly respond with continual sacrifice of praise.
For these Hebrews who were brought up in Judaism, everything outside the camp was defiled, unholy and unclean. Yet, we see that Jesus died outside the gate. For us to follow Jesus we have to step outside the camp. Spiritually we are untouchable but physically we are still in this world. We don't come to Christ and arrive anywhere. When we come to Christ our journey is beginning. As we run our race it is reasonable to expect to be an outcast as Jesus was. It is reasonable to expect to bear the reproach of Jesus.
We need to remember, if we bear reproach and are a cast off of this world we are only cast out of something temporary; something of which we are no longer citizens. We seek the city to come; the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. This is the eternal inheritance promised to us by the Father. These are the promises we hold on to. This is heavenly citizenship.
The Hebrews had previously offered animal sacrifices. The writer is saying, hey, you want to offer a sacrifice? Do this, give God the sacrifice of praise. Continually offer your praise to God. Offer your thanks in contentment for the life He's given. And then sacrifice what you have by sharing it with others. Sacrifice your life for the benefit of your brother and sister. For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:17
This is a call to obey and be submissive to those who have spiritual authority. There are two ways this can be done; with joy or grief. To allow your spiritual leaders to watch over you with joy is profitable for you as well as him. He will be held accountable for you.
This isn't a call to follow a man. It's a call to follow Jesus and know that the Lord puts spiritual leaders in your life. We need to understand and respect that.
Hebrews 13:18-19
The writer felt the reader's prayers were important. He felt prayer would determine if he was ever restored to them or not.
Hebrews 13:20-21
God is the God of peace. These Hebrews needed to hear this. The world was hostile but they could trust in the God of peace. They could trust in the everlasting covenant that was brought about by our shepherd and king. Our king, our God of peace can and will make you complete in His work, in His will, to what is pleasing in His sight. This is the desire of the man or woman of God whose life is characterized by Grace and reverence and fear of the Lord.
Hebrews 13:22
The purpose of this letter wasn't to shame them, ridicule them or scold them. It was to exhort them. It was a correction in theology and building up of their faith so they may continue on in the way they had started. This was serious business with eternal consequences. The writers appeal was to take this exhortation seriously.
Hebrews 13:23-25
At the beginning of this book the writer established the superiority of Jesus Christ. Jesus is to be the center of all we do. He is our hope and our salvation. There is no other way. If you are uncomfortable with any aspect of your life you need to plead your case to Jesus. Running from Him is not an option. Once Christ was established this letter transitioned to application. It's as if they asked, 'What does the superiority of Christ look like when its applied to my life?' And we were shown many examples of faith to see what it looked like. For those in Christ the story of our life should reveal our hope in the life to come. Then near the end we are encouraged to change our viewpoint. Don't look at the difficult path before you as evidence that God hates you or has abandoned you. Instead, realize it is the race set before you. This race course provides you opportunities to exercise your faith. This builds your story so others see where your hope lies.
God is with us. He didn't save us and abandon us in this world. We have an amazing inheritance. We are receiving a kingdom that can't be shaken. In so doing we should be established in grace, in reverence and in godly fear to serve Jesus who saved us. So that even in the face of persecution or whatever this world throws at us. We can quote verse 6; "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
© 2012 Doug Ford
Updated and revised 2019
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