(Hebrews 13:18-25, ESV) Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. Grace be with all of you. v.18 The letter becomes more personal as the author prepares to conclude. He asks for prayer on his behalf from his readers, appealing to his...

(Hebrews 13:17, ESV) 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. As the author of Hebrews nears the close of his letter, he gives some final instruction about how we ought to run the race of faith throughout our lives. The Greek word for "obey" in this verse doesn't simply refer to a cold, robotic compliance. Two of its three core uses refer to persuading or being persuaded, with the latter being intended here. The third use of this Greek word means "to trust" or "have confidence" in. The Greek word for "keeping watch" means "to be sleepless, keep awake, watch" and "to be circumspect, attentive, ready". As someone who served as a church leader before starting Spirit Blade Productions (and as someone in a different form of spiritual leadersh...

(Hebrews 13:15-16, ESV) "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." The author of Hebrews has been detailing what it looks like to more fully engage in a life-long commitment to Jesus and his coming kingdom. In previous verses he stressed the importance of not adopting false views that would lead us away from the undeserved favor that God continually offers. He contrasted the obsolete sacrificial system with the strength and help that now comes from ongoing unity with Jesus. v.15 This contrast continues as the author reveals that New Covenant believers (those who believe in what Jesus taught and who have trusted him for forgiveness of all their sins) continue to offer sacrifices, which express our love for God and commitment to him. But our sacrifices take a different form now. They are ...

Hebrews 13:7-14 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. v. 7 The Bible doesn't often give instruction on how we should treat the leaders of our local churches, so this verse sh...

Hebrews 13:4-6 4.Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5.Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6.So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” v.4 As we trust Yahweh enough to obey him and do life his way, it should be true of us that we highly value marriage and value sexual intercourse as something meant only for the marriage relationship. Both "sexual immorality" (the Greek refers to "fornication") and adultery will be judged by Yahweh. I think it's easier for us to recognize the wrong in sex outside of marriage when it involves people who are married. But it's also easy for us to convince ourselves that sex outside of marriage is actually okay in other situations, such as when we fully intend to marry the per...

Hebrews 13:1-3(ESV) 1.Let brotherly love continue. 2.Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3.Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. The author of Hebrews has been encouraging us to fully engage and persevere in the life-long "race of faith". He is now going into some detail about what should be true of us as we trust Yahweh enough to obey him and do life his way. v. 1 "Brotherly love" is "philadelphia" in the Greek, and refers to the "family love" that Christians experience when we view each other and our relationships rightly. The original readers were commanded to "continue" in this, but I question whether I've even started in this kind of love within my community of believers. There are a few people in the college group I serve in that I would use "philadelphia...

(Hebrews 12:25-29, ESV) See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. I'm breaking from my usual format of saving "Geek Application" for the end, because I felt like this passage in particular could benefit from that application coming more "along the way" as we go through it verse by verse. In previous verses the author of Hebrews ...

(Hebrews 12:18-24, ESV) For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Why should we push forward in our pursuit of life with Jesus? The author has previously given us instruction on how to view the suffering we encounter, but why...

We've been away from Hebrews for awhile and I'm very excited to jump back in. But before moving forward I'd like to once again zoom out and get an updated overview of the book so far to help give context to the text as we zoom back in next time. A significant theme of Hebrews has been "holding on to hope and confidence in Yahweh so that we can be engaged in his plans and experience his blessing and rest".  Some quick chapter overviews: (Chapter 1) Jesus is superior to all messengers of God that came before him and the "heir" of all things in creation. (Believers are also referred to in verse 14 as those who "inherit salvation".) (Chapter 2) Jesus is the source of our rescue from the power and penalty of sin. We are warned not to neglect the ongoing rescue Jesus offers.  (Chapters 3-5) There is a rest still available for God's people that the Israelites neglected. A rest found in our pursuit of God and participation ...

(Hebrews 12:12-17, ESV) Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. In previous verses, the author of Hebrews explained that the suffering we experience is actually discipline from God, who desires to train and mold our character to be more like his. v. 12-13 In light of this perspective on suffering, the author returns to the "race of faith" metaphor ...

(Hebrews 12:3-4, ESV) (Hebrews 12:3-4, ESV) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. The author of Hebrews has instructed us some on how to live out our faith and acknowledges that the life of faith is difficult. In these verses he provides some perspective on our suffering. v.3 The author has already told us to fix our eyes on Jesus as our model. Now he specifically tells us to consider Jesus in light of the suffering he endured from those who sinned against him. We've heard the stories of Jesus so many times it's easy to forget the tangible, historical reality of them. It's tempting to think of God as safely removed from our pain and unable to relate and sympathize with our difficulty. But Jesus is God himself, and experienced a life of difficulty and suffering so great that he is called a ...