THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST: LOVE IN THE RELIGIOUS REALM

Hebrews 13:7-17

New International Version (NIV)

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. 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 carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so.

10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.

12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.

13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

13:10-15 The Sacrifice of Praise. PRAISE PATHWAY. Why is praising God a sacrifice? The word "sacrifice"(Greek thusia) comes from the root thuo, a verb meaning "to kill" or slaughter for a purpose." Praise often requires that we "kill our pride, fear, or sloth-anything that threatens to diminish or interfere with our worship of the Lord. We also discover here the basis of all our praise; the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by Him, in Him with Him, to Him, and for Him that we offer our sacrifice of praise to God. Praise will never be successfully hindered when we keep its focus on Him-the Founder and Completer of our salvation. His Cross-, His Blood-His love gift of life and forgiveness to us-keep praise as a living sacrifice.

13:12 Sanctification Through Christ’s Blood. THE BLOOD. Consistent with the themes of the sufficiency and superiority of Christ’s atoning work apart from Judaism, and of the futility of Christians either submitting or resubmitting themselves to the strictures of Judatistic religion, the epistle writer assures his audience that Christ’s death was a hallowing act for them. Obviously there were those both inside and outside the Christian community who insisted that there could be no right standing with God apart from wholehearted embrace and observance of Jewish ceremonies, rituals, and behavioral codes. This verse builds upon the burnt offerings were burned outside the geographical precincts of Jerusalem. In a similar manner, Christ’s death went beyond the precincts of Judaic tradition to set apart believers for the use/work of God. Without respect to any righteous acts on the part of believers. Christ nevertheless positions them as saints.

13:7 Teachers who have been faithful unto death are worthy examples of persevering faith.

13:8 The same Christ who sustained the leaders mentioned in the previous verse will support them.

13:9 One of the chief causes of instability of faith is false and novel teaching. Note that doctrines is in the plural. Truth is always in the singular. Faith comes from the heart, which alone can appreciate the fullness of God’s grace.

13:10 Our altar is the Cross of Christ. Those who still trust in the old rituals are excluded from the saving benefits of His death.

13:11, 12 On the Day of Atonement the bodies of the animals whose blood was carried into the Holy of Holies were burned without the camp. Jesus, the antitype of this sacrifice, was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem.

13:13, 14 Loyalty to Christ means separation, it may involve the loss of friends and bearing his reproach. However, departure from earthly ties results in entering the "continuing city…to come."

13:15, 16 As priests of God, believers offer the sacrifice of praise to God and loving service to others. The fruit of our lips notes the fact that, as with the fruit God creatively brings forth from plant life, so the Holy Spirit will beget new and living worship unto God from our lips and our whole being.