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Hebrews 13:13, John 14:6

Jesus is better than Religion

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

I’ve often argued that Jesus did not come to Earth to die on the cross for our sins in order to set up another “religion.” He came to destroy all religion and set upon the earth the breach or door between this world and the heavenly realm of the Father. He says in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He calls us to realize that there are no more altars of sacrifice. He completed that function on our behalf. Therefore, there is no need of a religious observation. We are called to separate ourselves from that stuff and look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Our confidence is not based on our religious standards or rituals or good works but rather on Jesus’ work on our behalf on the cross. The writer of Hebrews wants us to leave all that behind. He writes in Hebrews 13:13, “Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.”

McGee says, “The writer is saying to these Hebrew Christians, ‘Don’t mind leaving the temple. Don’t mind leaving the rituals. Those things are not helpful. Go to Him—Go to Christ.’”[1] He goes on to add, “We are to go ‘without the camp, bearing his reproach.’ The Hebrew Christians hated to leave the temple and their religion. Many people today are wrapped up in ‘churchianity,’ thinking that because they are members of a church they are saved. They need to get away from ritual and religion and come to Christ. Come to Him—that is real separation, and that is real salvation.”[2]

The reproach that Jesus endured, and the writer of Hebrews calls us to bear also is that of leaving our religion behind. The hardest thing for us to give up isn’t drinking, smoking, cussing, dancing and/or playing cards! It’s giving up our religion. Pfeiffer says, “We do not now make sacrifice; we have a sacrifice already made for us in Christ; hence we have an altar. The OT ordinances as here described no longer avail. When Christ suffered death outside the gate on the cross, one of the things accomplished was the setting aside of the Levitical customs. They are now superfluous. The believer’s identification is with Christ outside or without the gate. This means rejection of Judaism on the one hand and rejection by the Jews on the other. For these Hebrew Christians, this was the reproach they were to bear.”[3] The Jews rejected the new believers because the new believers in Jesus rejected their religion. This is the same reproach they held toward Jesus who bore their hatred and wrath by asserting His superiority over all their religious systems.

[1] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (Hebrews 8-13), electronic ed., vol. 52 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 147.

[2] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (Hebrews 8-13), electronic ed., vol. 52 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 147–148.

[3] Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett Falconer Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), Heb 13:10.

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Hebrews 13:10-12, Genesis 22

Jesus wraps up the Sacrificial System

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

The author of Hebrews, whoever he was, understood the Old Testament and its sacrificial system very well and the extent to which is was fulfilled by Jesus. From the beginning of the book up to and including Chapter 13, the last chapter, the writer has insisted on the superiority of Jesus over all the religious rituals and practices of old. He makes this point once again in Hebrews 13:10. He writes, “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.” He is referring to the sacrifices that the priests and Levites could not eat from. Brooks explains this well. He writes, “In order to grasp the argument here, it is necessary to scroll back to those Old Testament days for a moment. When sacrifices were offered upon the altars, there was a distinction God made between those where the priests were allowed to eat of the sacrificial offerings, and those where they were not. In particular, the latter was the case with the sin offering of Leviticus 4 and with the sacrifices of the annual Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. Of these it was a case of ‘from which those who serve the tent [the Levitical priests] have no right to eat’. So what happened to these sacrifices, if they were not to be eaten?”[1]

Verse 11 answers Brook’s question. It says, “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.” Only their blood was taken into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled upon the mercy seat. This ritual was to picture the coming sacrifice that would be the ultimate sacrifice for all sin. The blood of bulls and goats served only to “cover” up sin until the ultimate deliverer would come. Once the blood was applied, the body was removed from the holy places and burned outside the camp. It gave the world a picture of sin’s remedy that would come ultimately in Jesus.

Verse 12 goes on the make this connection. It says, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” Gromacki concludes, “Christ sanctified His people with His own blood (10:10). He positionally set them apart from the dominion of sin unto Himself. He ‘suffered without the gate’ in that He died on Golgotha, a hill outside the city walls of Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders and the Roman officials rejected Him; therefore, they took Him out of the city and crucified Him.”[2] Back in Genesis 22, Abraham took his only son Isaac up to the mountain to offer him as a sacrifice. But God intervened and provided the lamb caught in the thicket as the sacrifice. In that passage the place was named “God will provide” because Abraham concluded that God himself will provide the sacrifice. John the Baptist pointed out that provision when he said of Jesus, “behold, the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” Jesus was taken up to the same mountain, outside the city walls, and offered as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.

[1] Richard Brooks, The Name High over All: A Commentary on Hebrews, Welwyn Commentary Series (Welwyn Garden City, UK: EP, 2016), 439–440.

[2] Robert Gromacki, Stand Bold in Grace: An Exposition of Hebrews, The Gromacki Expository Series (The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, 2002), 220.

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Hebrews 13:9

It is by “Grace” Alone we are saved!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

The Gospel is truly “good news.” But it can be corrupted by adding to it some aspects of religious observations or rituals or regulations that add man’s own efforts to the salvation offered freely by God through faith in Jesus Christ. This has always been a problem in the Church and remains a problem today. Many still argue that our true salvation is by faith and works. Jesus did his part and we must do our part. What exactly are the parts that we must add is a conglomeration of confusion. It seems every specific sect has their own ideas as to what we “must” do to be saved in addition to what Jesus has accomplished for us. This is what the writer of Hebrews warns us against in Hebrews 13:9. He writes, “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.” The voices of religion today certainly present a plethora of “diverse and strange teachings.”

None of those teachings do a thing to strengthen our hearts. No, on the contrary! The demands of religious fervor or strict ritual observances along with many other ideas just confuse us and discourage us. Only through the full “grace” of God offered freely in Jesus Christ do we find true strengthening of our hearts. Grace is what “strengthens” our hearts. Law does nothing but condemn us. Fruchtenbaum, a former Jew, points this out well. He writes, “The author states: for it is good that the heart be established by grace. The heart should be established by grace as over against being established by the Law. Spiritual maturity will come by means of the teachings of the Messiah not by means of going back to the Levitical system.”[1]

The Levitical system has failed to make anyone acceptable to God. But in Christ we have confidence regarding our eternal destiny which enables us to live at peace with God and others today. The passage speaks about “food” not benefiting anyone in any way. Homer Kent observes, “Paul wrote to the Colossians about those who made unwarranted judgments about meat and drink (Col. 2:16). He told the Corinthians that meat per se has no spiritual value either positive or negative (1 Cor. 8:8).”[2] The author wants us all to remember that we have come to “Mount Zion” and have not returned to “Mount Sinai.” The law has been fulfilled in Christ and we can find our acceptance by God in our connection with Christ by faith and faith alone! No religious ritual or observation will win favor with God. As Pentecost says, “The writer previously stated, ‘The law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God’ (Heb. 7:19). Faith will provide a foundation so that the one living by faith might enter into rest and peace even in the midst of conflict.”[3]

[1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Jewish Epistles: Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude, 1st ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2005), 191–192.

[2] Homer A. Kent Jr., The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1983), 282.

[3] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 218.

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Hebrews 13:7-8

Jesus Never Changes

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

In Chapter 11, the writer of the book of Hebrews brought to mind a wide selection of characters from the Old Testament who lived by faith. One thing that might not have been too obvious in that list of “believers” is that their faith was in “God’s Word.” The object of their faith was God. Biblical faith always has God as the object. The specific content of that faith may change from era to era but the object always remains the same. God’s word to Noah was that a flood was coming that would destroy the world. Noah believed and built an ark. Abraham and Sarah heard a call from God to trust him in their pilgrimage from their homeland to a place he would show them. They left. Moses heard from God in a burning bush. He believed that what God had promised him was better than anything he would get in Egypt. Hebrews 11:26 says of Moses, “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” All of the Old Testament “believers” had faith in God’s promise to bring about their deliverance through the Messiah. They believed God and rested their confidence on His promised redemption through Jesus Christ.

It wasn’t only the Old Testament characters who trusted God and believed His “Word” and acted on it. The Hebrews saw this truth lived out in the lives of those who had proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. So the author moves on in Hebrews 13:7 to call for his readers to remember those people as well. He writes, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” When he refers to “the Word of God,” I’m convinced he’s referring to Jesus as the living word. They had God as their object but the clear content of the communication now that came from God was the message of his love for the world demonstrated on Calvary through his one and only Son. God spoke to the people of old in many different ways but the author of Hebrews told us at the beginning of his letter that “in these days he speaks to us through his son.” The message that comes to us through Jesus is far better than the messages received from angels and prophets.

This is fully recognized because of the comment in the next verse. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This is not a verse that the author drew out of the blue! He had Jesus in mind all the time. When we’re called to imitate “their faith,” we’re called to put all our confidence in Jesus just as they did. One commentary says, “In this fast-changing world, nothing seems dependable and permanent. Leaders come, and leaders go. One leader however, is unchangeable: Jesus Christ. Says the author, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.’ More sermons have been preached on this text than on any other verse from Hebrews, so that this verse almost has attained confessional status in the church.”[1] This short verse carries incredible implications for every believer. Fruchtenbaum explains, “The context simply teaches that Jesus can give the believers victory in their trials. He brought victory for the distant saints of chapter 11 and for the more recent saints of verse 7. He has given victories in the past, He is giving victories in the present, and He will give victories in the future.”[2]

[1] Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of Hebrews, vol. 15, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 415.

[2] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Jewish Epistles: Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude, 1st ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2005), 190.

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Hebrews 13:6

Living by Faith: Not by sight!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

This is the basis of our faith: we have confidence and trust fully in God’s love for us and good intentions for our well-being. There is nothing I will need that he won’t provide. The writer of Hebrews asserts this truth in Hebrews 13:6. He writes, “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” This is not the first time the book of Hebrews has addressed the idea of confidence. O’Brien observes, “In this confession, the listeners are responding with the boldness that has been urged upon them throughout the discourse. They have already been exhorted ‘to hold firmly to their confidence’ (3:6), ‘approach God’s throne of grace with confidence’ (4:16), ‘have confidence to enter the most holy place’ (10:19), and ‘not to throw away their confidence’ (v. 35). Now, emboldened by God’s powerful declaration, they say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper’.”[1]

I have frequently seen ball caps and bumper stickers that read “No Fear.” I’m not sure what this means to those who use it. Does it mean something like, “You don’t scare me, so don’t try to mess with me?” Or does it mean something like, “I carry a loaded gun with me at all times?” Whatever it means, it does not begin to compare with the words of our Lord, “Fear not.” There is nothing in this world that compares with the safety and security of the believer in Jesus Christ. I’ve not personally counted them, but I’ve read several times that the Bible records the exhortation to “fear not” or “don’t be afraid” 365 times. That’s one time for every day of the year. I should count them sometime! But regardless, there are a lot of times when God’s people are to put on the hat that says, “No Fear.”

When I was writing devotions on the book of Jeremiah, I was impressed with the number of times God exhorted him to “fear not.” I quoted from Timothy Willis’ commentary on Jeremiah and wrote, “The exhortation, do not be afraid, is not backed up with a revelation about what will happen to him and that he will be happy with the outcome, but on the unqualified promise by the Lord, I am with you, no matter what happens. The significance of this is immense. So often, people look for external, physical proof of God’s presence in and approval of their lives when the only ‘proof’ he might offer is that he is with them. Such proof cannot be verified; it is only known in the heart of the believer.”[2] This is living by faith not by sight!

[1] Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 513.

[2] Charles E. Larsen, Jeremiah Devotions 2015, n.d.

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Hebrews 13:5, 1 Timothy 6:6-9, Psalm 23

Jesus satisfies our needs!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

The writer of Hebrews continues with exhortations and instructions on how to live healthier and happier lives. Moving on from the sanctity of marriage, he now addresses money. Hebrews 3:5 says, “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.” Gromacki correctly observes, “The reason why marriage and money are mentioned in the same context is that their abuse originates from the same cause of covetousness. Immorality and selfish greed stem from an evil desire to exploit others for one’s own gratification. Quite often, wealth and wantonness are found together.”[1] I’m reminded that most crimes in our country have their roots in sex and money. Neither of these brings happiness in life. Most often they drive us further from it. Paul tells his young disciple, Timothy, that “…the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

To be content with what we have in life and who we are is “great gain.” That’s the rest of the lesson that Paul taught Timothy. He writes to him and says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (See 1 Timothy 6:6-9). This brings to mind that great song of contentment, Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He leads me beside the still waters and makes me lie down in green pastures… he restores my soul.”

Our satisfaction with our lots in life has a solid basis in faith. The Old Testament characters reported on in Chapter 11 all lived “by faith.” Faith has three components. First, it asserts that God is a good God who has our best interest foremost in mind. Second, it’s confidence the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice to bring about the forgiveness of our sins and finally, it’s a conviction that God has a great future in store for us. To the one who has come to know and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, there is nothing to fear. There is no need to fear God’s judgment, for our punishment has been borne by our Savior. There is no need to fear for our needs, for He has promised to care for us. There is no need to fear any circumstance in life, for He is for us. May this confidence be yours, as you trust in God’s salvation, Jesus Christ.

[1] Robert Gromacki, Stand Bold in Grace: An Exposition of Hebrews, The Gromacki Expository Series (The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, 2002), 216.

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Hebrews 13:4, Genesis 1:27

One Man and One Woman!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

Caring for one another has been part of the writer’s focus on and off throughout his letter to the Hebrews. In Hebrews 12:15, we are charged with looking out for one another. Picking up on his exhortation, he adds Hebrews 12:16 saying that we are to “see to it…that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.” There should be accountability in the church regarding our sexual conduct. There is nothing wrong with sex! It’s God’s creation as He made us male and female. It’s just that the society and the church should restrict those urges and restrain them within the bounds of matrimony. The word for “sexually immoral” is the Greek word “pornos” from which we get pornography, but it literally means “fornication.” In general, it refers to sexual behavior outside of marriage. The writer says more about that in Hebrews 13:4. He writes, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”

Marriage is a divine institution, created by God for the good of male and female as well as society as a whole. The marriage bed is defiled by promiscuous activity on the part of either party as well as redefining its meaning. This is a very unpopular view today in our culture but it’s hard to deny the biblical teaching on this issue. Brooks says it pretty well. He says that this verse “…carries with it the unchanging truth that marriage only has been, only can be, and only ever will be between one man and one woman. The thought of marriage being ‘redefined’, when it is God who gave it and defined it from the beginning, is blasphemous, and those who propose such a thing set themselves up directly against God, and will have to answer for it at the judgment. Husbands cannot have husbands, and wives cannot have wives. A husband has a wife and a wife has a husband. The truth stands: ‘male and female he [the sovereign God] created them’ (Genesis 1:27).”[1]

There is one other issue associated with marriage. It very well may have been that celibacy had already found its way into the church and it was viewed mistakenly by some as being the “superior” life choice over marriage. This verse may have been written to contradict that idea. It also contradicts that idea today as well.  In some circles the celibate life is celebrated and rewarded as being better than married life. The author of Hebrews says that marriage should be held in honor “by all.” It was God’s designed plan that fulfills his purpose in creating them “male and female.” Sex within the God ordained institute of marriage is pure (undefiled). One man and one woman is good for the society as well. It is the smallest cell from which comes the creation of other human beings and provides the stability in society as a whole.

[1] Richard Brooks, The Name High over All: A Commentary on Hebrews, Welwyn Commentary Series (Welwyn Garden City, UK: EP, 2016), 431.

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Hebrews 13:3, Romans 12:15, Philippians 2:1-2

A Sympathetic Heart

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

We all suffer in this life and that should be a bond that holds us together. I believe that’s the point of Hebrews 13:3. It says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death together. The most obvious things we share in common is that we will all die someday. According to Eddie Rasnake, “When the Titanic set sail, the wealthy and important occupied the most luxurious cabins, but when she sank, class and rank were no guarantee of survival. Because saving women and children first was a naval tradition, a woman traveling in third class was more likely to survive than a man in first class. …Some on board may have thought themselves better or more important than others because of wealth or position, but when the Titanic started to sink, they learned they were really ‘all in the same boat.’ They were all passengers headed for disaster and in need of rescuing.[1]

Getting tested for the coronavirus seems to have become a thing only for the elite or those with influence and money. But in the long run, none of it really matters because when it’s our time to go “all your money won’t another minute buy.” Being in the same boot should arouse a sense of community with us all. We should all be able to relate to each other’s sufferings. It reminds me of Paul’s instructions regarding intimate identification with one another. He says in Romans 12:15, we should “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” He writes to the Philippians with similar ideas. In Philippians 2:1-2 he says, “ So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Believers too will all die one day, but they also share a common destiny which should serve to bind us even more together.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. We become too caught up with the “works” of our hands and the need to impress and to accomplish things in life that we lose our ability to identify with the suffering and hurt of others. Kent Hughes shares a great story from Herman Melville’s novel “White Jacket.” It seems, “…one of the ship’s sailors became desperately ill with severe abdominal pain. The ship’s surgeon, Dr. Cuticle, waxes enthusiastic at the possibility of having a real case to treat, one that challenges his surgeon’s ability. Appendicitis is the happy diagnosis. Dr. Cuticle recruits some other sailors to serve as his attendants. The poor seaman is laid out on the table, and the doctor goes to work with skillful enthusiasm. His incisions are precise, and while removing the diseased appendix he proudly points out interesting anatomical details to his seaman-helpers who had never before seen the inside of another human. He is completely absorbed in his work and obviously a skilled professional. It is an impressive performance, but the sailors – without exception – are not impressed but are rather appalled. Why? Their poor friend, now receiving his last stitch, has long been dead on the table! Dr. Cuticle had not even noticed. Cold Dr. Cuticle – a man with ice water in his veins – was insensitive and void of empathy.”[2]

[1] Eddie Rasnake, The Book of Romans, Following God Series (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2005), 31–32.

[2] R. Kent Hughes, Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993), 210–211.

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