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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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Hebrews 13:1-2, 1 John 4:8, Romans 5:8

Our Bond in Jesus’ Love

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 3, 2020

We begin to see the writer of the letter to the Hebrews begin to wrap up his message on the superiority of Jesus to any religious system with a few exhortations. They are things every father would want for his children and so might be seen as a continuance of the idea that God is a good, good Father who wants only what’s best for us even in times of stress, trial and sorrow. How do we treat others in the reality of walking together hand in hand through the valley of the shadow of death? We have a common bond. Hardship and death is something we all share and we should be concerned for the welfare of each other. As he begins his concluding remarks in Hebrews 13:1, he instructs his readers and us to “Let brotherly love continue.” In Verse 2 he adds, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Our God loves us. He is positively disposed towards us through all life’s trials. He’s not a policeman hiding behind a billboard trying to catch us doing something wrong. He’s not a boss trying to get the best performance from us that he can. He’s a loving father, looking out for our welfare. He demonstrated that love for us on Calvary. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Saving faith begins with that presupposition. We must understand God’s attitude toward us is always one of love. Without that we’ll never be able to love him back nor love our neighbors. We must have love before we can give love. 1 John 4:19 assures us of this truth. It says, “We love because he first loved us.” Brooks comments on this, “The one Greek word which it translates (as opposed to other words for ‘love’) is distinctively Christian in its biblical use. It is certainly the case that true ‘brotherly love’ must flow from the good spring and the gracious principle of God’s first love to us.”[1]

It appears by the word “continue” that the congregation of former Hebrews were indeed showing love to one another and the author wants that to continue. But from verse 2 it seems they were not as active in their reception of strangers. McGee says, “The basic thought of this verse in the Hebrew epistle is that we are to extend love to strangers by showing hospitality to them. We ought to be careful that our love is exercised with judgment, but we need to recognize that there are folk around us to whom we could be very helpful. We should extend our love to them, and in doing this we might meet some very wonderful people.”[2] He assumes that the “angels” that might be encountered when showing hospitality are human “messengers” from God. But the times in the Old Testament when people entertained “angels” they were actually supernatural beings. Abraham, Jacob and Joshua are a couple who did so. The word translated “angels” in verse 2 literally means “messenger” so it could mean either. The angels that Abraham entertained brought him good news. They informed him by divine decree that he was going to have the son of promise the next year. As Obrien observes, “The point for the hearers of the discourse is that strangers to whom they show hospitality may ‘prove to be true messengers of God to them, bringing a greater blessing than they receive.’”[3]

[1] Richard Brooks, The Name High over All: A Commentary on Hebrews, Welwyn Commentary Series (Welwyn Garden City, UK: EP, 2016), 424.

[2] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (Hebrews 8-13), electronic ed., vol. 52 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 138.

[3] 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), 507.

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Hebrews 12:28-29, Isaiah 66:15-16, Matthew 6:10, 33-34

Our Future is in Jesus’ Hands!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 25, 2020

The world and all its accouterments, along with religious rituals, regulations and observances will be destroyed. They avail nothing with regard to eternity! Jesus offers the only foundation that will endure the final destruction of all things. That destruction will come “by fire.” Isaiah 66:15-16 makes that clear, “For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment…” But Jesus’ Kingdom is unshakable! So the author of Hebrews wraps up his comments in chapter 12 with verses 28-29 saying “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.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is an eternal one. We need not fear the destruction of all things in heaven and on earth because we’ve become part of an eternal kingdom through our faith in the eternal King Himself, Jesus! We are not afraid of God’s coming judgment, as a matter of fact we often pray for it to come. Jesus taught us to pray that way. We say, “Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (See Matthew 6:10).

Our worship of God is acceptable when it’s done in faith. It is “by faith” that all the saints mentioned in chapter 11 worshiped God. They heard a word from God, and they believed it and were commended for that faith. But in our day, as the writer began the book of Hebrews, “God speaks to us through His Son.” Through our faith in Jesus we have an unshakable Kingdom, an eternal life, and the guarantee of paradise! If it’s Jesus’ Kingdom we care about, we need not worry about the future. The wrath of God, the fiery judgment, won’t touch us because Jesus took God’s judgment for our sins on Himself. We have nothing to worry about and Jesus explained this principle to us in Matthew 6:33-34. He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” The righteousness we must seek is not our own. We’ll find ourselves bankrupt when we do. It’s His Righteousness we must have and he attributes that to all those who come to Him in faith. Jesus says to you and I who believe, “don’t worry about tomorrow! I’ve got that under control!”

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Hebrews 12:27, Revelation 6:14, Zephaniah 1:18, Haggai 2:4-5

Jesus’ Kingdom is unshakable!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 25, 2020

When God shakes the heavens and the earth and the seas, the material world will be “dust in the wind.” Kansas had it wrong. They sang, “Don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away and all your money won’t another minute buy.” They’re right in the fact that “all your money won’t another minute buy,” but they are wrong in thinking that the earth and sky will remain forever.  Revelation 6:14 teaches us that “The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” No wealth will prolong a life beyond that allowed by God as Zephaniah 1:18 says, “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.”

The second coming of  Christ to judge and to rule has already been mentioned in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 10-12. It says, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.  But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” The visible world will not last forever. But Christ and His kingdom will last forever. This is a truth that is not only earth shaking, but it shakes the heavens as well. God spoke from Sinai and he shook the earth. He speaks to us today through His Son, Jesus, as we read in the first chapter of Hebrews but there is a time coming when Christ will return and speak to us again. The author of Hebrews explains this to us in Hebrews 12:27. He writes, “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.”

Do we respond to these warnings in fear or do we respond to these warnings in faith? The writer quoted the coming destruction of heaven and earth from Haggai 2:6 but did not mention the two verses that preceded that warning. In those verses Haggai addresses those of faith and says in verses 4-5, “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.” The covenant God made with Israel will be fulfilled but how much more will the unconditional covenant God made with us through the blood of His son be certain of fulfillment for us as well. Allen quotes A. Thiselton who said, “Those who seek their security in ‘created things’ will share in the dissolution of the created order in the final shakeup, while God’s pilgrim people who accept hardships in full trust in God as their security will be vindicated; theirs will be a ‘kingdom that cannot be shaken.’ ”[1]

[1] David L. Allen, Hebrews, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010), 596.

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