Today we will finish our journey through the book of Hebrews, and personally it has been one of the most enlightening and delightful walks through scripture I have ever experience. As it seems to be the style of many New Testament works, the author has made this final chapter a virtual potpourri of exhortations and one-line guides for living the life that Christ calls us to live. There is no central theme to the exhortations here except the fact they are generally just good rules to live by. On the surface it seems like the basic message of, "love one another, treat each other right," is reiterated here, but there is always a deeper meaning when we look at Scripture.
"7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." – Hebrews 13:7-8
Those last ten words tell a beautiful story and give us hope. I must admit that I have been sitting here staring at those ten words on my screen for a few minutes pondering the truth behind them. Even though today is actually my birthday I received some bad news on top of some other struggles I have been facing lately, but those ten words are being burned on my heart as I write this because of the immutable truth they represent. Christ is unchanging in a world of chaos. I just found out I may not have a job much longer while others who are equal to me were chosen to continue in a full-time basis, but Christ is unchanging. Even in my despair this morning and the raw hurt I am feeling I know that Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow. He is loving, forgiving, and fully in control.
This morning as my alarm went off I took the first few moments of my day to thank Him for giving me 28 years on this earth. I don't know if I have 1 day, 50 years, or any other amount of time left, but I asked God to use all of me for His benefit for all of the time I have left. Since then I was hit with this news, but I am comforted by the truth of Hebrews 13:8 because He has not changed from that moment I was lying in bed this morning until now, even though my life situation has changed in just a few hours. This is a testament to the power and glory of Christ because I took Him up on His promise to take care of me then and He is still taking care of me now. In backing up to verse seven, I remember what He has spoken to me and I must imitate His faith.
"15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." – Hebrews 13:15-16
This is perhaps the most powerful exhortation we are reminded of here at the end of Hebrews, and it is a reminder of the Great Commission Christ gave us in Matthew 28:16-20. The most important thing that we can do with our salvation once we accept it from Christ is to share it with others. Even in my own overwhelming negativity, lately I have been diligent in carrying out this mission through this blog. I consider it my most important work to share the gospel of Christ even in this small way.
As we learned throughout the entire book of Hebrews there is a New Covenant based on faith, and in that Covenant Christ is the center, mediator, and perfector of our faith. We have seen how this New Covenant replaces the old one and we have seen the role that faith and discipline now plays in our walk with Christ. It is my prayer, as we close this walk through Hebrews, that the author's words have a profound impact on your heart, dear reader. I urge you to look through these 13 chapters and come to your own conclusions based on what God says to you as you study His word.
TODAY'S QUESTIONS:
- How has Christ exhibited his enduring, unchanging presence in your life lately?
- What does it mean to continually offer a sacrifice of praise?
- Why are we asked to share our faith with others?
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