Hebrew 12:25

Hebrews 12:25 says, See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:  This is a call, or a warning, to not neglect the call of Christ.  Those who had spoken for God before Christ came were but people of the earth, but when Christ came, He came down from heaven.  Matthew Henry says that Christ by His word shook not only the world, but the heavens as well.  We should never underestimate the power of the word of God.  We are told that in Jesus Christ that the Word became flesh.  Before Christ came, God shook the nations to make a land for His people.  Now, God has shaken the heavens to make an everlasting home for His people, those who have put their faith in Christ.  We cannot ignore God's calling us to faith in Christ and have any hope of salvation.  Verse twenty-six adds, Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.  This is what I was discussing above.  The life of Christ shook the very foundation of the universe.  There is no place that we can go that God is not already there, and there is no other way to salvation except through the blood of Christ.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.  The old sacrificial system could be shaken, but salvation through Christ and the rewards that it brings never will be shaken.  Verse twenty-eight states, Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  We are reminded that since we are receiving an everlasting, unmovable kingdom that we are to serve God acceptably.  This means that we are to acknowledge God's grace in saving us, and this will lead us to serving Him with reverence and Godly fear.  This does not mean that we are always to be afraid that God is going to strike us down, but that we should live in awe of both God's power and His grace.  Verse twenty-nine adds For our God is a consuming fire.  God does indeed have the ability to burn everything up.  Fortunately, for us who are followers of Christ, all God burns up are the everlasting consequences of our sins.

Hebrews 13:9

Hebrews 13:9 says, Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.  This is already a warning about false doctrines.  It did not take years for false doctrines to appear about the teachings of Christ, but they appeared almost immediately.    Our relationship with God is established not by the law, or the old sacrificial system, but by our relationship with Jesus Christ.  There were, are, and always will be those who attempt to add to or take away from the gospel.  There are people today who say that they are Christians but do not consider themselves to be a born-again Christian, for example.  God's word is very clear on this concept, though.  If we are to be a Christian, a follower of Christ, then we must be born again through faith in Christ.  There are those who preach earthly success as a sign of faith, but we are told to not lay up treasures in this world, but to expect persecution and suffering when we stand for Christ.  Verse ten adds, We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.  Matthew Henry says that early Christians who worshipped outside the tabernacle were accused of not having an altar to worship or sacrifice at, but we know that Christ is our altar.  We do not have to come to a particular place at a particular time to worship God.  Verse eleven continues, For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.  This reminds us that the blood of the sacrificial animal was brought into the sanctuary by the high priest, but the body was burned, or destroyed, outside the tabernacle.  The blood offered on the altar in the tabernacle was seen as having the power to represent the forgiveness of the people.  When Christ came, He offered His blood, once and for all time, for the atonement of the sins of all who believe in Him.  This was not done on a altar in the tabernacle, but on a cross on a hill outside the city.  Verse twelve states, Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.  As just discussed, Jesus did not die within the tabernacle, or established religious practices, but He died to fulfill the need for all these practices.  Verse thirteen adds, Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.  I believe that this is a call for us to go into the world with the message of Christ.  When we go, we may not be well received, or even bear reproach from those we go to, but so did Christ.  Verse fourteen continues, For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.  This world, wherever we live in it, will never be our permanent city, or home.  We are simply passing through on our way to that heavenly city, or home, to come.  Yet, we often put more time and effort into the things of this world than we we into the things related to our heavenly home.  Verse fifteen says, By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.  Unlike the old sacrifices, which were meant to bring forgiveness from God, we are to offer a sacrifice of praise to God for the everlasting forgiveness of God through faith in Christ.  Still, instead of speaking words of praise to God, we often offer words of complaint because everything is not going as we want it to.  Verse sixteen adds, But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  We are told to do good and to communicate the word of God.  In order to truly do good and communicate the word of God, we must follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse seventeen continues, Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.  I believe this refers to religious leaders, those placed over the church by the call of God.  The rulers of the world often do not even acknowledge the existence of our souls, much less watch out for them.  Those religious leaders, those placed in power over us, have a responsibility to do what is best for us in the eyes of God.  When they do, they will experience joy and we will be lifted up in our relationship to God.

Hebrews 13:1

Hebrews 13:1 says, Let brotherly love continue.  The writer now begins to give us several practical applications of our faith as followers of Christ.  The first is to let brotherly love continue.  Everyone who is truly a follower of Christ is a brother or sister of everyone else who is truly a follower of Christ.  There are no divisions by race, nationality, or any other human qualifier.  I am not sure that we always live as though we believe this.  If I cannot love all my brothers and sisters in Christ, then how can I love the lost people of the world, and we are called to love them as well.  Verse two adds, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.  This tells us two things.  The first is that we are to be kind to and help strangers, which is what is meant by entertain strangers.  The second is that these strangers might be angels that we are helping.  We may never know if we have done this.  Verse three continues, Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.  This is a call once more to have compassion for those who are suffering for their faith in Christ, no matter who they are or where they are.  We are to remember them as if we ourselves were suffering the same fate.  We need to ask ourselves how long it has been since we have truly been burdened by compassion for others.  Often, if the suffering does not affect our daily lives, we simply ignore it.  Verse four states, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.  There is a lot written about marriage today, but a true marriage is not just between two people but is between two people and God.  If God is not the center of the marriage, then it becomes just a legal arrangement.  Verse five adds, Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  This tells us that even in our conversation we are not to covet what someone else has materially.  We sometimes attempt to cover our covetousness by saying that we wish we had something that someone else has and they had something better.  We are advised to be content with what we have, because we as followers of Christ have Christ and all His promises to us forever.  Verse six continues, So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.  Do we boldly say this, or do we keep quiet about our relationship with Christ when out in the public for fear of what people may say about or do to us?  We are to boldly proclaim Christ, no matter what.  Verse seven says, Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.  We are told to follow those who have rule over us, but I believe in this case it refers to pastors and teachers.  We are to follow their teaching because they have spoken to us the word of God.  We do not have to go to God through them, but we are to learn from their faithfully presenting the word of God.  Their lives should reflect their faith, as should ours.  Verse eight adds, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  Who Christ was is Who Christ is.  He is the Savior and Lord of all who believe in Him for all time.  Jesus Christ is the Messiah looked ahead to in the Old Testament and the Messiah looked back to in the New Testament and since.  There never was and never will be a time when Jesus Christ is not the Redeemer of all who will come to Him by faith.

Hebrews 12:18

Hebrews 12:18 says, For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,  This is a further comparison between the law and grace.  When the law of God was given to Moses, it was on a mountain that could be touched, but people had limited access to that mountain.  Moses went alone to receive the law.  Verse nineteen adds, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:  There was a certain fear of the voice of God.  Since they were unable to live up to God's law, they feared His voice.  Verse twenty continues, (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:  The reason they feared God was because they could not endure what was commanded.  If we had to justify ourselves through the law of God, we would be just as fearful.  The limited access was so great that if an animal touched the mountain, it was to be destroyed.  Verse twenty-one declares, And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)  Moses himself quaked at being in the presence of God.  Verse twenty-two adds, But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  There is good news for those of us who are under the new covenant of God.  We have come to mount Sion, or Zion, and into new Jerusalem, the heavenly city that cannot be touched by hands.  There is no one one place that we must go to in order to worship God.  Verse twenty-three continues, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,  We, as followers of Christ, are part of the assembly and church of the firstborn.  We do not become a part of this assembly from our birth into a particular family, but by a rebirth into the family of God through faith in Christ.  Verse twenty-four concludes, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.  We not only come to a new place to worship God, but we come through a new way, and that is the blood of Christ.  Christ is the only sacrifice that can restore us to a right relationship with God.

Hebrews 12:12

Hebrews 12:12 says, Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;  This comes after the discussion of the chastisement of God.  We are to lift up our hands in victory, which comes through faith in Christ.  When God chastises, or corrects, us, we are not to act defeated.  We are to feel victorious instead.  We should praise God because He loves us enough to chastise us.  Verse thirteen adds, And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.  After lifting up our hands, we are to make straight our paths.  I believe that this means that we are to not only praise God for His correction when we stray from His will, but we are to learn from it.  We are to follow the path that God leads us down so that we might be made whole in God's eyes.  We are also told that we are to live at peace with other people.  We cannot view the lost, even those who mistreat us, as enemies to be destroyed, but must view them as souls to be led to God.  Since there is no hope of salvation after death, and since Christ died for all people, we are to reach out to them through God's love.  Verse fourteen continues, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  Remembering that this is still under the discussion of the chastisement of God, we know that He guides us to peace and not hatred.  In order to live in peace in the world, we must live in holiness, or with our lives dedicated to God.  Holiness does not mean a state of perfection, but it means with our lives set aside for God.  Verse fifteen states, Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;  I believe that this verse is a further reminder that we are to keep our eyes, or our thoughts, upon God.  It is too easy to falter in living out our faith when our focus is on the world.  If we see other Christians seemingly more blessed than we are it is possible to become bitter.  Verse sixteen adds, Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  We are warned to not become like Esau and value the things of the world more than our birthright as children of God through our faith in Christ.  If we are truly saved, we will never lose our salvation, but we may sacrifice some of the true joy of that salvation by chasing the things of this world.  Some people never accept that birthright because they prefer the things of this world to a relationship with God.  Since Christ died for all, then the birthright as a child of God is available to all, but it must be accepted by faith.  Verse seventeen continues, For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.  Once Esau sold his birthright, he later regretted it, but it was too late to claim it.  Once a person rejects Christ in this life, they may come to regret it in the life to come, but it will be too late.  No amount of bitter tears will change the fate of those who reject the birthright that Christ offers them.

Hebrews 12:5

Hebrews 12:5 says, And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  The writer asks if we have forgotten that we are children of God and sometimes need chastisement or correction from God.  Even as full-grown adults, we are always children of God and under His direction.  If we stray way from God's will, He will correct us.  Not all suffering in the world comes due to our obedience to God, but at times, it is simply God chastising us for our disobedience to His will.  Verse six adds, For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  This tells us that if God has not chastised us that either we are living in total obedience to Him after we accepted Christ or we are not acknowledging His chastisement.  We may complain about how the world treats us when we need to be accepting the chastisement of God.  Verse seven continues, If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  God's chastisement is simply proof that we are His children.  Even earthly fathers, if they truly love their children, chastise them.  Since God's love for His children is complete love, we should never be surprised when He chastises us.  This will always be done to correct, and not punish us.  We could even say that if we have never been chastised, or corrected, by God that we are not being treated as His child.  Verse eight states, But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  As just stated above, without chastisement how can we be partakers of the salvation of Christ.  We do not become perfect when we are saved, but still need correction from God at times.  Verse nine adds, Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  This asks if we reverence, or honor, our earthly fathers when they correct us, should we not do more so with our heavenly Father?  Though at times when we are being corrected, we may hate the correction, we should know that it really is for our benefit.  Verse ten continues, For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  I believe that this says that sometimes our earthly fathers may chastise us for the wrong reasons, but our heavenly Father always does it for our profit, or benefit.  God is guiding us toward complete obedience to His will, which will always be the best for us.  Verse eleven concludes, Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  Chastisement never seems to be joyous at the time we receive it, but instead seems grievous.  Yet afterward we know that we have become a better person if we have accepted the chastisement with the correct attitude.  We are told that those whom God loves, He chastens.

Hebrews 12:1

Hebrews 12:1 says, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,   There were many, many people who bore witness to the transforming power of Christ.  When we accept Christ into our lives, we can lay aside every weight of this world.  This does not mean that we don't have responsibilities, but that these responsibilities should no longer cause us to always live in stress and unhappiness.  Verse two adds, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  The reason that we can live without the world weighing us down is because of Jesus.  He is the author and finisher of our faith.  We are not partially or sometimes saved by faith in Jesus Christ, but we are totally and forever saved.   Jesus endured the shame and humiliation of the cross so that we might enjoy the gift of salvation.  Salvation is a completed fact, if we accept Jesus Christ through faith, and Jesus is now setting at the right hand of the throne of God.  When the time is right, Christ will return to claim His church, those who have put their faith in Him throughout history.  Verse three continues, For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  We are called on to remember what Jesus Christ suffered if we start to grow weary and faint in our minds.  Sin always begins with a thought, and if Christ is not at the center of our thoughts, if we begin to be weary of following Him, then we may see the world as overpowering.  We as followers of Christ must always follow His example and put the will of God first.  Verse four concludes, Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  The writer said that those he was writing to, which includes us today, had not yet died from resisting sin.  Even if we do though, we must be obedient to Christ.