Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1-2

The Book of Hebrews.
AUTHORSHIP: The authorship is much debated. Many scholars do not believe that it was Paul who wrote it, because of the writing style of the letter. Because Paul does not introduce himself at the beginning of the letter, as he does in all the others. So, for sure, no one knows who the author is. DATE WRITTEN: It was probably written between 80 and 90 AD.
ADDITIONAL AUDIENCE: The traditional view is that the book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians in Palestine. And other scholars say that it was addressed to Gentiles.
PURPOSE: It was written to warn Jewish Christians against the apostasy of returning to Judaism. The intention of the epistle seems clearly to be to show the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. The opening verses, as well as the first chapters, show the definitive character of Jesus Christ as the final and perfect revelation of God to humanity.

Hebrews 1:3

The first four verses form a single sentence and constitute a prologue to Hebrews. In it we read of God’s self-revelation in his visible and historical Son and of this Son’s role in creation, revelation, providence, and redemption.

Verse 1 says that God has spoken at various times and in various ways. God is imminent and transcendent in the affairs of men. Jesus Christ is the author and originator of the Christian faith; when we encounter his earthly person and ministry we are encountering God.

Although the revelation here focuses on the recent revelation of a Son, this too is a concrete historical event, in fact a person identified by all Hebrew Christians as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus Christ is the final and complete word of God to man; everything that came before him was partial and preparatory, and everything that comes after Him was the amplification and clarification of that word.

UPHOLDING THE UNIVERSE BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER - Our Lord's power is not in His mobilizing ability, but only in His spoken word. "I will, be clean." And immediately the man was cleansed of his leprosy (Matthew 8:3). "Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm" (Matthew 8:26). AND HE WHO IS THE LORD OF THE STARS AND PLANETS IS LORD OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN OUR LIVES.

Hebrews 2:1

Because of Christ's greatness, Christians should be careful not to deviate from what He said.

Give your full attention to the Word of God and your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let Jesus and the Word be the basis and support of your thoughts.

Approach God continually with an innocent heart and faith.

Seek God diligently. Believe that He will reward you for it! (Heb 11:6)
Practice praise with persistence and patience (Heb 13:15)
That is the way.

Hebrews 2:1 and 3

• Devotion is the concentration on a search, purpose or special causes. He who is devoted to Jesus recognizes his carnal tendency to become indifferent and tries to avoid it. The scriptures shape the believer's way of thinking, and he devotes time to prayer, waiting for the Lord, praising and thanking.
• He gives full attention to the Word of God and his relationship with Jesus.
• Let Jesus and His Word be the basis for your thinking (Heb 3:1).
• It is celebrated daily that you have gained access to God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
• Seek God diligently. Believe that He will reward you for this (Heb 13:15).
• Do not deviate from what God has said.
• God bless you!

Hebrews 2:3

From chapter 2 onwards, we are shown the true concern of the epistle, which now becomes clear: since the Savior is more than an angel - the Son - it is doubly imperative to PAY MORE CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY HEARD (vs 1). Thus, if we value our souls, we are constrained to pay careful attention to the gospel that extols the majesty and importance of the Person it presents. Paying attention is a continuous and vigilant care. Otherwise, we run the risk of passing unnoticed by these truths of the gospel.

HOW WILL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SUCH A GREAT SALVATION? To despise the law mediated by angels is a serious thing, but to despise (through negligence) the salvation mediated by the Son, which was delivered to men through proven events and evidence, was even more serious. This salvation, beginning to be announced by the Lord, was later confirmed by the apostles and other disciples; and their testimony was supported by the testimony of God himself, by signs and wonders, and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit - and with various powers and distributions of the Holy Spirit by his will.
If we neglect salvation we run the risk of spiritual atrophy and in the end, divine wrath.

Hebrews 2:5-6

The World to Come: The gospel of Jesus Christ is not only relevant to the present age, but it is the key to the ages to come, including the New Heavens and the New Earth. This purified and emancipated world-earth, which is the goal of all history, IS NOT SUBJECT BY GOD TO ANGELS.

The quotation from Psalm 8:4-6 reveals man’s place in God’s plan. Physically, in relation to the universe, he is insignificant; so why should God care for him? (v.6). In both position and power he is inferior to the angels, but only temporarily. Despite his physical smallness and lowly position, God crowned him with glory and honor and HAS PUT EVERYTHING IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. The extent of man’s predestined dominion encompasses everything: HE LEFT NOTHING OUTSIDE HIS CONTROL (8). Man's commission to subdue and rule this earth as God’s representative was concomitant with creation (Gen. 1:26-29). His attempt to conquer the order of nature, therefore, did not displease God, because it was part of his original assignment. But this assignment was both spiritual and material, and therefore to pursue the material at the expense, or even to reject, the spiritual, is sin. Furthermore, according to many theologians, man’s assignment is to conquer Satan’s kingdom. Man was created to neutralize the Devil. It is clear from Hebrews that man’s commission was, and is, of cosmic and eternal magnitude.

Hebrews 2:9

Jesus’ shameful death became an embarrassment to the Hebrews; but they needed to understand that this act was actually His glory and their hope. His death was not a tragic mistake, but originated in God’s grace, in His compassionate determination to bring about redemption. His benefits are for all (for each individual). This certainly rules out a limited atonement or any system that seeks to separate the merit of His death into common grace and saving grace.

And why did He have to die? SO THAT, THROUGH HIS DEATH, THE DEVIL MIGHT BE DESTROYED AND HIS CHILDREN BE FREED (v. 14) AND BECOME A MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST (v. 17).

Jesus is the necessary Savior to bring many sons to glory, the full likeness of Christ, and the full consummation of their redemption in heaven.
THE PLAN OF SALVATION IS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD HIMSELF, WHOSE ETERNAL WISDOM AND GRACE PLANNED IT.

Hebrews 2:10

The task is to bring many sons to glory, to the full likeness of Christ, and to the full consummation of their redemption in heaven. But for this to happen, THE PRINCE OF THEIR SALVATION needed to be perfected by afflictions. Jesus is both the Savior and the example. He goes before us, not only showing the way to glory, but clearing and building the way. He must face the enemy and conquer him. Only in this way can a safe path be made for those who follow. Jesus did not stand in the rear giving orders and sending others ahead. He is the one who goes before, fights and dies, Himself for you and me, so that through His efforts we may have victory. WE ARE SANCTIFIED BY HIM. And thus made like Him, and brought into a wonderful unity and fellowship based on moral likeness.

Hebrews 2:11

We are sanctified by Him and thus made like Him and brought into a wonderful unity and fellowship based on moral likeness.
FOR BOTH HE WHO SANCTIFIES AND THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED ARE ALL ONE. We have one Father. Jesus, the God-man, by the incarnation, now shares with man the fatherhood of God as Creator; by sanctifying His own disciples, He shares with them the holiness of the Father.
A family likeness is thereby established. This likeness to God through sanctification is the deepest meaning of sonship in the New Testament.
Because of this likeness to God through sanctification He (Jesus) is not ashamed to call them brothers.
To prove this, the author quotes Psalm 22:22 and takes two brief sentences from Isaiah 8:17-18. Then follows the conclusion: For since the children and the brothers are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself also took part of the same things (verse 14).
The word PARTAKE is clear and strong, signifying that the brothers are mutual participants and companions in the suffering of their human situation; it would therefore be inconceivable for their Prince to be a superhuman and distant creature, detached from the human frame and uninvolved in the agony of life.

Hebrews 2:14-15

THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST’S DEATH. The Logos became man that He might die; He died that He might destroy THAT WHICH HAD THE EMPIRE OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL. It was through His death that Jesus was enabled to destroy the devil. His death was not casual, but indispensable and dynamic.
But in what sense did Satan hold the Empire of death? It is difficult to determine to what extent Satan held power over death. This must have included the death of man, and it is clear that this power has a terrible and inescapable end apart from the conquering death of Christ. The careful identification of this person as diabolos, the accuser, may suggest that as prosecutor he had the legal right to demand death as punishment for man’s sin. We must remember that God and Satan are opposing rulers in the struggle for life and death, and that man’s sin gave Satan a real advantage.
Christ died not only so that the devil might be destroyed, but so that we might be freed from the fear of death. We were slaves to fear. This is a deplorable type of slavery, a terrible fear of dying, which shackles the entire human race. Slavery is broken by freedom from fear.
Therefore, you who already have Jesus in your life should not be afraid of dying. And you who do not have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, accept Him quickly, because He is the only one who can give you an eternal life of peace.

Hebrews 2:18

Jesus suffered, as a man, all the vicissitudes of life. He not only suffered the terrible experience of death, but also the struggle of a moral being. He faced temptation and its fierce struggles as well as the setbacks of life and the pain of death. He fought in the moral arena of humanity. And his battles were not false. How could Jesus share the feelings of human beings if he had not gone through the same things they went through? But since he understood having gone through the experience, he can help and assist those who cry out for help. Matthew 15:25 - The woman came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

Hebrews 3:1-2

During His earthly life, Jesus was faithful to the One who appointed Him. However, He passed through some years of silence. After His birth and presentation in the temple we do not hear of Him again until the age of 12, when He was found debating with the teachers in the temple. All we are told about these years of silence is that "And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40).

Jesus spent 30 years preparing for a 3-year ministry, a time in which He was faithful and obedient to his earthly parents and also to His Heavenly Father.

The instant society we live in today is destroying people. Because everything is so instant and easy, we think that everything that comes from God must be instant and easy too. But strength, wisdom, knowledge of God, spiritual maturity, and the character of God are developed in us as we pass through trials and continue to do what we know is right in our/His eyes. If we are to grow in God and do what He has called us to do, we must stand firm and be faithful.

Hebrews 3:6

Would like to draw your attention to the word "if" in Hebrews 3:6 because we often do not like to pay attention to the "ifs" and "buts" in the Bible. In passages like this, we see what God wish us to do and what we are supposed to do.

Going to the altar and saying the prayer of confession is just the beginning of our walk with Him; we need to move forward and continue in faith. We need to believe in Him!

The two things that can interrupt faith are:
1- The manifestation of what is believed.
2- The manifestation of doubt and disbelief.
Our faith must continue even when it seems like everything and everyone is against us. In Christ we can stand firm on the inside because we know that our true life is within us, not in the people or circumstances outside.

Hebrews 3:12

When we hear something from God, we can choose to respond with humility and trust or harden our hearts and ignore it. Sadly, when people do not get what they want or when they go through trials and tests, many of them choose to harden their hearts.

This is what happened to the Israelites when they made their journey through the wilderness (Hebrews 3:7,8). God led them through the wilderness so that He could prove to them that He would do them good and that they could trust Him. He had great plans for them, but He tested them first to see if they would truly believe Him.

This is why He tells us not to harden our hearts like the Israelites did. He has great things planned for you too, so keep your heart tender and sensitive before Him.

Hebrews 3:13

Admonish one another daily, while it is still “today,” so that none of you may be deceived by sin and become hardened.

One way to prevent this kind of situation (i.e., a hardened heart) would be to EXHORT ONE ANOTHER EVERY DAY. The best defense is offense, and the best way to preserve our own souls is to be alert to the spiritual warfare of others. A strong sense of group responsibility is the mark of a healthy church. Christians are like coals: together they feed each other’s fire and generate great heat; separated, they soon cool down and go out. But this does not refer to mere social gatherings of eating and having fun. There should be a deep tone of devotion and mutual concern permeating every gathering of Christians, even so-called social gatherings. When Christians come together, they can strengthen one another. They should be concerned that in every moment of fellowship something is included that fosters spiritual zeal and holy purpose.

Hebrews 3:14

We find the giant IF again, this time with greater emphasis and stronger words. Meaning, IF IN FACT OR ABSOLUTELY if we maintain our trust.
- WE WILL BECOME PARTAKERS IN CHRIST - Becoming means a present state based on a past but sustained action. Our state of salvation is based on our past action, and is sustained in the present only if our trust is kept clear until the end of the Christian life. In the beginning, salvation was fervent, committed and clear. If this is not maintained, our participation in Christ will not be sustained either.
Revelation 2:4,5 says: "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first".
Do not let your love for Jesus die or grow cold. The most that God could do for us He has already done, He sent Jesus to die for our sins, He paid everything for our salvation. At this point, the cost to us is free, and all we need to do is believe in Him and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. God fulfills His part; it is enough for us to fulfill ours as well.

- In verse 15, the author speaks again about the hardening of the heart. TODAY, IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS. Every time God speaks, at any moment in our Christian life, the danger of hardening our hearts by closing our ears is present. At each of these moments, a decision must be made: either we surrender our hearts to Christ, or we harden them.

- God's people in the wilderness started out well, but they did not end well. IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE A BENEFICIARY OF GOD'S GRACE AND A RECIPIENT OF HIS PROMISE, BUT IN THE END TO BE COMPLETELY REJECTED. The same principles of divine equity that were operative at that time apply to us today.

Hebrews 4:3

This chapter could be titled: ENTERING INTO HIS REST. This is the central theme of chapter 4. The term "rest" occurs 9 times in these sixteen verses, eight times as katapausis and once as sabbatismos. The first word denotes an established peace or state of rest: and the second, found only here in the NT, means "sabbath rest."

- Hebrews 4:3 teaches us that those who have not heard God's Word or obeyed His instructions have not entered the place of rest He offered. Therefore, when you feel frustrated or distressed, or if you have lost your peace and joy, ask yourself: Am I believing God's Word?

- The only way we will ever be free from striving is to believe the Word and obey whatever Jesus puts on our hearts to do. Believing God's Word frees us from the need to strive so that we can rest in God's promises.

- Are you in need of God's rest? God? Cling to Him, trust and depend on Him, and experience the rest He has prepared for you.

Hebrews 4:11

It is not enough to HEAR the gospel, you must also BELIEVE in it!

You can live in God's blessings! He has already blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1.3). God has already done everything He needed to do for man!

Because we who believe, have entered into rest (Heb 4: 3).
HE HAS DONE EVERYTHING THAT IS FOR YOUR SALVATION, HEALTH, PROSPERITY, etc.
He wants you to enjoy everything that belongs to you in Christ.

He gave us everything that concerns life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us by his glory and virtue (1 Peter 1.3)

Remember if! Because we, the ones who have believed, are the ones who enter the rest!
YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE PROMISED LAND, TO THE LAND OF BLESSINGS!

Hebrews 4:13

Going back a little to the previous verse where it says that the word of God is like a two-edged sword capable of dividing JOINTS AND MARROW, a figurative suggestion, indicating that the word of the gospel is capable of going so deep, not only at the level of personality, BUT AT THE LEVEL OF OUR INVISIBLE SELF. It is in the marrow that diseases of the blood lodge long before the mechanism of the body is visibly affected. People walk upright, yet their bones may be diseased inside. And in this self-revelation, the gospel discerns THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THE HEART. We separate a person's words and deeds: the gospel is like a discerner (a judge), examines their motives and secret imaginations and pronounces sentence.
Indeed, THERE IS NO CREATED THING HIDDEN IN HIS SIGHT; all things are naked and open before the eyes of God with whom we have to do. This is the power of the penetrating, inescapable light of God's Word.

Hebrews 4:15

Literally, Jesus can feel our weaknesses. The word "weakness" here is not just a human limitation, but a conscious weakness and unsteadiness in temptation.
- BUT ONE WHO IN EVERY RESPECT HAS BEEN TEMPTED - He knows from experience what it means for us to be tempted. He was not tempted in every particular or in every possible situation; He was not tempted as a husband, or a father, or a property owner, or an employer, or a soldier, because He did not serve any of these roles. But He was tempted in three basic areas of human susceptibility: body, soul, and spirit. Jesus knew temptation in the realm of bodily appetite, in the realm of human relationships, and in the realm of spiritual relationships.
Me – we – God: He was tempted in all three areas. What should govern Him? His desire for bread? His desire for acceptance? His desire for power? Or his loyalty to God? These are fundamental questions of life that each person must answer.

- YET WITHOUT SIN - While it is true that Jesus did not meet temptation with the disadvantage of original sin, that is not the point here. The point here is that Jesus never once yielded to temptation. He was perfectly triumphant. If He had not been tempted as we are, He could not understand our feelings in our many temptations: and on the other hand, if He had not been perfectly victorious, He could not help us, but would have needed help Himself. So we must not allow the thought of turning back to occupy our minds, nor must we be ashamed or give in to the paralysis of despair. WE MUST COME WITH CONFIDENCE TO THE THRONE OF GRACE.

Hebrews 4:16

Jesus is the great High Priest, since he is not an angelic being, nor is he in a position of equality with Moses. He is the Son of God, the One who sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (1:3), or as it is expressed here, WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH THE HEAVENS (14). The throne of grace to which we are invited to come CONFIDENTLY in prayer is the throne not only of God the Father, but of God the Son — not only of the One whose word is law, but of the One who has become Mediator and intercessor. The Jesus of recent history and the Yahweh of the OT merge into one God on a single throne. There, on the throne, our sins are condemned and forgiven. There we find justice and mercy. There we find renewed access to the rest of God’s people. But all of this is mediated by Jesus. Our boldness comes only in and through Him. If Jesus is not the Son of God, who is at the right hand of the Father, having fully fulfilled and thus replaced the Mosaic order, then our boldness is nothing than foolish arrogance. It is the Father through Jesus, or it is rest through Jesus, or it is nothing.

Hebrews 5:1

The office of the high priest is clear:
HE IS A MAN CHOSEN TO REPRESENT OTHER PEOPLE IN THINGS CONCERNING GOD.
The main purpose of this ordination is that one may be qualified to officially offer gifts and sacrifices for (on behalf of) sins. Sin is that which separates people from God and makes a kind of priestly mediation necessary.

To be properly qualified for this office, the high priest must display a personal character such that he can sympathize with the ignorant and the wayward. The priest must not be harsh and impatient, nor indifferent or uninterested. There must be a deep and attentive moral concern combined with an understanding sympathy. The rightness of this moderation in priestly judgment lies in the obvious fact that HE HIMSELF IS SURROUNDED BY WEAKNESS. And so he must offer offerings for the sins of the people as well as for his own.

Hebrews 5:4-5

A PERFECT HIGH PRIEST - It is understandable that the Hebrew Christians were initially attracted to Jesus' messianic role as prophet and king. He was the son of David, whose return to earth in power was expected at every moment. His earthly life and death were not a failure, but fulfilled their predestined function exactly. By understanding the priestly nature of Christ's ministry they also came to see the essentially spiritual nature of salvation. Jesus came, not to drive out the occupying Roman army, but to "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." This is the great need that must be met before any other. Therefore, Jesus' exposure as High Priest is not optional; it is imperative.

CHRIST DID NOT TAKE IT ON HIMSELF TO BE HIGH PRIEST
- In the one thing that mattered, Christ's priesthood was as valid as Aaron's: it was also truly a divine appointment. He was designated and glorified by Him who said to Him: You are My Son; today I have begotten You."
But sonship does not necessarily mean priesthood. Then another text is presented: THOU ART A PRIEST FOR EVER, AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK (v. 6).
So, the same God who in the Scriptures, through the Holy Spirit, confirmed the Messiah as Son also proclaimed His priesthood.

Hebrews 5:7

This verse speaks to the prevailing idea of ​​the importance of the suffering that our Lord underwent to qualify Him as the author of our salvation.

WHILE JESUS ​​WAS ON EARTH - When in His humanity He felt weakness and dependence in a very real way, as is evidenced by His habitual life of prayer. And this habit of prayer reached its climax during the struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane when He offered up prayers and supplications.

TO HIM WHO WAS ABLE TO SAVE HIM FROM DEATH - What was this death from which Jesus sought deliverance with such anguish? It is most likely that His soul shrank from the aspects of this death, His identification with sin and loneliness, when the Father hid His face. In some deeply mysterious sense, Jesus must have suffered anguish of soul, one reason being that He who had never known sin was now becoming sin in our place; it would have been very difficult for His holy soul to face such a difficulty with equanimity.
Verse 9 says: By this he was made perfect as a high priest and became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. CHRIST HAS BECOME (LITERALLY) THE ETERNAL AUTHOR OF SALVATION FOR ALL WHO OBEY HIM. For those who stop believing or become disobedient, Christ becomes, on the cross, not a Savior, but a Judge.
- There is no other name, no other person to whom you and I should pray. Jesus is the only high priest who can hear us and give us true salvation.

Hebrews 5:11

The author has many things to say at this point about this little-known Old Testament character, Melchizedek, because he is a key figure in understanding the High Priesthood of Christ. However, they are difficult to interpret, difficult to explain, because these Christians are negligent in listening. They are becoming lazy in their spiritual appetite and understanding; they have become lazy, and their present state is the result of some failure in the past. And, unfortunately, many of us (Christians) today are like that. Lazy to study the Bible in depth, and when they are confronted with other doctrines, whether from other religions or erroneous teachings on Biblical subjects, they do not know what to answer, or they accept the erroneous doctrine!
In verse 12 the author shames them when he says: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you AGAIN THE FIRST PRINCIPES OF GOD'S WORD. Probably many considered themselves teachers, but were not qualified to teach; they needed a refresher on the ABC of the Gospel, the first rudiments of the Word of God. They, like many of us, have returned to the childish state of faith, instead of becoming mature people, to the point of needing milk and not solid food. This shameful state is not due to lack of time, because they were not recent converts, but due to lack of interest, of hunger for the Word of God.
- These days there was the (sad) example of a man, the son of a pastor, born and raised in the Gospel, his family all Christians, but unfortunately he never learned anything. He began a relationship with a Muslim woman, first of all this relationship should not even exist. But in order to get married, she demanded that he convert to Islam. His response was shameful, he did not want to disappoint his parents. At no time did he argue with the Word of God, about Jesus, about what he believed, nothing! And in the end, he converted to Islam. A belief that even did not exist in Jesus’ time, without salvation and ending in eternal death.
- The Bible is not to decorate your living room. It is to be read AND STUDIED. So that you and I can give answers about the faith we believe in. So that we do not become dwarfs in faith.
- Heb 6:1 - Therefore let us leave aside the elementary doctrine about Christ and go on to maturity ...

Hebrews 5:13

The attitude of listening lazily, not studying God's Word, no prayer life results in a lack of spiritual growth.

The active believer accepts the benefit of Jesus' sacrifice and enters the presence of God with confidence.

Faith believes in the Bible without question, knowing that it is God's living self-expression.

1. Recognize that Jesus destroyed the fear of death by defeating the devil Heb 2:14.18.
2. Be obstinate when holding on to God's promises. Seek fervently to God, study his word and build your faith.
3. Hold on to hope! Develop a feeling of a great destination.
4. To follow Jesus, we need a lot of confidence, boldness, perseverance and declare the word.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful Heb 10:23.

Hebrews 6:4-6a

The writer of this letter shows how far certain believers can go in the Christian faith, and when they have done so, they apostatize from the faith and so perish forever.

- They may have been ENLIGHTENED, they may have obtained a primeval knowledge and common enlightenment, of which people may have a large portion, and yet fall short of heaven. Balaam had his eyes opened (Num. 24:3), and even with his eyes open the most terrible darkness descended.
- They may have TASTED THE HEAVENLY GIFTS. They may have felt something of the efficacy of the Holy Spirit working in their souls, leading them to taste something of the Christian faith, and yet be like people on the market who taste and make a taste, and then leave the food. People may taste Christianity, and even like its teachings, if it is presented to them under easier conditions than that of having to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ.
- They may have BECOME PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, that is, of His extraordinary gifts and miracles, they may have cast out devils in the name of Christ, and done many other mighty acts.
- They may have tasted THE GOOD WORD OF GOD; they may have had a taste for the doctrine of the gospel, they may have heard the word with pleasure, and yet they were never molded into the mold of it, nor allowed it to dwell richly in their hearts.
- They may have been under strong impressions of heaven, and in dread of going to hell. Hypocrites can go so far and then apostatize. These things are spoken of those who apostatized, but it is not said here of them that they were truly converted or that they had been justified.
- The apostle writes of the terrible plight of those who fall away after having gone so far in the faith: They crucify the Son of God again, and put Him to an open shame. Thus they pour contempt on the Son of God. It is impossible to renew them again to repentance. The example for them is that there was much cultivation and no production... it is close to the curse and its end is to be burned (v.8).

Hebrews 6:11

I encourage you to take the message of Hebrews 6:11-12 seriously, following through on what you begin.

It is very easy to start something, but it takes a lot of courage to finish it! At the beginning of something new, we get excited and generally get a lot of support to do it. But when our emotions wear off and all that is left, is hard work and the need for extreme patience, we discover what it takes to really succeed. Let us be people who are really successful and who finish the things they do well!

Hebrews 6:11-12

I encourage you to take the message of Hebrews 6:11 to heart and follow through with what you start.

It is easy to start something, but it takes a lot of courage to finish it! When we start something new, we all get excited and often get a lot of support to see it through. But when our emotions wear off and all that is left is hard work and extreme patience, we discover what it takes to truly succeed. Be the kind of person who truly finishes the things you do.

Hebrews 7:26-27

Jesus is our High Priest and He alone is sufficient for us because He alone has all the required qualifications, He was exactly suited to our every need. In what sense? He is holy, blameless, without any stain of sin, separated from sinners and placed in the place of highest honor in Heaven. We find five marks in this text. The first three marks testify to His personal qualifications and the last two to the perfect fulfillment of His office.
- Christ's separation from sinners was moral, not social: it was lifelong, not temporary.
- He did not need to offer sacrifices daily. He offered Himself as a sacrifice.
- Christ is superior to the angels as the Son, superior to Moses as a prince, superior to Aaron as a priest; here is shown the inauguration of a New Covenant.
- He is a living savior. Living forever, Christ lives forever, His priesthood is forever.
- He is a suitable savior, because He can save us perfectly. He can always save, every sinner in every generation and in every situation of need. There is no exhaustion of His resources.
He is a restricted Savior for those who come to God through Him by believe. Ignoring Jesus means losing your salvation. His saving ability is limited to those who come to God through Calvary, but the limit falls when we approach Him in this way, through Christ, by His death on the cross. Those who continue to be defeated by sin have not approached Him in the appropriate way.

Hebrews 8:9

The people’s limitations were inherent, as God had known from the beginning, but their complete collapse was their own fault.

WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND AND LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT - This phrase is a tender picture of God’s care. Surely the fault was not God’s! Like a caring Father who with tender care personally takes care of his little ones, cradling their tiny hands in his powerful hand to guide them through dangers and difficulties, so God protected and sheltered the children of Israel. But this only increased their guilt. Their guilt also increased because they had no excuse of being children. They were a mature people who, although they had suffered much, had demanded much, received much, and promised much.

SINCE THEY DID NOT REMAIN FAITHFUL TO MY COVENANT, THEREFORE I TURNED MY BACK ON THEM. Many times, one sees, when a person persists in error, God abandons the person to his will. When we insist on not obeying, on not submitting to God's authority, He does not insist. But the consequences of our disobedience will come. And it is only at this moment that many come running back and ask God for help. The right thing to do would be to remain faithful and not wait for tragedy to strike to repent.

Hebrews 8:10

In the old covenant God promised to bless the people and they promised to obey God. But their promise, though sincere, did not match their inner lawlessness. Just as in a democracy laws without the support of the people cannot be successfully enforced, so laws without the support of the heart will not be obeyed. The old covenant proved to be formal and external, because the laws were engraved on tablets of stone and not on the fleshly tablets of the heart. Conscience compelled a verbal agreement, because the people knew what they should do, but on many points the standard of the law clashed with their strong inner desires and tendencies.

A holiness that is merely external and formal cannot satisfy either man or God. The Christian needs to be completely immersed in the most secret depths of his being in conformity, acceptance and affinity with the laws of God. In this way, the covenant will be kept; and best of all, kept with joy!

This is why God says through Jeremiah: I WILL PUT MY LAWS (...) IN THEIR HEARTS. He will work directly in the individual worshiper and supernaturally alter his nature. This is what we call sanctifying grace, and it is the essence of the new covenant. In this verse 8:10 the laws are impressed on the heart and are put into the understanding. It is completely ingrained in the moral and spiritual being of man, until the law of God becomes part of him and, in fact, it can even be said that the law is his own. When this happens, it will be so natural to obey it.

I WILL BE THEIR GOD AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE - in this new covenant there is mutual respect, tender love, the joy of belonging and the joy of possessing. Being part of God's people means not only "possessing" God but also His people, so that the relationship is triangular. We can not only say: My God! but also: My people!.

Hebrews 9:13-14

While the sacrificial animals of the Old Testament were helpless victims, this Lamb of God OFFERED HIMSELF UNMACULATE TO GOD. Jesus was not caught in a trap that resulted in a premature and tragic death; He gave Himself willingly, knowing all the time that He had the power to reject the cross.

The vastly superior blessing offered to us by this holy and precious blood goes far deeper than a ritualistic cleansing, affecting our standing; it affects our inner state. IT WILL PURIFY YOUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS, TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD. The impotence of the blood of animals is offset by the efficacy of the blood of Christ, but again on a provisional basis. The blood of Jesus is adequate, but it is a conditional cleansing for all. There is no automatic cleansing, which occurs unconditionally through the act of atonement. Faith appropriates the cleansing blood. Only faith in the blood as the basis for our salvation will bring a full realization of deliverance.

Only the Holy Spirit can wash away all sin and give a full sense of newness and purity; but this He does on the basis of the atoning merit of the blood of Christ and in response to faith in that blood. Delivered, the believer is now able to worship the living God acceptably.

Hebrews 9:22

Eve was seduced by satan and therefore her female egg does not pass on sin. Adam made a CONSCIOUS choice and ate the forbidden fruit, his male seed passes on sin. Through the fusion of the sinless egg with the sinful sperm, sinful life is created and man is born a sinner.
Jesus was born sinless from the Virgin Mary, without intercourse with a man, her sinless egg was fertilized by the sinless seed of the Holy Spirit.
God slaughtered an animal to make clothes (Genesis 3:21) for Adam and Eve, because without shedding of blood there will be no forgiveness.
Jesus had to die on the cross. When the soldier stuck his spear in the side of Jesus, blood and water came from His side. The medical proof that Jesus was really dead. His shedding of blood brings forgiveness of every man who wants to believe.
As proof that God the Father had accepted the sin sacrifice of His Son Jesus, God the Father raised Him from the dead after three days.
It is up to each person to choose PERSONALLY, as Adam made a conscious voluntary choice for or against God. Every choice has its own consequences. The choice not to believe means an eternal separation from God. The choice to believe in the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ means eternal life with God. Man has a short or long life on earth to make the choice for Jesus Christ. Make the right decision soon because you do not know how long your life lasts.

Hebrews 9:27-28

The necessity of the shedding of blood, typifying the giving of life, is described here in verse 22. Concerning the ceremonial cleansing of the tabernacle furnishings, we read that: AND ALMOST ALL THINGS ARE PURIFIED WITH BLOOD BY THE LAW. But even more indispensable is the atoning blood offered for sinners. Things require the sprinkling of blood when they are consecrated. But people want forgiveness: for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness at all. This is the great difference between God's way and man's way, between true religion and false. Man has an inadequate view of sin and despises blood as inherently necessary for forgiveness. But in requiring blood, God highlights the great filthiness of sin: and in providing the Blood, He reveals His infinite love. The blood of the sinner can be spared — even that of animals — because God sacrificed His own "Lamb . . . who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Hebrews 10:14

BEING SANCTIFIED - We have been sanctified and continue to be so.
PERFECT FOREVER - God's will is that there be a definitive and complete sanctification, in fact, a state already experienced by us. All who are sanctified in each generation are likewise perfected forever with a single offering.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us in this regard (verse 15) - Our sanctification is the will of the Father, and its perfection is the work of the Son, but its fulfillment is the prediction of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit testifies, it is understood as the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit to the believer who is seeking sanctification.

10:19 Therefore, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Sanctury by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body. Believing that we are justified before God through faith in Jesus Christ is a new and living way, a way that gives us freedom, boldness, and confidence. Trying to follow the Law (trying to do everything right) to earn God’s acceptance brings death to us. But Jesus offers us His grace, which brings life.

Have you ever wondered if you were truly welcome in God’s presence? Be encouraged, because through His blood, Jesus has made a new and living way for you to approach God with confidence. Thank God for the joy of being in His presence!

Hebrews 10:20

CLAIMING IS THE POWER OF INTERCESSION

The Bible teaches us that we have to enter the spirit world with authority, by the new and living way that Jesus inaugurated for us (Hebrews 10:20).

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known (Jer. 33:3).

Intercession opens the Heavens over our heads and brings a blessing in our lives.

God has projects for children that generate intimacy with Him.

We need to pray for big, meaningful things to happen in the history.

WE ARE builders of new stories, and intercession is the main tool for these miracles to manifest.

We need to write a new story, the story of champions who do not let themselves be overwhelmed by life nor by satan.

We are men and women who have their eyes on the throne, on high, for help which never fails!

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth (Ps 121:1-2).

CALL AND YOU WILL GET ANSWERS! Realities can change when we cry out to God!

And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, from the bowels of the fish. In my distress I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me; I cried out of the womb of hell, and you heard my voice... The LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land (Jonah 2:1-10).

Hebrews 10:25

The faithful preservation of that fellowship which can develop only in corporate worship is one means of stimulating one another.

The sad recognition, AS IS THE HABIT OF SOME, suggests that some of these Hebrew Christians did not feel the need to attend church services. This may have been motivated by a false piety, which supposed that solitary worship was better; or by religious presumption, which thought the need for corporate worship was a thing of the past; or by a decline in spiritual fervor, which resulted in increasing indifference. But whatever the reason, neglect of attendance at meetings can be fatal, both to our influence and to our own souls. Entry into the Holy of Holies does not nullify our need for church, nor does it grant us special privileges that exempt us from our corporate obligations. The practice of meeting together regularly is not dispensable, but indispensable to holiness. Many have skipped church services and Holy Communion after the Covid epidemic, much to the delight of Satan.

Hebrews 10:26-27

God has no other means of atonement in reserve for the benefit of those who have chosen to reject Christ. The Levitical sacrifices are obsolete and no longer acceptable. Christ’s sacrifice will not be repeated, and there is no third way to Heaven. And all religion is out, as is every form of humanistic cultural or ritual gift. No substitute for Jesus' sacrifice is of any value. The willful sin for which we are warned is a failure to meet all obligations of discipleship after we know the truth of the new covenant and the salvation of Jesus. Anyone who thinks there is a substitute for Jesus' sacrifice understands that Jesus is only a way and not the ONLY WAY, that we can find another covering for our sin, and that our failure to obey does not really matter.

EXPECTATION OF JUDGMENT - This is a certain and definite expectation of the fearful and fiery judgment of God’s wrath. When God prepares a hammer, it will not be made of silk. In Egypt there was a midnight lamentation in every home that had despised the blood of the Passover. Later, the death penalty became inevitable for anyone who despised the law of Moses. God abolished this penalty through Jesus, but man has no right to do so, and those who tried to do so by following "other gods" were stoned, utterly without mercy. If rejection of Moses and his Law were so serious, how much greater will be the punishment of those who apostatize from Jesus Christ? Calculate for yourself that those people who once accepted Jesus Christ and then rejected Him will deserve a far worse punishment than rebellion against Moses, because Jesus Christ did so much more for them.

Hebrews 10:28-29

This deserving punishment is seen in its true magnitude when we recognize what the apostate did:

1- HE INSULTED THE SON OF GOD - This is a figure of extreme mockery. We insult and trample on what we consider unimportant. The apostate joins this world in trampling not only Jesus of Nazareth, the man, but the Eternal Son of God.

2- HE TREATED THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT AS COMMON - That is, no better than any other blood. The blood that made us holy is now denied.

3- HE DESPISED THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO GIVES GRACE - Every inner movement of our spirit toward God, all our purification, justification and sanctification, all spiritual joy and renewal and divine favor are the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. To despise Him would be the same as committing suicide (Mark 3:28-30).

How does man change so deplorably? First, by spiritual failure—failure to enter the Holy of Holies, to stand firm in his profession of faith, to encourage love and good works, and to assemble for worship and fellowship. Next, by doctrinal decay. The intellect follows the heart. An alienated heart will produce a treacherous and disloyal mind.
Apostasy here implies denial of the Son of God, the doctrine of the sanctifying blood, and the Spirit of grace. When we diminish the gospel little by little, there will come a time when there will not be much of it left.

Hebrews 10:37

Every day that passes, our Lord is closer to returning. Today in the world we see rumors of war, threats from government to government, crises and more crises of all kinds, health, food, financial. Violence exploding everywhere, deaths on all sides.

Verse 35 tells us not to give up our firm confidence, it speaks of our need to persevere. Even if the world is heading towards chaos, we must hold on tightly to Christ. And this patience and perseverance will bring us a reward. In this world, nothing can compare to the reward of Christ (in the world to come), all the effort we are making here to walk in holiness and reject sin will be compensated.

- FOR SOON IS COMING HE WHO IS TO COME

- My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. We must walk by faith and not by sight, while we await the return of Christ. The future glories of redemption in Christ remain future and therefore invisible. For people of flesh and blood, this invisibility is a constant test. But God takes no pleasure in those who draw back because this is an act of unbelief.

Faith believes in the invisible reality, in the greater value of what is spiritual, and in the God who promised that in Christ the invisible becomes visible and the spiritual will become concrete. It is this kind of faith that makes fellowship in the Spirit possible.

HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO RETREAT TO PERDITION, BUT OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE SOUL. We are not of the hypocrites or of those who secretly fall away. Only those who believe will finally be saved. According to this passage, we cannot be apostates and believers at the same time.

Hebrews 11:1

FAITH IS THE FIRM FOUNDATION - HOPE is what sets TARGETS
Paul says: Now faith is ...
Although the word FAITH is not used as a word in the present tense, we will use it in this way to boost our reasoning.

Faith as the firm foundation of things that are expected, IS THE FAITH OF NOW. The firm foundation of things that are expected IS ALWAYS NOW.

You can say this in several ways.

If faith is not now, it is not faith.

If it is not faith in the present indicative, it is not the firm foundation of the things expected.

HOPE IS ALWAYS THERE IN THE FUTURE.
Many people overlook this detail, confusing hope with faith. They say, "Well, I believe that God will do it someday."

1. BUT GOD ALREADY DID EVERYTHING what He wanted to do regarding our salvation and hope.
2. He has already done everything He wanted to do in relation to our finances.
3. He already did and shall do everything He wanted to do with the devil until the end of time.

God's promise has already been declared.

1. God's will is His word.
2. His word ought to be your will - The New Testament is the last will and testimony of Jesus.
3. Jesus already said "yes" to that.
4. It is not a question of what He will do someday.
5. It is about us receiving what He has already done.

Hebrews 11:1

THE MEANING OF FAITH - The word faith can mean trust, belief, fidelity, firm persuasion, or firm conviction. But in the Bible it always finds its purpose in God. Biblical faith is not belief in oneself or in man, but in God. Faith is not attributed any magical power, but simply shows that faith is the means by which we receive from God, the source of our service to God, and the only acceptable basis for a satisfying relationship with God.

Faith has to do with:
* Hope
* The unseen

Hebrews 11:6 says: WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD. FOR WHOEVER WOULD DRAW NEAR TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS AND THAT HE REWARDS THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.

This is a simple and inescapable law of the Kingdom. God must have subjects who trust Him as God - and that includes His wisdom, His goodness, and His power. To doubt is to slander. To trust is to honor. All other tributes are insults if the tribute of faith is lacking.

DRAWING TO GOD BY BELIEVING THAT HE EXISTS AND REWARDS THOSE WHO SEEK HIM. Simply believing that God exists and not relating to Him is a kind of theism. Man can believe that He exists and have no communication or communion with Him.
So, we must transform our belief into humble trust, knowing that He exists and also rewards those who seek Him.
God's rewards of divine grace are not spread out in a promiscuous and indiscriminate manner. Man must want God, not only for His gifts, but for his own good and want Him to the point of seeking Him. Man must take the initiative, as evidence of a sincere desire.

Hebrews 11:6

God's universal law concerning prayer.

God does nothing but in answer to prayer - John Wesley

In his teaching on prayer, Jesus commented on God's universal law concerning prayer. He said, "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" Matthew 7:7-8

Just as God has a universal law of giving in Luke 6:38, his universal law of prayer is found here in these two verses: EVERYONE THAT ASKS IN FAITH RECEIVES!

This law that God has established is irrevocable! When we come to the Father, we must believe that we are going to receive or it is better not to ask!

Often when the answer doesn't come immediately, Christians are willing to resign themselves to the fact that their prayer has not been answered on the assumption that it is not God's will. The law of God is that everyone who asks in faith receives! We must continue to persevere in faith, accept and believe his promise until we receive what we ask for.

Our Father is a REWARDER of those who come to him in faith. He will do what he has promised is far beyond what we can imagine or ask (Ephesians 3:20).

Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go (Hebrews 11:8).

Abraham demonstrated his faith by obedience to leave Ur and to travel to an unknown land. He did not know where he was going; It was enough for him to know that he was with God. It was not so much upon the promises he leaned on, but in what he had promised. He was not looking at the difficulties that lay before him, but at the eternal, immortal invisible KING. The only wise God who had made a commitment to direct his way. Our guide knows no fear and expects us to fear nothing because He is by our side.

Hebrews 12:1

John Bunyan wrote the book THE PILGRIM anima dungeon. Despite his limitations, his heart and thoughts were not bound. He could, in a glorious vision, contemplate the journey of the "Christian", going from the "city of sin" to the "Heavenly city". A long walk, full of dangers, temptations and challenges. The giant of doubt, in the castle of despair, deceit, the appeals of the vanity fair, the persecution of the Evil One all the time, the martyrdom of the Faithful, the Christian's journey companion, these were some obstacles overcome by faith. And the Bible says that faith is the certainty of things that are expected, the conviction of facts that are not seen (Hebr. 11:1). It is by faith that we conquer the world and, with this shield, we extinguish the enemy's darts.

Look ahead and upwards, without taking your eyes off Jesus, our living and holy way, because that is our motto. Rest assured that, victorious, we will reach the heavenly city, where the Lord awaits us! Hallelujah!

God bless you so much!

Hebrews 12:1

* Throughout chapter 11 the author speaks of the heroes of faith, showing us that the need to live by faith is not a cause for self-pity, but is, in fact, a path trodden by his ancestral heroes.
*The author has been pointing to his parents; now he points directly to all of us: SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES, we are under an immediate obligation to change both our attitude and our action. THE WITNESSES are not mere observers on the platform, curious to see how we will do, but people who have achieved success, so that we too can succeed. They are a vast cloud of encouragers. The picture is of a great amphitheater. The spectators are all friends, and we are challenged by them to succeed in the race. We can if we are willing to do a few basic things.
* LET US ALSO LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT AND SIN WHICH CLINGS SO CLOSELY. Unnecessary difficulties that will wear us out and dampen our spirits, no matter how innocent they may be, must be stripped away, just as a runner sheds superfluous things.
It is also imperative to get rid of the sin that so easily and constantly ensnares us. This does not mean habitual sinning; it is, rather, a tendency that is difficult to shake off, but which will mean ultimate downfall if we do not.
* AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US. The prize is not for those who start well, but for those who finish well. A fast start to a race does not entitle the Christian to take a nap later on. The race we have been given is a lifelong race to overcome sin, the flesh, and the devil.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us how we are to do this: LOOKING TO JESUS, THE PIONEER AND PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH. He is our ever-present and available Resource for strength and steadfastness. There is a grace that is appropriate in looking to Jesus. When our eyes wander from Jesus, our feet falter and stray from the predetermined course. We are to look away from other people and look only to Jesus.

Hebrews 12:5

Hebrews 12:6 tells us that God disciplines us because He loves us. This truth about God's correction and discipline of those He loves is confirmed by Jesus Himself in Revelation 3:19, when He says,"Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent".

Repenting and changing your attitude often requires correction, but people who do not know they are loved have a hard time receiving correction. Correction does us no good if we cannot receive it. I encourage you to receive the Lord's correction in your life as a sign of His love for you.

Hebrews 12:6

Weak people are combative. Strong people walk in love and help the weak.

Correction and discipline are not evidence of lack of love, but evidence of love.

God uses trials as a test of your faithfulness to Him. Discipline and trial have an educational purpose to prepare for the future.

Discipline aims at your sanctification. Your place as a royal priest in Heaven. Anyone who goes through it indifferently and stoically will learn nothing and lose his or her place.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12: 7) to keep him humble.

A real son is someone whom the Father finds favor.

Hebrews 12:6

This chastening is not an expression of God’s displeasure, but of His favor. WHY THE LORD DISCIPLINES THOSE WHOM HE LOVES. If you are experiencing God’s disciplining, you should be comforted by the fact that God is simply treating you as His children. What a high privilege it is to be treated by God as His child! Better to be chastened by God than to be spoiled by the Devil! The rhetorical question: WHY IS THERE A CHILD THAT THE FATHER DOES NOT DISCIPLINE? The implication here is that since this is expected of human parents as a normal standard of parenting, we should not be surprised when God, as a Father, acts in accordance with His characteristic role. It is also implied that all human children are imperfect, so much so that a lack of chastening may suggest a lack of true fatherly concern or fatherly bonds.

* IF GOD DOES NOT DISCIPLINE YOU AS HE DOES ALL HIS CHILDREN, IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE NOT REAL CHILDREN, BUT ILLEGITIMATE. Too much prosperity and flattery can be a bad sign. This should be remembered when modern charlatans preach a religion of “health, wealth, and prosperity.” God is interested in saving souls and developing strong character, not in seeing that “everyone has a good time”. What can we conclude from this?
1. That the setbacks and adversities of life are sent or permitted by God as a valued discipline.
2. We all need this discipline; therefore, it should be accepted with humility and gratitude, rather than resentment and restlessness.
3. That we are not alone in these experiences, for they are universal to God’s children and should be expected.
4. That they are the surest possible evidence, not of God’s disinterest, but of His deep interest and concern for us as individuals—members of the royal family.

Hebrews 12:12-13

Get out of the posture (both literal and figurative) of discouragement. Lift your hands in praise, reach out to those in need, and place them under the burdens of life. There is work to be done. Let your knees no longer tremble in fear, but stand up like men (Eph. 6:10-13) AND MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS FOR YOUR FEET, SO THAT WHAT IS MAY NOT BEW PUT OUT OF JOINT. The lame may be related to the weak spiritual foot of the believer who is in danger of wandering. Or it may be a weak Christian, as a member of the body of Christ, who is in danger of wandering completely because of the crooked ways of the older believers. But overall it is a picture of concern for the weak.
- As hands are a metaphor for service, and knees are a picture of attitude (whether courageous or anxious), so feet are a picture of the daily Christian walk.
- God desires healing; but neither our own souls nor our influence will be healed unless we are willing to correct what is wrong in our lives. Repentance is the prerequisite for the healing of the soul.

Hebrews 12:14

• These are the purposes of our life: SANCTIFICATION AND ETERNAL LIFE. Both are fundamental prerequisites for those who wish to see God. Follow peace with all and sanctification Heb 12.14.
• The Lord wants us to present a life totally dedicated to Him.
• God works wonders for the man who sanctifies himself!
• Sanctification in its literal sense means "to make holy". Consequently, the Holy Spirit is the necessary agent of sanctification, and Christ is the adequate provision.
• But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God was made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).
• There is no sanctification, morally, in the Biblical sense, without contact and union with Christ.
• To be holy is to be separate from the world and closer to God; it is walking more and more in spirit and less and less according to our own nature!

Hebrews 12:14

The first immediate goal is peace with everyone. If our goal is to lift up tired hands, disjointed knees, and straighten our way of life, we must begin with disordered personal relationships.

This does not mean that we should make peace with the wicked or fraternize with the ungodly, but rather seek a state of reconciliation where peaceful relationships have been sinfully broken, and maintain that state of interpersonal peace that is part of righteousness.

- AND HOLINESS WITHOUT WHICH NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD - Let us not deceive ourselves: our final salvation depends on holiness. Therefore, it is perfectly clear that this must be a kind of holiness that is possible now, since death may knock at our door in the next hour. The pursuit of holiness is not a lifelong effort never achieved.

- How can we describe this holiness?

1. Holiness is original from God and can be granted by God. Man obtains holiness from God and depends on His grace.
2. It is a comprehensible, personal, and subjective state, or the command to follow it would be meaningless.
3. It is the fruit of the believer’s definitive surrender (Rom. 6:19, 22).
4. It is the unchanging will of God (1 Thess. 4:3).
5. It is the work of God’s grace through which believers are enabled to maintain moral purity (1 Thess. 4:4, 7).
6. Its source is Jesus Christ and His blood (13:12; 1 Cor. 1:30).
7. Its fulfillment is the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:18; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2).

Hebrews 12:15

Bitterness is more than just an unpleasant thing: it is poisonous. The root is the person who falls short of holiness and who threatens the health of the church. But it is also the root of bitterness within the church, which is the fleshly nature. No one can be a root of bitterness in the relationships of his church unless he has a root of bitterness in his heart. It is this spirit of selfishness, spite, and ill-temper, often hidden behind a facade of kindness, that constitutes the fleshly disposition of the believer. The specific objective in the urgent command to pursue holiness is the removal of this spirit. Every believer who fails to strive for holiness is a threat to the well-being of the church: that he may cause trouble by contaminating many. A fleshly Christian can spread poison and wreak havoc throughout his own body and the Body of Christ.

We must refuse to let bitterness take root in our hearts. We must also be careful not to allow ourselves to become offended or to remain angry. This means that we cannot follow our feelings; we must set them aside and do what God asks us to do.

If you are struggling in this area, go and seek God’s grace: His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing. Let His grace loosen the deep roots of bitterness that are entangled in you.

Hebrews 12:16

The bitter Christian is typified by the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. Esau, on the other hand, typifies gross manifestations of carnality. The unsanctified Christian may degenerate from the older brother type to the Esau type—which happens frequently. Or he may stay in the church as a respected member, spitting venom from an evil spirit. His sins will be of both the flesh and the spirit (James 3:8–18; John 9). The Christian who fails to live in holiness may never grow out of the bitter stage, but gradually becomes ensnared by Esau’s tragic sale of his birthright.

Esau’s sin was not desecration (necessarily) as we use that term today, but the sin of treating sacred things as if they were common. When people want to use God instead of being used by God, when they turn the church into a tool for personal gain, they are coming dangerously close to the position of Esau. Complete sin is reached when they finally exchange spiritual values ​​for material values, when the church and vital spirituality are sacrificed to satisfy their lust for more things and more pleasure. The materialist and the secularist are twins. Both place material and carnal values ​​above spiritual and eternal values.

Verse 17 - As one knows, later when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, though he had begged with tears. Esau may have found repentance for eternal salvation, but he did not acquire his birthright. SOME PROCEDURES ARE IRREVERSIBLE. There is a point of no return. This is also true of spiritual things. In this case, tears are powerless to effect change. The morsel of flesh will soon disappear, but the consequences of the choice will never. Continuing to sell the holiness that is our birthright for the pottage of this world will ultimately seal our doom. There is hope for the backslider, but there is no hope for the absolute apostate, and there will be no "second chance" after death..

Hebrews 12:25

The author leaves aside his softer speech and now speaks categorically and directly. It is high time that they stopped their dangerous foolishness, FOR IF THEY DID NOT ESCAPE WHEN THEY REFUSED HIM WHO WARNED THEM ON EARTH, MUCH LESS SHALL WE ESCAPE IF REJECT HIM WHO WARNS FROM HEAVEN. When God spoke on Sinai the earth was shaken, but in Haggai 2:6 He promises: Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. - There will be a sifting, sorting, and rearranging of the entire universe. Both the material and spiritual realms will be evaluated for destruction or reformation.
Verse 27. This means that the entire creation will be shaken and removed, so that only the unshakable things will remain. God, Christ, the church, holiness, love—these are the unshakable things. They will remain forever, and so will he who has appropriated them by grace and made them his own.

- In this age, sometimes called post-Christian, when ancient values ​​are being challenged and venerable institutions are crumbling, it is imperative that the Christian remember that when nations rage and seek to dethrone God Himself, "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision." (Ps. 2:4). Nothing is more ironic, and at the same time tragic, than the petty provocation of man, whose stupid pride is mocked because of his frailty.

Verse 28. LET US BE GRATEFUL FOR RECEIVING AN UNSHAKEABLE KINGDOM, AND THUS LET US OFFER TO GOD ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP WITH REVERENCE AND AWE. There can be no acceptable worship if we fail to appropriate the justifying, sanctifying, and sustaining grace that is ours through the blood of Jesus.
FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMMING FIRE v.29 - He will either consume the sin in us or consume us in our sin.

Hebrews 13:1-3

Love One Another - The genuine fellowship and joyful camaraderie that is consistent with the agape love that God has placed in your heart. This love must endure at all costs. Regardless of gain or loss, this kind of love must be a part of our lives.

Hospitality - Do not allow the warmth of your affection and hospitality to be an exclusive thing, limited to your immediate circle of believing friends. This does not mean that we should treat every ragtag person who passes by as an honored guest, but it does mean that there are unexpected and hidden rewards in a generous spirit of hospitality, which applies to outsiders as well as insiders. Our kindness may not discover angels, but it can contribute to the formation of saints.

COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER. We should also remember those in prison, as if we were in prison with them. There can be no true empathy if we confine ourselves to crocodile tears at home. We should enter into the suffering of others through prayer, writing, visiting, and sometimes through legal or financial help. Many are confined to hospitals suffering from illness, or disabled, confined to their homes in bed. These too need to be remembered. We should be considerate of all who suffer adversity of any kind, as if we ourselves were being mistreated in the body. Christians are often supernaturally protected, but not always. They are not immune to illness or exempt from suffering. Sometimes God allows suffering, and sometimes God delivers in miraculous ways. This is a mystery hidden in the inscrutable and perfect sovereignty of God.

Hebrews 13:8

True Christian holiness is fully centered in Christ. For Jesus alone is unchanging and eternal—THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TODAY, AND FOR EVER. First, Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ. This must be firmly established in our thinking. Therefore, what Jesus Christ was yesterday in the days of His flesh, and what He is today at the right hand of the Father, He will be eternally. As the Revelation of God, He is final and will never be superseded. Since we have Christ as our foundation, our cornerstone, our sure refuge, we must not be carried away by various and strange doctrines that are unknown. Unconsecrated and immature Christians, especially young so-called intellectuals, are easily impressed by the new and heterodox. Anything new awakens them; the old bores them. However, Jesus is old, but always new; if they dig deep enough, spiritually speaking, they will find in Him a perennial source of stimulation. He is the truth. Any doctrine that weakens your hold on their hearts, or your authority over their minds, is untrue.

Hebrews 13:15

We are always indebted to God and should always be grateful. But this gratitude must be expressed. As a loving wife wants to hear from her husband that he loves her, so God expects us to express our gratitude and devotion. The second part of the verse explains the first. Praise is the proper fruit — the natural and appropriate product — of lips that confess Jesus as Lord. If we confess the name of Christ, if we profess to be Christians, the least we can do is to demonstrate it by open and habitual action (Ps. 50:14; 23). This is reason enough for holding public witness meetings. Christians who receive but do not respond by verbal praise, both in public and in private, soon become a spiritual dead sea, salty and poisonous. A silent and secret loyalty to Jesus is not acceptable.

Therefore, let us be grateful for all that God has already done for us.

Hebrews 13:17

We may not always agree with our leaders; we may even argue a difference with them. But if they are insistent, even harsh, the follower is the one who must yield. Just as yielding to others in traffic is the best thing to do, so submitting to our God-ordained and called leaders is the best part of religion. The ability to submit graciously, without rebellion, sullenness, or haughtiness, is the true mark of greatness. And it is also a mark of the Spirit-filled life (Eph. 5:18-21).

The reason for this task of humble submission is seen in the nature of our leaders’ responsibility: FOR THEY ARE KEEPING WATCH FOR YOUR SOULS, AS MEN WHO WILL HAVE TO GIVE ACCOUNT. Because they are continually and unceasingly involved in your spiritual warfare, God will expect an accounting from them. They did not ask to shepherd our souls. They were given this responsibility by God. If we ignore these pastors, we are preventing them from fulfilling their mission, and we contribute to their task being done with groaning (Romans 8:26) and not WITH JOY.

But the passage makes an addition. Obedience is required only from leaders who are truly called by God, who WATCH OVER our SOULS and whose main cause of joy or sadness is the spiritual struggle of their people. Clergymen who only bear the name of pastor, whose main concern is their own well-being, who are more excited about games than about souls, and who do not groan for the lost and the erring, do not have the divine right conferred to the true Christian ministry.