Hebrews 13:14-16

Summary retelling of Hebrews 13:14-16

We have no lasting city here – we seek the city that is yet to come.  Through Christ, we are to continually offer up a sacrifice to God: we are to proclaim His praise to the world.  We should also not neglect doing what is good and sharing for these things are also pleasing to God.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The author of Hebrews’ point in the first sentence of this section is pretty brutal.  We have no lasting city here.  It is a reminder that we are not of this world.  We are not permanently here.  Our focus is not here in this world.  Nothing in this world will last forever.  We should be focused on the eternal.  The challenge of this opening sentence runs deep and true.

Where is your focus?  Do you really live as though you have “no lasting city” here on earth?

Second Thought:

Our sacrifice is different than the sacrifices of the Old Testament.  The Hebrew people offered up animal sacrifices because they were trying to atone for their sins.  They offered up sacrifices for the sake of atonement.  But for Christians, Jesus has already done that.  He is our atonement.  Thus, we are free to offer up a different kind of sacrifice.  We can praise God’s name everywhere we go.

Do you do this?  How often do you praise God?  How often do the people in your life hear you talking about how great God is?

Third Thought:

God desires us to be hospitable, generous, and obedient to righteousness.  However, remember that these things are already in response to the atoning sacrifice that God has already given to us through Jesus Christ.  We share because God loved us first.  We are hospitable because God was hospitable first.  We are obedient because Christ was obedient for our sake.  We love God as a response to the saving grace that He has offered to us.

What does grace mean to you?  When you think about grace, do you feel more like being hospitable and doing right?  Then what does this passage tell us about the importance of our faith beginning with God and not our own action?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 13:17-19