Hebrews 13:4-7

Hebrews 13:1–3 (NASB95)

1 Let love of the brethren continue.2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

Hebrews 13:4 (NASB95)

4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

“In Honor” = Precious, Valued, Of Great Worth

Christians Must Value Marriage

It Must Be Something that is Considered Precious and of Great Worth

When We Consider Something to Be Extremely Valuable…

We Typically Want to Do 2 Things:

We Want to Get it

We Want to Keep it

What Does the World Preach to Us?

“Don’t Get Married”

“Focus On You and Living Your Life to the Fullest”

“Don’t Worry About Commitment”

“Sleep Around, Live Together, Have Several Partners”

“If You’re Not Happy, Get a Divorce”

“Don’t Stay in a Relationship that No Longer Pleases You”

The World Tells Us Not to Value Marriage (Don’t Get it & Don’t Keep it)

And We Have So Many Christians Who Fall for this Deception

So Many Teenage Christians are Having Sex

So Many Married Christians are Actively Committing/Seeking Adultery

So Many Single Christians are Outwardly Fornicating…

Or Inwardly Fornicating Through Their Addiction to Pornography

So Many Christians Who Divorce Their Spouses Out of Hardheartedness & Selfishness

So Many Christians Who are Miserable and Make Their Spouse Miserable

They Disparage, Criticize, Belittle, and Abuse Their Spouse

Because They Don’t Value or Love Their Spouse or Their Covenant Relationship with Them

And So Many Other Christians Know About All These Things…

And Never Say Anything to Them Because We’re Afraid They Won’t Come Back to Church

But the Thing is, If They are Living in Any of These Sins…

Being Present in the Assembly Isn’t Going to Do Anything for Them

God is Going to Judge Them

There’s Only 2 Times Where the Author Mentions God Judging

Here & Hebrews 10:28-31

Hebrews 10:28–31 (NASB95)

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Notice that Both of These Times Where God is Said to Judge…

It has to Do with Not Valuing a Covenant

When We Became Christians, We Joined in a Covenant with God Through Jesus

When We Stop Valuing that Covenant and Walk Away From it…

We Trample Jesus, Regard His Death as Nothing, and Insult the Spirit

God will have His Vengeance on Us in His Terrifying Judgement

The Same is True When We Don’t Value the Covenant of Marriage

If We Participate in Sexual Activities Outside of the Covenant of Marriage…

God will have His Vengeance on Us in His Terrifying Judgement

If You’re Single, How can You Properly Value Marriage?

Keep the Bed Undefiled (No Fornication)

If You’re Married, How can You Properly Value Marriage?

Love You’re Spouse

Love is Not a Feeling that Happens to You, it’s an Action and a Choose

Stick to Your Commitment to Stay By Their Side, Through Thick and Thin

Be Faithful to Your Spouse in All Ways (No Lust or Adultery)

Hebrews 13:5–6 (NASB95)

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

“Free From the Love of Money” is One Word in Greek

It is Also Related to the Love of Brethren and the Love of Strangers…

That We See in the First 2 Verses of Chapter 13

“To Love/Be a Friend to Silver”

What Did Paul Say About the Love of Money?

“The Love of Money is the Root of All Evils”

Ancient Moralists Saw a Connection Between the 2

Both are Connected to Uncontrolled Desires

Both Lead to Destructive and Reckless Behavior

Do You Ever Watch Dateline, 20/20, or Any True Crime Shows?

Almost 100% of the Time, What Led the Person to Commit the Crime?

Either Sex or Money, and Many Times Both

The Author Brings Out Several Things to Consider:

The Love of Money is the Opposite of Being Content/Satisfied with What You have

1 Timothy 6:6–11 (NASB95)

6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

The Love of Money/Greed is Ultimately a Fruitless Attempt…

Because We Can’t Take it with Us When We Die

When We Aren’t Content, We Set Ourselves Up for Harm, Grief, and Destruction

It’s Better to Flee From Greed and Pursue the Fruit of the Spirit Instead

We Ought to Be Content/Satisfied with Whatever Necessities We May Have

But this is a Secret that Must Be Learned, According to Paul

Philippians 4:10–13 (NIV)

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

What is the Secret to Being Content in All Circumstances that Needs to Be Learned?

The Strength to Be Content Comes From Jesus

How?

Possibly Through the Indwelling Spirit

He May Strengthen Us in Ways We Don’t Quite Know How to Explain

Definitely Through Faith and Hope

Faith - Trusting that He is Going to Take Care of Us

Hope - Knowing that with His Return and Our Resurrection…

Comes Glory, Honor, Riches, and Blessings Unimaginable

Hebrews 13:5–6 (NASB95)

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

Another Thing the Author Brings Out:

We Ought to Be Content/Satisfied Because…

God has Promised to Never Leave Us

Even if the Persecutors Take Everything We have Away From Us…

They Can’t Take Our God Away From Us

He is Our Constant Helper…

And He Assures Us that We have Nothing to Fear

This is One of the Greatest Blessings of Being a Christian:

Knowing that I Don’t have to Worry or Be Afraid

Even if Catastrophe Struck and My Family had Lost Our Source of Income…

God Will Take Care of Us Because We are Trying to Please Him

That’s Not to Say that I Don’t Ever Worry About Such Temporary Things…

I’m Still a Weak and Fragile Person…

But it’s a Wonderful Blessing to Know I Don’t have to Worry

Matthew 6:25–33 (NASB95)

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Hebrews 13:7 (NASB95)

7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

This is the First of 3 Times “Leaders” are Going to Be Referred to in this Closing Section of the Letter

It Seems that this Verse May Be Referring to Past Leaders Who have Died

These Were the People Who First Spoke the Gospel to this Church

These Hebrew Christians are Told to:

Remember Them

Consider the Outcome of the Way They Lived Their Lives

And Imitate Their Faith

This is Similar to What We Saw in Chapter 11

The Hebrew Christian Audience was Reminded of Faithful People of the Past…

And They Were Encouraged to Imitate Their Faith

At the Beginning of Chapter 12, They Were Described as a Crowd of Cheering Fans

Now These Past Church Leaders are a Part of that Cheering Crowd

They Lived By Faith and Now Their Memory…

Encourages These Hebrew Christians to Remain Faithful, Like Them

It’s Encouraging to Read About Abraham, Moses, and Others of Faith

But Sometimes it’s Even More Impactful to Remember Someone Faithful We Actually Knew

There are People I’ve Known Who have Passed Away…

That I Still Think About and Try to Imitate Because of Their Christ-Likeness

I’ve Seen Faith Lived Out in Them in Person

It’s Real, Contagious, and Lovely

And There’s a Sense in Which I Want to Honor Them…

By Using the Lessons I’ve Learned From Them

Invitation

James 2:1–13 (NASB95)

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

There is a Lot Going on in this Passage…

But I Think We Get the Main Point

We are to Fulfill the “Royal Law” (Law of Our King)

And that Law is to Love Our Neighbors as We Love Ourselves

When We Do this, We Won’t:

Show Favoritism and Partiality

Judge Others Mercilessly and with Evil Motives

Become Law Breakers

“We are Told to Speak and Act as Those Who are Going to Be Judged By the Law that Grants Liberty/Makes Us Free”

The Gospel of Jesus is What Sets Us Free, But it Also will Be the Standard We are Judged By

And at the Center of that Law is Love

In this Life, are We Speaking and Acting Out the Love of Jesus Toward Others?

If We Treat Some Better Than Others, We Don’t