My friend, felicitations on this fine Thursday morning! May the peace of Our Lord reign over you and those you love today!Read Hebrews 13:5 – 21 (again).
Yesterday, we closely considered the majesty of vv 5 of our passage, which promised contentment and the LORD’s faithfulness to us as Believers.
As you reread today’s scripture, take note of the following:
In vv 8, the Spirit directly testifies about the eternal character of Our Lord “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Yes. He. Is.
Jesus never changes – this is a fundamental point for every Believer. Because Jesus is both The Truth and also our perfect example, He can rightly speak the words “Follow Me”. You and I are known as “Followers” because of Jesus’ exhortation to all who believe on Him to follow Him. “Follow Me” He said to those around Him – and “Follow Me” He says to each of us. We follow Him with confidence because we know that Jesus is the same forever – no changing, no variation, no wavering. Therefore, He is our standard, and that standard is eternally fixed – by Him, and in Him. According to Proverbs, the LORD hates changing standards (20:10): “Diverse weights and diverse measures, They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.”. I thank You, Jesus, because You never change!
Immediately following the proclamation of Jesus’ eternal constancy, the Spirit provides us with a related exhortation (vv 9) “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace,”. Brothers, we are living in the age of various and strange doctrines! Jesus Himself says that in the last days “many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5). The apostle Peter warns us in great detail (II Peter 2): “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words;”.
But II John 1 tells us “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.”.Again, Jesus is The Truth and our standard! Friends, let us abide always in the true, eternal, and never-changing doctrine of Christ!
Because of the richness of Hebrews 13, we will return to complete this consideration, our Good God willing.
Lord Jesus, I thank You for word today. Thank You for coming into the world to save me, and for inviting me to follow You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, so that I can discern and stand against deception. Help me, Lord, to see only Your truth and to hear only Your voice, today, and always! Amen!
