1. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Hebrews 13

2. Living Out Our Christian Faith
The first eleven chapters of Hebrews do not emphasize specific commands to Christians
Those chapters are pure doctrine and are almost entirely directed to Jews who have received the gospel, but need to be affirmed in the superiority of the New Covenant
The exhortations in Chapter 12 are general, encouraging Christians to run the race of faith with patience and to follow peace and holiness

3. Living Out Our Christian Faith
The specific practical exhortations for Christians are found in Chapter 13
The layout of Hebrews fits the pattern of New Testament teaching, which is first doctrine, then duty, position, and then practice
Chapter 13 emphasizes that true faith demands true living

4. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Hebrews 13 gives us some of the essential practical ethics of Christian living that
help portray the true gospel to the world
encourage people to trust in Christ, and
bring glory to God

5. Living Out Our Christian Faith
A Note on Ethics
Ethics have to do with the standards of conduct (behavior) or moral judgment
There can be no ethics without doctrine
Doctrine is the foundation on which any practical ethic must be based

6. Living Out Our Christian Faith
A Note on Ethics
This is the reason why the author of Hebrews took the first eleven chapters to cover doctrine, before finishing in Chapter 13 with ethics
Perhaps one of the reasons that our country is struggling so mightily with ethics today is that we have removed much doctrine upon which to base ethics

7. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Hebrews 13 Organization
Importance of Maintaining One’s Personal conduct
Importance of Maintaining One’s Practical Christianity
Importance of Maintaining One’s Personal Commitment

8. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Personal Conduct as it Involves Others
Hebrews 13:1 begins with “Let brotherly love continue”
The phrase brotherly love describes an attitude that should mark the church – a family love that marks the church family
Think about how rewarding to a parent is seeing one of your children taking care of another of your children

9. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Personal Conduct as it Involves Others
This gives us a picture of how God views one member of the church family (“child”) taking care of another member of the church family
It is the love of deep friendship and partnership
There should always be plenty of this kind of love among Christians, and it should continue

10. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Personal Conduct as it Involves Others
In verse 2 we are told “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels”
We all know the story of Abraham and Lot entertaining angels
While we may not always be entertaining angels, God in his Providence may have someone come our way that He has sent that you can be a benefit to in ways that will have eternal value

11. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Personal Conduct as it Involves Others
Verse 3 reminds us to remember those who are in prison and who are suffering adversity
It is not hard to imagine that there will be more and more religious persecution for just doing right as time moves on
We need to pray for and encourage one another in this area

12. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Personal Conduct as it Involves Oneself
In verse 4 we are challenged to acknowledge and to maintain the sanctity of marriage
We need to be aware that there is a direct attack on marriage by the devil, the world, and the flesh
This verse reminds us to treasure the value and true meaning and purpose of marriage

13. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Personal Conduct as it Involves Oneself
In verse 5, we are told to have the right attitude toward material possessions
We should never have an attitude of covetousness
And, in verse 6 we realize that our help truly comes from the Lord – the Lord is our Strength and Substance – without Him, we are totally helpless

14. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Our Practical Christianity – Attitude toward the Truth
Verses 7-14 remind us that our Christian heritage is given to us to sustain us with reminders from the past
These reminders show us how those before us were able to stay in the race and continue in faith
And, we are not to be led away by strange and diverse teachings, because we have “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”

15. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Our Practical Christianity – Acceptance of Truth
We prove the acceptance of the Truth by our sacrifice of praise to God
We also show that we have accepted the Truth by applying the Truth – Truth should mark us in all our doings
Everything we do should be done in a very unselfish manner

16. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Our Practical Christianity – Acting upon Truth
Verses give us an admonition
We are to obey those who are presently our guides
These are our religious leaders who speak the Truth to us in a very unselfish manner knowing that they have both an obligation and also an accountability back to the Lord for instructing us in the ways of the Lord

17. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Our Personal Commitment
The last few verses (20-25) are a concluding benediction to the readers (and future readers) of the Book of Hebrews
As the book closes, readers are urged to keep their eyes upon Jesus as they go on to perfection
The idea of being perfected is that God will give whatever grace is necessary for the believer to do His will and to keep His commandments

18. Living Out Our Christian Faith
This is the purpose of Hebrews being written
so that we can clearly see how much better things
we have as believers as we
look unto Jesus

19. Living Out Our Christian Faith
Do the ethics in your life
reflect that you
look unto Jesus?

20. ??????????
Who wrote Hebrews?

21. ?????????? “All Scripture is breathed out by God…” 2 Timothy 3:16
We are not told who wrote Hebrews

22. ??????????
“All Scripture is breathed out by God…” 2 Timothy 3:16
We are not told who wrote Hebrews
After studying Hebrews, I am comfortable with simply saying
God wrote Hebrews