Highlights From HebrewsSample

Persevering Faith

If true saving faith trusts God for the future bears the fruit of obedience, it means persevering. Repeatedly, the author of Hebrews has issued serious and fearful warnings against falling away from the faith. But what does persevering faith look like? In Hebrews 13, the author provides a whole list of qualities that are signs of persevering faith.

In verses 1–3, he writes that those who persevere in faith continue in love for other Christians. This is shown when we practice hospitality toward visiting believers and when we visit imprisoned believers. In verse 4, he writes that those who exercise saving faith in Christ are loyal to their spouses. In verses 5–6, he writes that those who trust in Christ truly do not put their trust in money because he trusts God to take care of the future. To sum it up, those who persevere and do not fall away seek to keep God’s law and repent when they fall short.

In verses 7–17, he tells us that persevering Christians are members of a Bible-believing church and are attentive to the words of the elders of that church. They do not drift from church to church, never joining. Rather, they acknowledge a certain body of men as their elders. These people remember these elders and imitate them because they have chosen a church led by godly, Bible-believing men (v. 7). They obey and submit to these elders, which means they have an official relationship with them and with the church (v. 17).

These elders are the kind of men who can steer us away from false doctrines (v. 9). It may be that the church these elders oversee is small and despised, a “sect that is everywhere spoken against,” as the Jews put it in Acts 28:22. But we are to be faithful and go outside the camp, bearing disgrace if need be (Heb. 13:11–14).

Such elders lead us in true worship and set examples of charity. They watch over our souls to prevent us from falling into sin or heresy. We should submit to them and not grieve them by having a rebellious or cantankerous spirit (Heb. 13:15–17).

To sum it up, if we will persevere and not fall away, we must be active in the life and worship of a serious and godly Bible-believing church that godly elders oversee.

CORAM DEO Living before the face of God

Christians violate Hebrews 13 in three ways. Some refuse to join a church and submit to any leadership. Others stay in liberal churches whose leaders are unworthy of respect; gradually, their souls become deadened. Others belong to good churches but complain about the leadership. Let us repent today if we have been guilty of any of these violations.

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