Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 12 May 2019

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Hebrews 13:7

Here, we move to a positive exhortation from the author to “Remember those who rule over you.” The idea is one who directs, or guides, the congregation. The word is hégeomai, and it forms the basis for our modern word “hegemony.” It signifies one who carries important responsibility. Here it is in the passive, and so the thought is “to esteem/reckon heavily” (HELPS Word Studies).

In remembering them, those who are so led should consider them, be willing to submit to them, follow after them, and so on. This is specifically speaking of those “who have spoken the word of God to you.” This is an obvious reference to those who teach, preach, and provide instruction when called upon to do so. As they are the ones to impart the spiritual truths to others, it would normally be expected that they would be men of faith, and faithful in their conduct before the Lord. Because of this, the author says, “whose faith follow.”

It is a way of imploring the reader to look at the faith their leaders profess, and to act in a like manner. The word “follow” signifies “to imitate.” Obviously, if they are prone to acting in a less than desirable manner, one would not want to follow in their ways, but this is a general sentiment, given to encourage following those who are faithful. This is then certain because of the final words, “considering the outcome of their conduct.”

The word used is a rare one, being found elsewhere only in 1 Corinthians 10:13, and in Hebrews 11:15. It signifies “a way out” or “result.” The idea here then is that they are the type who are faithful unto death. Whether dead or not, the idea of being faithful even under the most dire circumstances is what appears to be what is referred to here. Knowing the character of such a person, the reader is implored to act in a similar manner.

Life application: There are a lot of people vying for our attention in the world – sports figures, politicians, movie stars, etc. We are told here that we should look to our preachers and teachers in the word when looking for a way of life to emulate.

If anyone hasn’t taken the time to notice, much of the Hollywood elite are the most messed up people on earth. Sports figures spend too much time working on their athletic skills, which fade with age, and not enough on considering the deeper questions of life. Politicians are generally the most self-serving bunch of people of all.

Instead, we need to look to those who preach the word of God and consider their way of life. What they preach, if preached properly, has eternal significance and is the only sure foundation we have. Along with this, we are reminded to imitate what we see in them.

It should be understood that we only imitate what is noble in them, not specifically the person himself. To imitate a fallen person – even a pastor – isn’t smart. Pastors have been known to fall too – in big ways. The only One we are to wholly imitate in person is Jesus, but for earthly examples of faith, we look to our pastors. In addition to this, Paul reminded Timothy that –

“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’” 1 Timothy 5:17, 18

He repeats his thought in Galatians 6:6 –

“Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.”

Don’t forget to share the good you have with your pastor. And again, learn to imitate his faith.

Lord, you have raised up God-fearing men to teach Your word and to direct us to You. Give us caring hearts to pray for them, to acknowledge them with our gifts, and to imitate their faith. Help us always to be faithful congregants in support of those who lead us and who in turn lead us to You! Amen.

Saturday, 11 May 2019

So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

Here we have a quote from Psalm 118:6 –

“The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

The same sentiment is also reflected in Psalm 27:1.

The author has just stated in the previous verse, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” It is with that thought in mind that he next jubilantly proclaims, “So we may boldly say.”

If the Lord is with us, and if He will never leave us nor forsake us, then our conduct shouldn’t be that of timidity, but of boldness. That includes the words we speak. The author is spurring the reader on in his words to a state of confident boldness. In this, he then reaches back to the psalm, as noted above, and says, “The Lord is my helper.”

Why would we be covetous, and why would we walk in a state of discontentment? Whatever our state is, it is because the Lord has ordained it. For example, we are all destined to die. Why would we fear death if the Lord has already gone ahead of us through that door? Rather, the author continues the quote with, “I will not fear.”

This should be the attitude of the believer in any situation. If death, which is the end of this life, is not to be feared, then why should we fear any part of the life we live prior to death? Our trust in God is not a dubious grasp on something that may or may not be worked out for our best interest. Rather, because Christ Jesus is God’s Son, and because we are in Christ, we are God’s children through adoption. As His children, He is there for us, He is watching over us, and He will protect us as a Father. This is the reason for the final words, “What can man do to me?”

The answer for those who look to this world as the sum total of our existence is, “A whole lot.” Man can take our possessions, he can harm our family, he can physically hurt us or even kill us. But those things are a part of a temporary existence for the believer.

This verse is not a statement guaranteeing that believers will be immune from any of these things. It is a statement that transcends them. We will face these things in varying degrees, but they are not an indication of the Father’s failure to care for us. They are a part of what the Father has allowed in order to mold us for the life which is truly life.

Psalm 118 is a victorious psalm which speaks of the coming Messiah. Because that psalm is being applied to us because of Jesus’ victory, we have absolute assurance that no thing, no person, no trial, and no temptation can hold us down. In fact, we should say with confidence that it is Jesus who stands with us, and because of that, we will not be afraid. It is this thought which has allowed people to undergo torture and martyrdom without disowning Christ. The early Christian martyr named Polycarp was given a chance to disown Christ and confess Caesar as lord, but he stood firm instead –

“Eighty-six years have I been His servant, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me? … You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why do you tarry? Bring forth what you will.”

Although most of us probably won’t face being burned at the stake, whatever trials you do face – large or small – remember that the Lord is your confidence and so you should never be afraid of what lies ahead.

Yes Lord, You are our great confidence in a world which is lacking reason. Give us the ability to stand fast in Your great comfort when times become difficult or even hostile. May You receive the glory You are due for having provided us with such a sure and great salvation. Amen.

Friday, 10 May 2019

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Again, as in the previous verse, the words “Let your” are to be inferred, and are supplied by the translators. In this case, “Let your conduct be without covetousness.” This is a theme which is also seen from Paul twice. In the previous verse, the author spoke of sexual impurity. Here he speaks of covetousness. This pattern is also found in Colossians 3:5 –

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Again, it is seen in Ephesians 5:3 –

“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints.”

It is even seen in Hebrews 12:16, which combines the two, “lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.”

This is, again, a good indication that Paul is the author of Hebrews. The internal clues are many to indicate this.

Instead of pursuing covetousness, the author next exhorts the reader to “be content with such things as you have.” One follows naturally after the other. If one determines not to be covetous, he will demonstrate a state of contentment with what he does have. And the reciprocal is true as well. If one is content with what his life consists of, he will generally not be covetous over the things he does not have.

This does not mean that people cannot aspire, or strive, to have better things, but that it is done within the context of contentment, not out of a covetous heart. And the author next shows that this state of contentment is possible because the believer has the Source of all other things as his own. He says, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

This is not a direct quote from any verse, but an adaptation of the thought from various verses such as –

“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Genesis 28:15

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5

The idea of the author’s words is faithfully expressed in these thoughts, so that when he says, “He Himself has said,” it is an assurance that it is true for the believer who reads the words and understands the nature of God in His dealings with His people. In this is another verse which speaks of the eternal security of the believer. God will never leave nor forsake His people. It is an unconditional statement. Our faithlessness does not negate His faithfulness.

Life application: In this verse as a stand-alone, meaning without the connection to impurity of the previous verse, there are still two complete thoughts which are united in a single concept. The Bible speaks a great deal about the trap of money and greed. This includes the sayings of Jesus personally. In fact, the two thoughts here are in the same basic order and idea of what Jesus said in Matthew 6 –

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

&

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:25, 26

If our focus is on money, it becomes our trust. When we place our trust in anything but the Lord, there is no true foundation. Even if the money doesn’t disappear, we don’t know the timing of our death. Therefore, the money we have saved will be of no use to us when death does come. To trust in money or riches is simply the fool’s path. Instead, God – through Jesus Christ – promises to never leave us and to never forsake us. This is a promise by the unchanging God who cannot lie. His word reflects His very nature. So don’t be frustrated about your finances which are set to end in one way or another. Instead, rejoice in your relationship with God through Christ which is eternal.

Thank You Lord for those most comforting verses of Scripture where You give us a sure guarantee that You are with us in whatever our life’s station is. Help us to be content where we are, even while we strive to improve our lot. Help us to never lose sight of the truth that all things are from You and serve Your purposes for us. Thank You for Your abundant provision and protection! Amen.

Thursday, 9 May 2019

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4

This verse is in the middle of a list of exhortations, imploring the reader to do certain things. Because of this, many translations supply the word “let” into its words, understanding that it is implied in the overall context. Thus, it would be a continued exhortation –

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (NASB)

This is probably the correct sense based on thoughts which come before and after this verse. The author has already noted fornication in Hebrews 12:16. Thus, this is an argument against that, and a call to holiness. And so he begins with “Marriage is honorable among all.” As noted, including the word “Let” is probably the true intent.

Either way, this is a direct statement that marriage is an acceptable practice for all, and that it is an honorable institution. Paul warned against those who forbid marriage in 1 Timothy 4:3. That warning has, unfortunately, been ignored even since the earliest times of the church, and it continues to be ignored by the Roman Catholic Church for their clergy. Other aberrant sects have forbidden it in various ways as well. Such practices have inevitably led to sexual perversion in countless ways.

The verse continues with, “and the bed undefiled.” Again, going with the thought of an exhortation, it would say, “and let the marriage bed be undefiled.” Purity within the marriage is what is expected, and faithfulness to one’s spouse is called for. God created man and woman, and He ordained that they would unite in marriage. In this, they are to be faithful to one another.

With this understanding, he continues with, “but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” The Greek reads with God being placed in the emphatic position. In this, we see that the general society may condone such acts, but God will still judge those things that others allow. It is His standard, and not our fallible societal allowances, which will be used as the measure for judgment.

This is especially important to remember, particularly in today’s world. Every type of perversion is now becoming societally acceptable (see Romans 1:32), but such things are strongly warned against in Scripture. Believers are to hold to God’s standards and to proclaim them regardless of what the larger society allows. Unfortunately, the majority of the church has all but failed in this. Entire denominations have fallen into line with the wicked allowances of society, and they have often even become the most vocal proponents of such vile behavior. God will judge them in righteousness.

Life application: We can infer that the first ordained rite between humans in history is that of marriage. Theologically, the account of Eve being taken from Adam’s side during his sleep is of much greater symbolic importance than most people realize.

Just as Eve came from Adam’s side in a death-like sleep, so the church came from Christ’s side as He was pierced in death. Out flowed the water and blood confirming His death and establishing the New Covenant. Therefore, just as “the marriage bed” is to be kept pure, the symbolism agrees with the purity of doctrine – never mixing any outside religious expression with biblical Christianity.

The Bible equates mingling false religion with adultery. Because this comparison is made, the absolute purity of being faithful to one’s spouse is of extreme importance to God. We cannot defile our marriage bed, nor our religious expression, and come out unscathed. If you are having either a sexual affair outside of marriage, or a religious affair (such as adding in Buddhism, horoscopes, etc.), you are on extremely shaky grounds and will be judged for your actions. Keep your marriage and your doctrine pure – to the honor of Christ.

Lord, thank You for the covenant of marriage; and thank you for the New Covenant in Christ Jesus’ blood. Give us wise and discerning eyes to look on our spouses with reverence and to conduct our married life in purity. Likewise, give us the same spiritual discernment in how we relate to You. These things we pray that You may be glorified, and that we will be acceptable to You. Amen.

Wednesday, 8 May 2019

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Hebrews 13:3

The author has been referring to matters of conduct for the body of believers. In verse 1, he mentioned continuing in brotherly love. Then he referred to entertaining strangers. Now, he says to “Remember the prisoners.”

Though he is certainly speaking first and foremost of believers here, and not merely prisoners in general, it probably extends beyond that as well. There are some who are in prison who rightly need to be there, and it is the best place for them to be. However, there are others who are prisoners who are believers that have been imprisoned for their faith. There are captives of war, and there are those who were sold into slavery – maybe because they couldn’t pay their debts. The Greek word signifies being a captive, as in bonds.

When he says to remember them, it means more than just to think about them, but to consider their plight, empathize with them, and pray for them. And then he explains it by saying, “as if chained with them.” The Greek word he uses means to consider themselves as if being bound together with them, as prisoners often are. But in this, there are two possible extensions of what it means:

1) As if being bound with them literally; as if in chains together, or

2) Because we are bound with them in the sense that all are slaves of someone. We are either a slave to the physical world, or we are slaves to Christ and His righteousness.

The first is probably what is on the author’s mind, but the second is probably still a consideration of his. He then says, “those who are mistreated.” The word here is only found in Hebrews 11:37 (describing the mistreatment of those of faith in past times) and here. It speaks of those who are literally tormented or suffer adversity at the hands of another.

To finish the thought, he then says, “since you yourselves are in the body also.” Here, he is referring to the physical body in which we live, not the body of believers. This is certain because if he were speaking of the body of believers, the word “body” would be preceded by an article. The only other time it is used this way is in 2 Corinthians 12:2 where Paul refers to himself.

Here, the author is speaking of those who are alive and who are suffering. Because we are still in the body, we should remember those who have it off worse than we do, empathize with them, pray for them, and even visit them if this is an option.

Life application: Some of the most effective ministries around are prison ministries and they can reap a gigantic harvest for Christ. If you have never considered this as an opportunity to tell others about God’s great plan, there are usually groups which already minister to prisons across the world. Maybe this is something you could consider as part of your gratefulness to Him. The author, and thus God who inspired the author, wants us to empathize with others who face trials, not just to brush off their situations with a shrug. Most of us will never face any such trial, mistreatment, or imprisonment, so it is hard to empathize, but this is what we have been asked to do.

Above all, if you are aware of someone who has genuinely been arrested or mistreated because of his or her Christian testimony, be sure to empathize with that person first and foremost, and comfort them if you can. Let them know that their trial is not in vain.

Lord, thank you for those who have faithfully endured for Your cause and are suffering or imprisoned for Your name. There are many in distant lands, and even in our own nation who, even now, fit this category. Please be with them and comfort them in their hardships. This, to Your honor and for Your glory. Amen.