In the concluding exhortations in the Book of Hebrews, Paul did tell of things a Christian should be doing and should possess as to live a life for the glory of God above. It basically composes three parts of instruction and each has supporting elaborations.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BODY LIFE
A. Express brotherly love. Paul assumes that there is a brotherly love amongst Christians and he called for it to continue.
.....a. Entertain strangers. Hospitality is an important virtue that a Christian should possess. A wonderful way to fulfill this command is to meet and befriend strangers at church, and to entertain them with hospitality.
.....b. Remember the prisoners. Look unto the people who are still blinded by the world for they too have to know the gift of salvation through the gospel of God.
B. Honor marital love. God is the judge of all men and fornicators and adulterers are enemies of Him.
.....a. Marriage. Through this commitment the Bible celebrates the sexual love.
C. Contentment. Paul further took special attention to contentment over covetousness.
.....a. Be content of what you have. Covetousness is the opposite of contentment. Often though, covetousness and greed are excused or even admired in today’s culture, and are simply called “ambition
.....b. “The Lord is my helper.” Real contentment comes only when we trust in God to meet our needs and to be our security. It is amazing that we are often more likely to put security and find contentment in things far less reliable and secure than God Himself.
D. Follow Leaders. We are told to recognize and follow godly leadership in the body of Christ, leadership that is shown to be legitimate by faithfulness to the word of God and by godly conduct
INSTRUCTIONS IN WORSHIP
A. The enduring principle. Jesus is the same and this unchanging nature of Him could be inferred from His deity, even if it were not explicitly stated. God doesn’t change over the ages, so neither does Jesus, who is God
B. Following the rejected Jesus. The difficult job of bearing His reproach is easier when we remember that the city or society we are cast out of is only temporary. We seek, and belong to, the permanent city yet to come.
C. Our sacrifice.
.....a. Offer a sacrifice of praise as fruit of our lips
.....b. Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
D. Obey your Leaders. Cooperative conduct is not only a joy to leaders, but it is profitable for the whole body
CONCLUDING REMARKS
A. Request for prayer. The writer to the Hebrews considered it important that others pray for him. We all need and should welcome the prayers of others
B. Pronouncement of blessing. This is a blessing in the style of the priestly blessing of Numbers
C. Grace for all. This is a fitting end for a book that documents the passing of the Old Covenant and the institution of the New Covenant: Grace be with you all indeed, under what God has given through the superior Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen!
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