Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20110727.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Hebrews: The Superiority Of Christ To Errant Religions
Part VI: The Response Of Faith To Christ's Superiority, Hebrews 11:1-13:19
H. Living By Faith Applied, Hebrews 12:1-13:19
5. The Exhortation To Live By Faith Regarding Moral Issues
(Hebrews 13:1-6)
  1. Introduction
    1. We believers in Christ are positionally "light in the Lord", so we should "walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8 KJV), to live righteously versus sinfully like those in spiritual darkness, Ephesians 5:5-7.
    2. One key realm of living as children of light is the realm of moral issues as taught in Hebrews 13:1-6:
  2. The Exhortation To Live By Faith Regarding Moral Issues, Hebrews 13:1-6.
    1. God calls us believers to live morally upright lives in the realm of Christian brotherhood, Hebrews 13:1:
      1. The author of Hebrews gave a command in the third person (a jussive) to let brotherly love continue.
      2. The verb is from the root form, meno, meaning "remain, abide" (U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 776; Moulton & Milligan, A Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, 1972, p. 397), implying we are obliged of God to work at preserving an atmosphere of Christian brotherhood in the Church.
    2. God calls us believers to live morally upright lives in the realm of social hospitality, Hebrews 13:2:
      1. The call not to neglect showing hospitality to strangers is given in the present tense with a subjunctive negative adverb, meaning to stop the current activity of neglecting to show hospitality, Hebrews 13:2a; Ibid., U. B. S. Greek N. T.; Zondervan's The Analytical Greek Lexicon, 1972, p. 158; Dana & Mantey, A Manual Grammar Of The Greek New Testament, 1957, p. 301.
      2. This was thus a problem among the readers of the epistle, so the author urged that they start being hospitable since some had entertained angels unawares, Hebrews 13:2b.
    3. God calls us believers to live morally upright lives in the realm of oppressed believers, Hebrews 13:3:
      1. Some of the believers the epistles' readers knew were suffering imprisonment or various forms of other adversity for their faith, cf. Hebrews 13:3 with Hebrews 10:32-34.
      2. Accordingly, living by faith demanded that instead of being afraid to be identified with them in order to escape persecution from fellow Judaistic countrymen, the Hebrew readers were to identify with the upright and minister to them as if they themselves were suffering the mistreatment, Hebrews 13:3 NIV.
    4. God calls us believers to live morally upright lives in the realm of human sexuality, Hebrews 13:4:
      1. The author of Hebrews told his readers that the Biblical institution of marriage should be honored by all Christians, and that sexual intimacy in marriage was to be viewed as pure before God, Heb. 13:4a.
      2. However, we must be aware that God will judge adulterers and all sexually immoral people, Hebrews 13:4b. This latter group includes all of those in unions that violate the Biblical model of one man and one woman for life. (See Leviticus 18:6-30 and 1 Corinthians 7 :10-17 NIV for detailed explanations.)
    5. God calls us believers to live morally upright lives in the realm of material possessions, Hebrews 13:5-6:
      1. Materialism and greed is a big problem today, so the author of Hebrews urged his readers to keep their way of life as Christians free of (literally) the love of money (aphilarguros, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Thayer's Grk.-Engl. Lex. of the N. T., 1963, p. 89), Hebrews 13:5a ESV.
      2. Instead, God wants us to be content with the things we already possess (Hebrews 13:5b NIV).
      3. Hebrews 13:5c-6 provides several Biblical truths explaining how a believer can afford not to let himself to be bound by the love of money and be content with what he already possesses (as follows):
        1. First, God has promised never to leave or to forsake us, Hebrews 13:5b (citing Deuteronomy 31:6).
        2. Second, based on this loyal help from God, we can affirm Psalm 118:6, that (1) God is our helper, especially related to material needs, so that we need not fear livelihood needs that arise, Hebrews 13:6a NIV. (2) Also, we need not fear what mankind can do to harm our livelihood income or welfare (Hebrews 13:6b NIV) by theft, abusive government rule, etc., for God is greater than man!
Lesson Application: God calls us believers to live by faith in God to function morally upright in the brotherhood of the Church body, in social relationships, in relating to oppressed believers, in sexual conduct and in relation to material possessions. May we trust Him and function accordingly.