...Be Strengthened By Grace

“Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them. We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced.” Hebrews 13:7-13 NET

The writer draws a powerful comparison between the leaders of Israel and Judah, most of whom followed the rules and ordinances passed down through Moses, and those who stood out by emphasizing their courageous task of delivering God's messages despite the rigid rituals and structures that enveloped them. He firmly states that their lives were not defined by ceremonial practices or sacrifices; rather, it was their steadfast faith in boldly proclaiming the Lord's word to His people that set them apart. This unwavering commitment, he contends, is the true essence of their legacy, making them profoundly significant and worthy of remembrance.

Despite the unwavering commitment of these unique leaders to the message they received from God, it was necessary for their message to be shared and repeated by others in subsequent generations. Jesus Christ serves as our ultimate example, clearly and succinctly conveying God’s word since the beginning of the world. His message of God’s mercy and unconditional love has remained constant and will continue to endure, especially in the future.

We are cautioned to avoid being swayed by diverse and unorthodox teachings. Throughout history, numerous individuals have falsely claimed to be “Jesus” or the Messiah by distorting His name with doctrines that blatantly contradict scripture. These self-serving teachings trivialize God's love and undermine the true essence of His message. It is especially troubling that, even today, some have turned Jesus into a tool for personal gain—a self-proclaimed messiah whose sole aim is to offer political or financial relief to his followers. This misuse not only distorts the truth but also diverts attention from the genuine and transformative message of Christ.

Grace empowers us through faith, allowing us to place our trust in the one true God. Through His immense suffering and sacrifice, He opened the door for us to have a direct and personal relationship with the Father. When we were lost in our transgressions and sins, He willingly gave His life for us. Our faith doesn’t rest on empty rituals like meals and washings, which bring no true benefit to those who observe them; instead, they serve as mere symbols pointing toward a far greater reality that has been revealed in Jesus.

The altar we bow down to is Christ. The High Priest, for instance, has no right to partake of His sacrifice, as Jesus’ offering was not meant to restore the old system of animal sacrifices. Yet, there is a powerful parallel: the bodies of the animals used in sacrifice, whose blood the High Priest brought into the sanctuary as an offering for sin, were burned outside the camp of Israel. Similarly, for Jesus to sanctify the people with His own blood, He needed to suffer and die outside the camp. We, too, are called to go to Him outside the camp and embrace the same kind of suffering and abuse that He endured, finding strength and purpose in our journey.

We are called to take up our crosses daily and follow Jesus with unwavering commitment. This journey is not about cheap grace that hinges merely on our confession without involving our entire hearts. Embracing this call demands action, and we should prepare ourselves for the reality that persecution is not only possible but likely in our time. For far too long, we have basked in comfort, complacently accepting compromises made by the church, which has forsaken its vital responsibilities to society and surrendered those obligations to the government, making the church irrelevant. This abdication to the government has resulted in a profound lack of genuine compassion and long-term care for God’s people. But we, as the powerful and capable church, have the power to change this course. Equipped with the abundant resources and provisions of Jesus Christ, we can rise and fulfill our sacred responsibilities. Let us become the hands and feet of Jesus once again, actively transforming our communities with love and purpose.

The church has a long history of seeing the need and being at the forefront meeting those needs with compassion and understanding for many. This generation is poised at becoming the greatest generation that ever lived, due in part to the fact that the church has never become more resourceful than it is now, both pastors and lay people have become empowered to speak boldly and effectively about the love of God. The church has always grown in depth when it is under persecution, for the life of the spirit if always lifted when the flesh is denied and work must be done to bring balance to faith. The Joy of the Lord is always evident in our lives but can only be fully accessed and appropriated through our suffering.

With its rich and enduring legacy, the church has continually led the way in meeting the needs of many with profound compassion and understanding. Today, this generation has the potential to become the greatest generation ever, with the greatest impact, as the church has never been more resourceful than it is now. Both pastors and laypeople are empowered to speak boldly and effectively about the love of God with boldness and clarity.

Throughout history, the church has deepened its faith in the face of persecution, demonstrating that the spirit flourishes when the flesh is tested. We must find balance in our faith journey. The joy of the Lord shines brightly in our lives, yet it is through our suffering that we genuinely unlock and embrace this profound joy in its fullness.

The writer of Hebrews inclusively invites us to embrace a profound truth rather than instilling fear about bearing our own crosses as Jesus did. He powerfully illustrates that we have an extraordinary opportunity to partake in the greatest gift in the universe. By receiving this gift, our lives are restored to a harmonious relationship with God through Jesus. The restoration of Eden takes on a transformative form: it is no longer a distant paradise, but the dwelling place of God now resides within us, transcending the limitations of a physical temple made by human hands. Jesus, our high priest, has opened the door to this sacred access through His ultimate sacrifice. Though we may feel unworthy, we receive this extraordinary gift by faith, freeing ourselves from the binding effects of the law that He completely fulfilled. He stands as our eternal sacrifice, perpetually offering us grace and redemption beyond measure.

Stephen Barnett