Hebrews 13:1-25

The final words of any author are always of great significance.  The author of Hebrews is no exception.  There are several exhortations that we will all do well to follow and remember as we strive to follow the Lord in this sinful world.  Several of these exhortations I will not touch on here, but I would encourage you to go through this chapter slowly and look at the sound advice that we encounter here.  I would just like to sum up these teachings in three quick phrases.
LOVE YOUR BROTHERS: The very essence of our life in Christ is to love others.  This can be especially difficult to do in times of hardship and suffering like these readers were facing.  It is easy when we are suffering to become self absorbed.  We often begin to feel sorry for ourselves and expect others to care for us instead of striving to love and serve others.  We must remember that no matter what we might be facing, we are called to love one another.  We must be hospitable, care for those who are suffering around us and with us, love our spouses with a pure and undefiled love, and make sure that we love people more than things.  No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, God is with us and has promised to help us love Him and others as our highest priority.
LIVE FOR JESUS: It is easy to become distracted from our priorities in life.  We might be tempted to listen to those who teach false doctrines.  We might start to depend on our own strength and become all wrapped up in religious practices and rituals that have nothing to do with Christ.  We must fight this tendency that exists in our hearts.  We must keep our focus on the Lord and His Word.  He is the one who has paid the price for our sins.  He is the one who empowers us to serve Him.  Our lives must be lived for His glory and in light of the promises that He has made to us.  Christ is our priority and the source of our life.  We must never allow the tantalizing temptations of this world distract us from Jesus.
LISTEN TO LEADERS: God has placed spiritual leaders over us.  These men are our pastors and ministry leaders that God has equipped and sovereignly placed over us for our own good and the good of the entire body of Christ.  God has called us to listen to these men and to obey their instruction.  It is easy for us to consider that since we have a personal relationship with Christ that we do not need earthly leaders.  This is faulty reasoning.  The truth is that we are part of the body of Christ and being a part of this body means that we must live in harmony with the other members of the body.  In order for this to happen, the function of leaders is crucial.  Even though we have a personal relationship with Christ, the means by which He relates with us is often through His body the church.  Being submissive to the leaders that Christ has established in a vital part of relating to a living for Christ.

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