Hebrews 13:7-9 Part One - Let Your Hearts Be Established In Grace

Let’s read Hebrews 13:5-9a which says, “ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he (the LORD) has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me? Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led astray by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace…”.

In Hebrews we have seen that it is possible for an individual believer, or for an entire congregation, to turn their attention away from Christ. These Christians were being tempted to turn away from Jesus and to return to the Law. Therefore, the author wrote this letter to establish their faith once again in Jesus Christ and in the New Covenant of Grace. Now as he draws near to the end of this letter he exhorts them by saying, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.” (Hebrews 13:9)

In this world there are many diverse teachings and strange doctrines and Christians are not to be led away by them. They are not to be attracted to these new ideas or mislead by these strange philosophies. These Jewish Christians had been fooled once already but they were not to allow this to happen again. They had been drawn away from Christ for a time but now they are to keep their hearts grounded and strengthened in grace which alone is able to make their lives very fruitful (Hebrews 13:20-21).

The author of Hebrews gives this exhortation in Hebrews 13:9 but he also provides two practical exhortations which will help their hearts to be strengthened in grace so that they are not led astray again into things which will not benefit them.

• Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

• Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

These two exhortations are very helpful for a Christian in two ways when they are obeyed.

• By obeying these exhortations we will be better able to obey all of the exhortations that have been given to us in Hebrews 12:28-13:6 (worship, loving our brothers, marriage, contentment).

• This is because these exhortations in Hebrews 13:7-8 are means through which our hearts are strengthened in the grace of God (9).

These exhortations in Hebrews 13:7-8 are means through which our hearts and minds are established in the grace of God and are made secure, steadfast, and immovable even when we are confronted with diverse and strange teachings (9).

• The bad news: We will never live in a world that is free of dangerous diverse and strange teachings.

• The good news: We can establish our hearts in grace and not be led astray by them. Doesn’t the world near to heart this right about now?

This morning we are going to primarily focus on Hebrews 13:7.

• I will give one example of a man in scripture that we should consider and imitate his faith (Psalm 73).

• I will give another example of some people that we should not imitate because they are faithless and reject God’s word (Proverbs 1:20-33).

• Then we will consider the details of Hebrews 13:7.

An Example To Follow From Psalm 73

In Hebrews 13:5 we saw that the sin of covetousness and discontentment is a real threat to the believers faith. When our hearts become covetous we will begin to doubt God and His goodness. When this happens we will pursue our happiness and contentment in other things which cannot benefit us. The Christian who is covetous will begin to struggle to run the race of faith and we find themselves weighed down with sins which entangle us and trip us up. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

We find an example of someone being tripped up for a time by covetousness and discontentment. However, by the end of this test he becomes an example that we can remember, consider and imitate. In Psalm 73:1 the psalmist confesses, “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”

However, you soon discover that the psalmist had not always confessed such a bold statement of faith regarding God and His goodness. Look what he says in Psalm 73:2-3, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

The psalmist did not just see these people with his eyes (4-7); he also heard the strange, diverse, and faithless things that these people spoke (8-9, 11).

When the psalmist sees and hears these things he says in his heart, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.” (14) The psalmist testifies, “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.” (21-22)

Let us notice that even though the psalmist thinks these things in his heart but he keeps his mouth quiet lest he should sin against God. By doing this he confesses that he did not teach the next generation something that is strange, diverse and contrary to what he knows to be true. He says, “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed the generation of your children.” (15)

Think about the wisdom of this man under these conditions. He could have spoken when his soul was embittered but what faithlessness (at best) and sin (at worse) he would have uttered! Better to wait to speak until he can be thankful (1,28). {What shame and regret many philosophers, teachers, wise men, and religious leaders must have when they consider the folly and faithlessness that they boldly proclaimed throughout their life.}

The cure for the psalmist from this covetous and discontented heart came when he came into the sanctuary of the LORD. We read in 16-17, “But when I though how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.”

When the psalmist considers the end of the righteous and the wicked he is able to confess in verses 23-26, “I am continually, with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

The psalmist becomes aware of God’s continuing presence and he describes this in three ways: the Lord holds his right hand, the LORD guides him with His counsel, and the LORD will receive him into glory. {Application: These words should encourage us because every believer shares in these promises: the LORD holds our right hand, the LORD guides us with His counsel, and the LORD will receive us into glory. Therefore, there is nothing on earth that we desire apart from Him (13:5-6). Our flesh and our heart may fail, but God is the strength of our heart and our portion forever.}

Psalm 73 reminds us of how easily every believer can become covetous and discontented. When this happens we get confused, the things of God make us weary, our souls get embittered, we become brutish and ignorant. {Question: Do you see any of these symptoms in your life that point to a sin that needs to be confessed and turned away from?}

Psalm 73 shows us how the psalmist was helped when he become covetous and discontented. He was helped when he came out of the world which is full of diverse and strange teachings and came into the sanctuary where he received God’s word. It was there that he remembered that God is good to His people, repented of his faithlessness, received grace and he and he rested in God’s abiding presence.

Psalm 73 also shows us that the psalmist was reminded of two things. The psalmist discovered that the way of the wicked will always end in calamity (17-20,27); but the godly will be saved (1, 28).

We can make several more observations regarding Psalm 73. First, when our heart is established in grace we are healthy Christians (Hebrews 13:9). When the psalmists heart was healthy he could say, “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” (1) However, when the his heart was not healthy he declared, “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.” (21-22)

Secondly, even though the psalmists ‘feet had almost stumbled and his steps had nearly slipped’ (2) he kept the faith and became an example for us to follow. He did not sin with his tongue by speaking of the things in his heart; rather he drew near to God in the sanctuary and received grace in his heart. Therefore, he concluded, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (26)

Thirdly, having gone through this ‘difficult providence’ and having his faith matured in righteousness and holiness, he was called to testify of God’s goodness to others. He says, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

Fourth, since the Holy Spirit preserved this testimony in the sacred scriptures we are all reminded that God will help us to because “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever!”

From all of this we can conclude that according to Hebrews 13:7-8 we are to remember the psalmist, consider the outcome of his way of life and we are to imitate his faith.

An Example Of Those That We Are Not To Follow From Proverbs 1

Not everyone is a good example to consider and imitate. And yet we saw in Psalm 73 that considering the end of both the righteous and the wicked can be helpful (73:17).

Last week we made an observation concerning the two Old Testament scriptures that were linked to the exhortation (Hebrews 13:5-6). We observed that God makes a promise, “For he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” But in the second reference it is God’s people who confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”.

Only the person who receives God’s Word by faith can sincerely and confidently declare, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”. No one can expect to receive such promises if they have not first repented of their sins and trusted in Christ as their LORD and Savior.

{In a few moments we are going to take communion together and we will read from 1 Corinthians 11. In that text Paul can only say these things to the church, to those who have repented and believed upon Christ. Only believers can participate in this ordinance and have their hearts strengthened in grace. Paul says, “For I received from the LORD what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took the bread, and when He had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you.’...In the same way, also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”}

In every generation there has always been faithless people who will attempt to apply to themselves the promises of God which the LORD has only given to His church, those who love Him, to those who have faith, to those who fear Him and who obey His Word.

Proverbs 1:20-33 describes this type of situation. In Proverbs 1:20-23 Wisdom calls out in the city square for the people to listen and respond to. However, as Wisdom calls for them they scoff and their hearts hate Wisdom’s instruction. In doing this they reject the LORD’s promise that if they would turn at Wisdom’s reproof they would be given His Spirit and His words would be made known to them.

Therefore, God will say to them in the day of their calamity, “Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. They will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.” (1:24-28)

Notice the three ways that the faithless reject Wisdom in Proverbs 1:24-28. First, they refused to listen to Wisdom’s call. Secondly, Wisdom stretched out his hand for them but they did not heed. Thirdly, the faithless ignored Wisdom and did not turn from their ways.

{Consideration: If they would have listened, if they had heeded and received understanding, and if they had turned and responded in faith they would have been saved. This is true of all of those who have ever been saved. Every true Christian has heard the gospel, understood the gospel and they have entrusted their hearts and lives to Him. These three things are characteristic of their faith from that moment on as they are sanctified in Christ. As you prepare your hearts for communion ask yourself if you have these three characteristics of faith in your life. Have you heard the gospel, accepted the truth of the gospel, and entrusted your soul to Christ by dying to self and living for God?}

Consideration Of Some Of The Details In Hebrews 13:7

As we turn to consider briefly Hebrews 13:7 let’s contrast the three faithless responses of the unbelieving person with the exhortation that we are given in that verse. In that verse we are told to consider three things regarding church leaders and to respond with faith. We read, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

We are not like the faithless who refuse to listen to the word of God, who do not heed, and who do not respond. No, those with faith are those who will remember our leaders, to consider the outcome of their manner of life, and we are to imitate their faith.

Let me make three quick statements about this.

• No one is surprised when an atheist does not go to church.

• We should all be surprised and troubled when those who confess to be a Christian but they have made a habit of not going to church and their conscience is not troubled (Hebrews 10:25).

• Wisdom stood in the city square and was rejected by the faithless. The psalmist, however, stood in the city square and became aware of his need to go to the sanctuary to be with God and His Word. He went and he was greatly helped. Let’s imitate his faith!

It seems to me that there are three different levels of progression in the words: remember, consider, imitate.

First, we are to remember those church leaders who spoke the word of God. This is a present tense imperative verb. In other words, we are being commanded to remember these faithful leaders. We are to think back upon the things that the have said as they discipled us in the Word of God. We are to recall the scriptural teaching that they had given to us and then make it our own. We are to call to mind the instructions that they shared with us.

We are to listen to these godly and faithful ministers far more than we do to those who speak strange and varied doctrines. We are to watch the lives of these men and pay far less attention to those prideful, arrogant and faithless men.

How do we know if our attention has shifted from grace giving things to things that will not benefit us? Do you have the symptoms that the psalmist had when he looked away from the LORD and put the attention of his eyes and ears upon the faithless: he was confused, the things of God made him weary, his souls was embittered, he became brutish, he became ignorant and lacked wisdom. If so, you need to look away from them to those things God blesses.

Second, having remembered these faithful ministers and the Word of God they taught we are to consider the outcome of their way of life. This also is a present tense participle which means that we are to consider these faithful ministers right now. We are to take an immediate interest in the way of life of life of these ministers. We are to acknowledge the outcome of their faithfulness to the LORD, recognize the fruitfulness of their faith and realize that they finished their race and have received their commendation from the LORD.

We are to remember the psalmist who testified in Psalm 73:23-26, “I am continually, with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Third, having done these things we are then to imitate their faith. This is a present tense imperative verb. We are to mimic their faith and imitate how they lived. We are not to attempt to imitate their particular gifting, their particular calling, their particular ministry, etc. We are to imitate their faith and the aim of their life as they sought to please the LORD. Paul speaks of these things to Timothy when he says, “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings…”. (2 Timothy 3:10-11)

Two weeks from now some of us will be in Bolivia. Shane and I will spend two days ministering to young people who need hope. They believe they have been called by God but they tend to see all the things they do not have when compared to the prosperity associated with the American church. Therefore, they feel helpless and ill prepared to be an effective minister in their community.

Oh, how they need to know that God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and heirs in the Kingdom of God (James 2:5). Oh, how they need to know that they are not to imitate a church in their prosperity but they are to remember faithful ministers, consider their way of life, and imitate their faith.

The American church, and the Bolivian church, would be well served by remembering Paul and considering his life and then imitate his faith. Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Galatians 2:20-21)

To prepare our hearts for communion let us consider Hebrews 13:9-15. Let us remember Jesus’ sacrifice which atoned for our sins, let us consider the outcome of His way of life and His present mediation for His people, and let us respond with faith and receive the grace we so desperately need as we look to Him.

It says, Christian “do not be led astray by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods (or any external thing), which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve at the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.”

In Psalm 73 we saw a man who was willing to come to the sanctuary to receive grace.

In Proverbs 1 we saw people who were not willing to hear, respond or turn towards the LORD.

Now in Hebrews 13:9-15 it is our moment to respond and come to Christ. The world offers nothing that can benefit us. The world will reproach us if we display saving faith. However, here we have no lasting city. We do have a way to be strengthened by grace. So as we participate in communion let us through Him continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.