Relevant Biblical Passages: Hebrews 12:1-13:19
Jesus and the Christian Walk. As is so often the case with the New Testament epistles, the book of Hebrews closes with a host of admonitions to be good and do good. This need not be seen as salvation by works at all. One could cast the argument into two simple phrases: “You are saved, now act like it.”
Discussion: Key concepts which crop up often in the book of Hebrews, especially in the last two chapters, are the following:
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- Obedience
- Suffering
- Discipline
How does each of these words relate to the “saved” person’s experience?
The straight testimony: The following passages from the last two chapters of Hebrews are some of the more forceful ones. How can these be taken seriously without their becoming a crushing burden for those who may fall short of the ideal?
| Hebrews 12:1-2 | “Let us run with perseverance…” |
| Hebrews 12:3-11 | “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood…. Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord… He disciplines us for our good… Now discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time… |
| Hebrews 12:12-13 | “Lift your dropping hands… strengthen your weak knees… make straight paths for your feet…” |
| Hebrews 12:14 | “Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” |
