Quote for the Day
“…let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…”
Today's Prayer
This week PRAISE GOD!
Hebrews 13:7-25
Hebrews 13:7-25 (NIV)7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. 18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. 20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 22 Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from send you their greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.
Message
Life is completed in God; we need to praise Him for that.Many believers find it difficult to understand and to realize that all is done. There is not more need for sacrifice. The book of Hebrews has attempted to help people move from an understating of an ongoing sacrifice that was to foreshadow the coming sacrifice which was fully completed on the cross. This sacrifice was not BECOMING complete, or SOON to be complete, or TO BE completed at some future time. It was all FULLY completed at the cross. There is no need for further completion. It is past tense! It is over and done; we are now one with Christ and He is living in our heart and life and is our completion! We do not have to accomplish anything. HE has accomplished it all. This leads to our quote for the week. Since God has fully completed it all on the cross, our sacrifice is that of PRAISE. We have become thankful children, fully consumed by the life of Christ. I have come to see how the most enjoyable prayer is not a request, but a praise, praise to God that He has in fact already completed the desired outcome, His outcome. Fear is replaced by FAITH, terror is exchanged for TRUST, judgment gives way to FORGIVENESS, and the frustration of living by performance yields to the JOY of living by GRACE. That is the message of Hebrews.