The Letter to the Hebrews
Strengthen Your Heart With Grace
Hebrews 13:7-13
What can you do when your heart feels weak? Like if you are facing a lot of trials and you feel hopeless about the future? Or if you lost your temper yesterday and you wake up feeling guilty and far from God? Or if you feel just plain empty – nothing excites you, nothing motivates you, nothing stirs you. What can you do when your heart feels weak?
To answer that question, let’s turn to Hebrews 13. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Hebrews 13 is on page 1009 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Let’s start by getting the big picture of what the author of Hebrews has been saying – so we can understand what’s going on in chapter 13.
In chapter one through chapter 10 v.18 the author teaches that Jesus is God’s Son who conquered death, who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, and who is the perfect priest and sacrifice for our sins.
Then in the rest of chapter 10 he says, therefore, because of who Jesus is, we should draw near to God, cling to His promises, encourage each other to trust God’s promises, and stir up faith in Him as our better possession.
And then in ch.11 he explains why faith is so crucial – it’s because faith is the only way we can please God, see God’s miracle-working power, obey God, and endure trials.
And then in ch.12 vv.1-17 the author says therefore, because of how important faith is – lay aside sin and run the race of faith in Christ. But that’s not easy. That can be costly. So in vv.18-29 the author tells us why this is worth it -- it’s because what we gain is an unshakeable and infinitely valuable salvation.
And then in ch.13 he covers specific areas in which his readers need help. In v.1 he urges them to stir up affection for each other. In v.2 he encourages them to show hospitality to each other. In v.3 he calls them to visit each other when in prison. In v.4 he urges them to walk in sexual purity. And in vv.5-6 he calls them to not love money.
And then today in vv.7-13 he explains what they can do when their hearts feel weak. Let’s read those verses together –
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.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9 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.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.
11 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.
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
I think the main point of this passage is found in v.9 – where the author tells us how to how to strengthen our hearts –
9 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.
So the main point is v.9. But what about vv.7-8?
Vv. 7-8 talk about remembering our leaders. So let’s raise this as our first question – why was it so important to remember their leaders? Read vv.7-8 again – and notice what they were to remember about their leaders --
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.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
These leaders are those who in the past spoke to them the Word of God. So he’s probably thinking of the apostles. And the author mentions three truths about them --
· First, that they spoke to them the Word of God. The apostles were devoted to God’s Word. God has spoken in Jesus Christ, and the apostles were devoted to telling everyone about the Word that God had spoken in Christ.
· Second, that their lives had a beautiful outcome. Being devoted to Jesus Christ and the Word of God – produced beautiful lives of love, forgiveness, strength, courage, boldness, mercy, faithfulness.
· Third, they had faith – faith in the Word of God about Jesus Christ.
So he says – remember how your leaders’ faith in the Word of God about Jesus transformed their lives. And his point is that the same Jesus who did that for the apostles will also do that for his readers. That’s why he says what he does in v.8 –
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
So here’s what he’s saying -- Remember how your leaders’ faith in the Word of God about Jesus transformed their lives. And the same Jesus who did that for the apostles yesterday, will also do that for you today and forever.
But why is it so important that they remember this? It’s because v.9 tells us that they were in danger of being led away from the Word of God by strange teachings. And so, in vv.7-8, he says – remember how your leaders’ faith in the Word of God about Jesus transformed their lives, so you won’t turn away from the Word of God.
So what strange teaching was tempting them to turn from God’s Word? We can see the answer in v.9 –
9 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.
The strange teaching was that their hearts would be strengthened by foods. Now we don’t know exactly what this strange teaching was. In v.10 the author refers to the present Jewish priests who offered animal sacrifices, so this was probably something taught by the Jewish priests at that time.
But the Old Testament never taught that our hearts would be strengthened by eating certain foods. It did teach that God’s people should not eat certain foods. But it never taught that our hearts would be strengthened by eating certain foods. And yet this is what was being taught by the Judaism of that time.
But most of us today, when our hearts are feeling weak, don’t think we will be strengthened by various foods. Sometimes believers do get drawn into this kind of thing – thinking, for example, that if they could eat the same bread Ezekiel ate, then they’d be really strong spiritually.
But most of us, when our hearts are weak, don’t think we will get strong from various foods. But the author’s point is that the only thing that will strengthen our hearts is God’s grace. And we are often tempted to turn from God’s grace to other things which we think will strengthen us.
For example, we can think what will strengthen my heart is time at the spa, or getting some “Me-time,” or listening to Led Zeppelin or taking a mountain-bike ride. We can think what we need is a six-pack, or working harder, or doing something good. We can think it’s doing works of righteousness, or gossiping, or complaining.
That’s how we can be led astray from God’s Word. But what v.9 tells us clearly is that there’s only one way to strengthen our hearts lastingly, really, substantially. And that’s through God’s grace. But why?
Why is it only by God’s grace, and not by foods, that we can strengthen our hearts? The author gives us three reasons in vv.10-12.
First, because the only altar that can strengthen us the Cross, where we can feed spiritually on God’s grace. You can see that in v.10 --
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.
When he wrote these words, there were Jewish priests who had turned their backs on the Cross, and were continuing to offer animal sacrifices on the altar in the temple. But that’s not our altar.
Notice that in v.12 the author talks about Jesus’ suffering on the Cross. So our altar is the Cross. When we look by faith to the Cross – and all Jesus is for us through the Cross – we can feed spiritually on God’s grace.
But as long as those Jewish priests continued to turn their backs on Jesus and offer animal sacrifices they could not feed spiritually of God’s grace from the Cross.
So why is it only by God’s grace, and not by foods, that we can strengthen our hearts? It’s because the only altar that can strengthen us is the Cross, where we can feed spiritually on God’s grace.
And here’s the second reason. It’s because God’s people have never had their hearts strengthened by special foods. You can see that in v.11 –
11 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.
This strange teaching might have said that if you ate of an animal sacrifice given to the Lord, then you would receive God’s grace. But the Old Testament is clear that God’s people never received grace from eating certain foods.
And to make that point the author reminds us that when a bull was brought as a sin offering the only parts that were burned on the altar were the fat, the kidneys, and the liver. All the rest – all that meat – was taken outside the camp and burned up (Lev 4:1-12). No one ate it; not even the priests. There were other offerings the priests did eat – but not the sin offering – and never was there any mention of grace being given to those who ate.
So the reason it is only by God’s grace, and not by foods, that we can strengthen our hearts is because God’s people have never received grace from eating special foods.
And here’s the third reason. It’s because we can only be sanctified – strengthened – through Jesus’ blood. You can see that in v.12 --
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
When our hearts are weak with discouragement, temptation, guilt – we need to be sanctified. But try as we might – we can’t sanctify ourselves. It’s only Jesus who can sanctify us.
And the good news is that Jesus suffered outside the gate – outside Jerusalem – in order to sanctify us through his blood. He died on the Cross to pay for all of our sins, so that when we turn to Him, trusting His death to pay for all of our sins, trusting His righteousness to cover all our sins, He will sanctify us – and strengthen our hearts.
So that’s the third reason our hearts can only be strengthened by grace, and not by foods – it’s because we can only be sanctified – strengthened – through Jesus’ blood.
Questions?
So here’s the crucial last question – how do we strengthen our hearts through God’s grace? The answer is in v.13 --
13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
Next week, Lord willing, we’ll talk about what it means to bear the reproach he endured. But this week I want to focus just on the first part of v.13. The way we strengthen our hearts through God’s grace is by going to Jesus Christ.
But how do we do that? He’s not here anymore. So how do we go to Him? This book, the Word of God, tells us all that Jesus will be for us. So the way we go to Jesus is by turning our hearts to the Word of God.
As we set our eyes on the truth of God’s Word, and trust Jesus Christ as revealed in God’s Word – we will go to him. The Holy Spirit will enable us to meet him. And when we meet him we will receive the grace that strengthens our hearts.
Thursday morning I was studying this passage and I realized that while I was studying about how Jesus can strengthen my heart – my own heart was weak. I was discouraged that I was still sick with a flu bug. I was fearful about something. I felt spiritually weak and frail.
So I got up from my desk, grabbed my stack of Bible memory verses, and started walking through the house and praying over the verses.
· The first one was Judges 14:3-4, and reminded me that Jesus Christ is sovereign over everything in my future. And as I saw Jesus sovereign over my future, I felt my heart getting stronger.
· Then 1 Samuel 12:22 reminded me that Jesus will never abandon because His glory is at stake. Which meant that Jesus had not abandoned me to this flu – Jesus was graciously giving me this flu to draw me nearer to him. And as I saw that Jesus had not abandoned me, I could feel God’s grace strengthening my heart.
· And then I read 1 Samuel 15:22 which says that what pleases God is obedience. And God reminded me that all I needed to do was seek to obey him, and that he would take care of everything else. And as I trusted Jesus to help me obey, and take care of everything else, my heart was strengthened.
Now I was still sick. I was not jumping up and down. But my heart had been strengthened by God’s grace found in the person of Jesus Christ. And yours will, too.