Living for God in an Alien World (2) (Hebrews 13:9-18)

In our previous study on this theme we noticed that verses 4-8 contained four essential requirements for living for God, and they were chastity, contentment, constancy and Christ-centredness. To them, we should also add the requirement mentioned in verses 1-3, that of brotherly love. In the verses we will consider now another five essential requirements are mentioned, and in order to help us remember them I have used words beginning with the letter S: strength, sanctification, sacrifices, submission and supplication. Some of them are so obvious that we will not need to say a lot about them.

Strength (v. 9)

Sometimes we observe participants in religious activities showing great fervour and determination. This can range from the ways that members of cults can persist in door-knocking with little success to how Moslems and Buddhists can engage publicly in their acts of devotion. The original readers of this letter would have seen the eagerness with which their fellow countrymen participated in the religious activities of the temple. Among other things, their devotion would have included a rigid observance of the dietary laws connected to Judaism.

I would say that the author is not referring to any instructions in the Old Testament regarding what could not be eaten. We know from elsewhere in the New Testament that the apostolic church understood that there was no need for Gentile believers to adhere to the ceremonial law. Yet I do not think the author is referring to the ceremonial law because it is unlikely that the Holy Spirit, who was leading him to write a book of inspired scripture, would cause him to call the God-given ceremonial law as strange. Instead he is probably refuting all the man-made laws that were suggested as helpful in developing a good religious life.

Back then, even as today, people were looking for techniques that would enhance the quality of their spiritual lives. The obvious problem with all such suggestions is that they paid no attention to God’s grace. Since that was the case, there was no spiritual benefit in all their activities, despite their strong devotion. Today, we can read of plans and programmes that promise a lot, but after a while it becomes evident that they don’t bring results, and the reason must be that God’s grace is not in them.

What does it mean for the heart to be strengthened by grace? I would suggest that the author is saying that something is only beneficial if it works out the way from within rather than from coming in the way from without. We know that God works appropriate grace into areas of our lives that need such divine input, and there is a long list of such areas in each of us. It is then our responsibility to work out what God is working in. Moreover the Lord provides us with sufficient grace for each area of our hearts, and he also provides ongoing grace. Of course, such secret divine activity does not sound as good as the latest method devised by a human source. Yet grace is always effective whereas the other methods are not. We have always got to be on guard against all forms of legalism and whenever it raises its head we are to resist it and instead trust in the God of all grace. And such faith will help us cope with our alien culture.

Sanctification (vv. 10-13)

The next requirement that the author says is that we should understand different aspects of sanctification. Usually when we use the term we are thinking of how God is engaged in progressive sanctification, gradually conforming his people into Christlikeness. Here the focus is slightly different, although it does include the need for Christlikeness. The author’s concern is that his readers should understand what it means to be saints.

He reminds his readers that Jesus ‘suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood’. His death at Calvary was literally outside the city of Jerusalem, but I think the author is also saying that it was outside the confines of Judaism. One effect of Jesus’ sacrifice, and he is the ‘altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat’, is that those who trust in him are cleansed from the defilements of their sins. His blood makes them saints.

But the author reminds them that such a divine status has certain privileges.  The first privilege is implied, and implied to be a right, and it is that we should be eating the correct spiritual food. The priests ate from what was offered on the altar, and it only benefitted their bodies. We should feed on Jesus, the Bread of life, in order to have healthy souls. A saint is a person who is always hungry for Jesus and always satisfied with Jesus.

The second privilege is that of identification with the outcast Saviour. As the author says, ‘let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.’ Notice that this is a choice we have to make, although it is not a choice that demands loneliness. Instead it demands solidarity with one another because we should go there together. The original readers are here instructed to leave the Judaism that was causing them so much spiritual confusion. And we are called to leave the various camps that may be causing us confusion.

The third privilege is that we can focus on our destiny. The author reminds his readers that ‘here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.’ He contrasts the durability of the two cities he has in mind and they are the temporary locations of this life and the permanent location of the future life. Different images are used in the Book of Hebrews to depict the contrast between the present and the future.

The image of a city brings to mind inhabitants, structures and activities. We already noted a description of the current inhabitants in 12:22-24, but the author here is asking his readers to think now of the inhabitants in the future. Then there will none described as the spirits of righteous men made perfect because the resurrection will have taken place and all the human inhabitants will have glorified bodies. That is a good way to think about other Christians and to look forward to being with them in the eternal city.

It is not really possible for us to identify the structures that will be in place in the new heavens and new earth. Life there will be very different from this world. Things that we regard as basic will not be necessary. Similarly, our activities will be far greater because we will be more capable, as Paul’s description of the resurrection body in 1 Corinthians 15 makes clear. I suppose an illustration of the difference is how a person from a small town feels when he moves to a cosmopolitan city and observes the institutions and opportunities now available. Yet the illustration falls far short of the reality. Our destiny as Christians is the city without limitations or interruptions, without threats or disappointments, without sadness and frustrations, in which we will have constant communion with its Ruler and continual reception of his power and wisdom.

Yet although this future city is so great, we cannot see it if we focus only on the passing city. It is possible not to see a line of skyscrapers if we stand behind the wall of a shed that is placed in front of them. The closer we are to the shed the less we see of the bigger buildings. Living for this world is like standing beside a cheap shed and missing out on the sight of a better set of buildings, even if it is only their shadows that we catch glimpse of in this life. But the shadows tell us that the King of Glory is already shining in his city.

Sacrifices (vv. 15-16)

One could get the impression from some sections of the Book of Hebrews that all sacrifices are finished with. We know that is not the case, but what sacrifices should we engage in? Sometimes we also imagine that the important aspect of a sacrifice is that it should be costly, but I would suggest that what is more important is that the sacrifices we offer should be continual, correct and caring. They may also happen to be costly, but then again they might not.

The sacrifices the author mentions concern our relationship to God and our relationship to others. As far as God is concerned, we draw near to him through Christ and we can do so at all times. Moreover, the praise that we offer is verbal – after all, God gave us tongues and if we can speak we should use them to relate and detail his splendour and his kindness. We live in a society in which many people who don’t deserve praise are continually receiving it, usually in connection to the breaking of God’s commandments. In this alien culture, we reveal who we are living for by the intensity of our praise.

Another feature that marks our alien culture is selfishness. The proof of selfishness is the number of hurting people who would not be hurting if help was given. We should not forget that these words about ‘doing good and sharing’ were first written to a church that was facing difficulties. Instead of selfishness, there will be sharing. We should observe that the problem identified by the author is not that his readers will decide not to help others. Instead the danger is that they will neglect to do so. Neglect is something that creeps silently upon a person, but it can be as effective as a blatant refusal.

The author encourages his readers by reminding them that ‘such sacrifices are pleasing to God’. This should be our goal at all times, to please the One who has been so good to us. As we live in a godless society, we are called to live a God-full life, and such a life will stand out.

Submission to elders (v. 17)

The next requirement for living for God in an alien culture is submission to the elders. Of course, the submission is not one of blind obedience to the dictates of a bunch of control-freaks. Instead the readers have to remind themselves who their leaders are, what their leaders will yet do, and how they should do it. The elders are shepherds of the souls of Christ’s flock, looking out for their spiritual health and for obvious and for unseen dangers.  That is what they should be doing.

Why should they lead in this way? The answer is solemn – they shall yet state to the Lord how those for whom they cared regarded their leadership. Several commentators suggested the accounting occurs during the period of leadership rather than at the second coming. Yet that does not seem to be the thrust of the author’s words.

How should they give this account? The preferred answer is with joy, yet the author reminds his readers that it is possible that the leaders may have to give their account with groaning because they were ignored or disobeyed. We can picture the scene: the elders stand before the Lord and give their report. If they do so joyfully, the Lord turns towards the readers of this letter and commends them before giving to them a gracious reward. But if the leaders do so with groans, the Lord turns towards the readers of this letter and does not commend them. What a moment to imagine! I wonder did the readers obey this instruction. It is possible to miss out on what could have been ours in heaven. This does not mean that they were not converted, but it would mean that they were disobedient ultimately to the Lord.

Supplications (vv. 18-19)

The final requirement that the author makes is a plea for mutual prayer among Christians. He does not say what the problem is. Yet his words say what kind of situation should be a matter of prayer. We should only pray for a situation in which the motives of the other person are right. (This does not mean we should not pray for a backslider.) While he does not specify his circumstances, the author does specify the state of his heart. His situation may have been difficult, but he was aware of how he behaved. There are two lessons here for how to live for God in an alien culture and they are (1) honesty and (2) value the prayers of other believers.

What kind of prayers does the author intensely desire? Earnest ones. How would we define an earnest prayer? Here are five words that describe it. The first says that earnest prayer is realistic in that it is affected by the seriousness of the situation. The second says that earnest prayer is reverent because it recognises the greatness of God. The third says that earnest prayer is repentant because it is aware that the best of saints on earth is still a sinner. The fourth says that earnest prayer is ravenous because such strong longing for answers affects every part of the petitioner. And the fifth says that earnest prayer is real in contrast to other forms of prayer that do not affect in any depth the person praying. 

The author reveals a surprising reason for why he wants earnest prayer by his readers. He wants to be restored to them despite the fact that they were facing trouble. This tells us that he was marked by brotherly love, which was what he urged them to engage in at the beginning of the chapter. He is telling us, is he not, that in order to live for God in an alien culture we must practice brotherly love.

So we have thought of five requirements that are essential in order for us to live for God in an alien culture. We depend on grace, we identify with Jesus and the city to come, we praise God and share what we have, we submit to those whom Christ has placed over us, and we request earnest prayer by other believers regarding our circumstances. None of them requires us to do anything unusual. In fact, they are the same things that a believer would do if he lived in a Christian culture. But if we do them, we will live for God in our culture.