Becoming a follower of Christ brings us into a covenant relationship with God. A covenant is a relationship of mutual caring where each party puts the interests of the other ahead of his own.
However, our relationship with God also affects our relationship with other people who are in the Covenant. The book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verses 1 through 4 remind us of our obligations toward them. “Let brotherly love continue. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
This passage reminds us that if God considers us His children because we are in a covenant relationship with Him, then other people who in the Covenant are also His children. It is natural for children in the same family to care for one another. We are to treat our fellow believers in Christ as if they were our physical siblings.
This care and concern for our spiritual family is not limited to those whom we personally know. We need to show the same love even to those whom we do not know. If we knew someone was an angel we would not hesitate to show hospitality. As we saw in chapter 1, verse 14, angels are God’s messengers who are sent to serve the followers of Christ. Is it possible that we have unknowingly turned away from the help God tried to give us because we refused hospitality to someone we did not know?
Another responsibility of being in God’s household is to take care of those in our spiritual family who are being mistreated. Persecution can break out against the followers of Christ at any time, in any place. If we are able to help those who are suffering now, perhaps they will be able to help us when it is our turn.
Scripture uses the marriage covenant as a metaphor for our relationship to God. It speaks of idolatry in terms of adultery. Therefore, it is especially important that we keep our marriage relationships pure and holy. If we are unfaithful to our spouse, we are also unfaithful to God and will face His judgment as a result.
Some people are afraid of what might happen to them in the future. Will they have enough money to supply their needs in their older years? Others are not content with what they have. Verses 5 and 6 address both of these conditions. “Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?””
As stated previously, covenant partners look out for the interests of each other. Since the followers of Christ are in covenant with God, God promises to take care of their needs. The Apostle Peter writes, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV) Since He gives us everything we need, we do not have to worry about the future. God is faithful, He will not forsake us. There is absolutely no need to compromise our faith in order to get ahead financially.
However there is another side to this: If God provides all we need, then we need to be content with what He gives. We need to guard our hearts against covetousness and the desire to have more than God deems is fitting for us. We need to remember that we will not receive our reward and our inheritance in this life or in this world. If we claim to follow Christ, we should remember what He endured and follow His example. Verses 7 through 14 say, “Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate. Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach. For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.”
One of the major teachings of the book of Hebrews is that God will fulfill His promises. Throughout history people of faith have obeyed God and endured hardship because they believed in God’s faithfulness to do so. What can this world possibly give us in comparison to the blessings God has promised His people? In contrast, any hardship, any persecution and disgrace we might have to bear for Christ is trivial compared to the reward God will give us in our eternal home.
Even Jesus had to suffer. Should we be willing to do any less for the One who has rescued us from the condemnation our sins deserve? Christ sacrificed His life for us. Can we not sacrifice a little on His behalf? Verses 15 and 16 say, “Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
The greatest gift or sacrifice we can give to God is to proclaim His praises. The Greek word which this translation renders “ proclaim allegiance to” and other translations render “confess” means “to say the same thing.” To put it another way, when we confess God’s name, we say the same thing about Him as He does about Himself. We declare His true nature.
Our lives ought to be in harmony with our confession. We should not only proclaim God’s nature, but demonstrate it by what we do. Just as God is good to us, we should do good to others. As God has provided to us, we should give to others. Do our tongues and lives proclaim God’s true nature?