GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

Scripture Reading        : Hebrews 11

Theme                       : Footsteps of Faith

Having contrasted false and true faith, the author explains further what true faith is.

1. Meaning of faith. The author first defines true faith. True faith is to believe and hope for things that we cannot see with our physical eyes. If we can see it already, there really is no need to have faith or hope. One very important aspect of true faith is that we must believe the Word of God to be true (Hebrews 11:3). Therefore, if anyone denies the Word of God, or argues that some parts of it is not true, such a person does not have true faith in God.

2. Models of faith. After defining true faith, the author cites the Old Testament examples of faithful people whom the Hebrews would be very familiar with. These models of faith illustrate that true faith is to believe what is unseen, trusting in God’s Word and His promises. Note that the Bible did not commend Rahab for lying, but for her faith. It would be erroneous to conclude that God is pleased with lying.

3. Motivation of faith. The motivation behind true faith is God’s promises. There is a virtuous cycle involved here, since true faith is to believe in God’s Word and His promises, things which are not yet seen. We can have faith in God and His Word, simply because He has promised to fulfill them. But this is not a circular argument, because God guaranteed His promises with an oath (Hebrews 6:17b) and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18).

Praying the Scripture

1. Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Let us pray that we will have genuine faith in God, and that we will trust in His Word, even though we cannot see the future.

2. Let us pray that we will have the same kind of faith that the Old Testament saints had, and we will obey God just like them, even though the promises were not fulfilled yet.

3. Let us pray that we will not doubt God’s character, but trust in Him and the promises He made, because “God is not man, that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19).

Scripture Reading        : Hebrews 10:19-39

Theme                       : False vs True Faith

After proving that Jesus Christ is superior over all that the Jews hold dear from the Old Testament (Moses, Sabbath, Mosaic Law, Temple, etc.), the author now turns to show what true faith in Jesus (God) is.

1. Practising faith. True faith in Jesus is not inactive or wavering. True followers of Jesus would not be led astray by strange doctrines that are not according to the Bible. They would “hold fast the confession of our hope”, which is the Gospel of Jesus. True followers of Jesus will encourage one another to good works and will meet together frequently.

2. Pretentious faith. False believers will sin deliberately, even though they know what the Word of God teaches. In the Old Testament, a man is guilty of the charge if there were two or three witnesses. But the author warns that the one who sins, even without any human witnesses, has “spurned the Son of God” and “outraged the Spirit of grace” (the Holy Spirit). Since God is omnipresent (He is everywhere) and omniscient (He knows everything), He knows all the sins of false believers even without human witnesses.

3. Persevering faith. Genuine believers will endure suffering for the sake of the Gospel. This is because their hope is not in this world, knowing that they have “a better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:34b), which is eternal life in heaven. Those who persevere to the end will please God and “receive what is promised.”

Praying the Scripture

1. Some of the practical ways that we can “stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together” are to encourage one another to serve God and the church and also come regularly for prayer meetings, fellowship meals, and gatherings at the homes of brothers and sisters. Let us pray that we will be willing to do all these.

2. Many professing Christians give the excuse that “I have no choice”. For example, they may tell lies in their workplace because their bosses tell them to, reasoning that if they do not obey their bosses, they will lose their jobs. Hebrews 10:26-31 warns that such behavior is a sign of false believe. Let us pray for forgiveness if we are guilty of sinning deliberately, and repent from our sins and turn to Jesus and follow Him genuinely.

3. Jesus promised that His followers will be persecuted (John 15:20), and “all who desire to live a godly live in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). Let us pray that we will persevere in our faith in Jesus even if we are persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, so that we will “receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36b)

Scripture Reading        : Hebrews 10:1-18

Theme                       : Superiority of Jesus Christ over Old Testament Sacrifices

In Hebrews 10:1-18, the author further explains why Jesus’ sacrifice is superior over Old Testament sacrifices.

1. Christ’s sacrifice is singular. The need for repeated sacrifices reminded the Israelites that they are sinners and can never please God. Therefore, the Old Testament sacrifices were only a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus would make. On the other hand, when Jesus died on the cross, He “offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:12), and there is no longer any need to for Jesus to repeat His sacrifice.

2. Christ’s sacrifice sanctifies. The sacrifices in the Old Testament did not remove the sins of the Israelites. On the other hand, when Jesus died on the cross, “by a single sacrifice He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). “Those who are being sanctified” refers to those who acknowledge their sins, repent, and trust in Jesus. These are true believers in Jesus, who would live holy lives in order to glorify Jesus.

3. Christ’s sacrifice saves. When the sins of a person are not taken away, the sinner stands guilty before God, the righteous judge who will judge sinners. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice for those who trust in Him, He has also perfected and sanctified them. Because of that, God will “remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more” (Hebrews 10:17). Christ’s sacrifice obtained forgiveness for sinners, and they shall be saved from judgment in the eternal fire of hell.

Praying the Scripture

1. Jesus is God, who is holy, sinless and infinite. Because of that, He only needs to offer Himself once, and that is sufficient to save sinners of all ages. Let us thank God that what Jesus did on the cross more than 2 thousand years ago is still sufficient to save us today.

2. Let us pray that we will be resolved to live sanctified lives, striving against sin, so that we will prove to be true followers of Jesus, who have been “perfected for all time.”

3. There is no other way to obtain forgiveness of sins except by the death of Jesus. Let us thank God for His mercy on us (sinners), by providing the way of salvation found only in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading        : Hebrews 9

Theme                       : Superiority of Jesus Christ over Old Testament Rituals

1. A better sanctuary. The author once again reminds the Hebrews of the items of the Tabernacle. But his focus is on the “Most Holy Place”, where the high priest can only go in once a year, on the Day of Atonement, after first offering a blood sacrifice for his own unintentional sins, and then for the unintentional sins of the people. However, the blood of animals cannot remove the sins of man completely. Only by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can a sinner be completely justified and declared righteous. By His death, Jesus “entered once for all into the holy places”, which was proven when “the curtain of the temple was torn in two” (Matthew 27:51), signifying that the way into God’s presence was now opened. Christ did not only enter the “Most Holy Place” of the earthly temple; He has entered “into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 9:24)

2. A better sacrifice. The high priest brought animals as sacrifices and offerings to God, but the blood of animals did not offer a final solution to sin, since the high priest had to do it year after year. On the other hand, by shedding His own blood and dying on the cross, Jesus secured “eternal redemption” (9:12), and He only need to do it once (9:28). The concept of the superiority of Jesus’ sacrifice is further expanded by the author in Hebrews 10.

Praying the Scripture

1. The Old Testament rituals did not provide sinners with direct access to God. On the other hand, Jesus Christ, by His death, opened the way for sinners to draw near to God. Let us thank Jesus for opening the way to God by shedding His own blood to “purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14b)

2. Hebrews 9:27 says “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” However, “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:28) Let us thank Jesus for putting “away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26), and also pray that we will eagerly wait for Him.

Theme                       : Superiority of Jesus’ Covenant over the Old Covenant

1. Superior promises. In the Old Mosaic Covenant, human priests offered sacrifices to God, but these rituals were “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:5) On the other hand, Jesus’ covenant (the New Covenant – Hebrews 8:8) is “much more excellent than the old”, because it is “enacted on better promises.” The better promises here refer to the promises God made to Jesus in Hebrews 7. For example, Jesus’ New Covenant is permanent, while the Mosaic Covenant was only temporal.

2. Superintended by God. Hebrews 8:8-12 is a direct quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-34. The Mosaic Covenant was based on temporal and external rituals, while the New Covenant of Christ is personally fulfilled by God in the hearts of man. The New Covenant is in contrast with Deuteronomy 6:6-9, where the Israelites were to teach their children the law, and write the law on doorposts, etc. In the New Covenant, God will write His law on the hearts of man, and they will no longer need anyone to teach them, because “they shall all know” God.

3. Supercedes the Old Covenant. With the coming of Son of God, His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has inaugurated the New Covenant. He fulfilled the requirements of the Law perfectly, and with it introduced a new law (Hebrews 7:12). The New Covenant of Jesus Christ has replaced the old Mosaic Covenant. This is the reason that Christians need not obey the Mosaic Law any longer.

Praying the Scripture

1. The Old Testament Law only served as “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:5) Jesus comes from heaven, and is now “seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven”. Let us thank God that He has revealed to us the New Covenant that is founded by Jesus.

2. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, it is the responsibility of man to remember God’s law and teach it to their children. But in the New Covenant, God is the one who writes the Law in our hearts. Let us thank God for being merciful towards our iniquities, and for remembering our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).

3. Let us thank God for the New Covenant, which is better than the old Mosaic Covenant, such that we do not need to observe the Mosaic Law any more. Pray that we will not return to “a foundation of dead works… and of instruction about washings.” (Hebrews 6:1-2)

Scripture Reading        : Hebrews 7

Theme                       : Superiority of Jesus Christ over Levitical Priest II

In Hebrews 6:19-20, the author returned to the topic of the priesthood of Melchizedek, because Jesus Christ has “become a high priest forever.” Jesus, as the High Priest, is just like Melchizedek, who is superior over the Levitical priests.

1. His permanence. There were many generations of Levitical priests, who served God and the Israelites, and after their death, they will be succeeded by the next generation. Jesus, however, “holds His priesthood permanently” (Hebrews 7:24). This is because He is God, “having neither beginning of days nor end of life” (Hebrews 7:3). The author compared Jesus Christ with Melchizedek, who is greater than Abraham, to show that Jesus is greater than the levitical priests who are descendants of Abraham.

2. His perfection. The human high priests had to offer sacrifices for their own sins first, before offering sacrifices on behalf of Israel (Hebrews 7:27). Unlike the levitical high priests, Jesus has no need to offer any sacrifices for His own sins, since He is perfect and sinless. By His perfection, Jesus completely fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17), and thus abrogated the Law.

3. His promise. It is God Himself who confirmed Jesus as high priest. Quoting from Psalm 110:4, the author shows that God promised with an oath to make Jesus the Great High Priest forever.

Praying the Scripture

1. Because of His permanence, Jesus is “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Let us thank God for the permanence of Jesus’ priesthood, so that we need not depend on one human after another human to make intercession for us.

2. Because Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law perfectly, He is able to impute His perfect righteousness onto us. If not for Jesus’ perfection, we will all perish, because there is no way we can ever fulfil the Law by our own strength. Let us praise God for His perfection and thank Him for fulfilling the Law on our behalf.

3. God is the One who sent Jesus, the perfect and great high priest, who offered Himself as the sacrifice. He provided the solution to the problem of sin that no other human priest could. Let us thank God for offering His own Son as the sacrifice for us.

Scripture Reading        : Hebrews 5:11 – 6:20

Theme                       : Salvation by Faith

1. Exhortation to grow. After believing the Gospel, the Hebrews became stagnant and did not grow spiritually. They have been exposed to the Gospel truth, and ought to be passing this knowledge to others, but they were regressing spiritually and needed to be taught again. The “word of righteousness” refers to the message of the Gospel of salvation by faith.

2. Example of apostasy. The author warns the Hebrews that spiritual stagnation is actually a sign of apostasy (rejecting the faith). This passage has often been cited as proof that a Christian can lose his salvation, but such a concept is not biblical. A true believer will never lose his salvation (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35; Philippians 1:6). The more accurate understanding of this passage is that some people gladly accept the Gospel when they first heard it, but end up rejecting the truth, which results in God’s judgment.

3. Exhortation to persevere. From Hebrews 6:9, the author now turns back to addressing true believers, and encourages them to persevere in good works. The motivation behind the Christian’s perseverance is founded in the faithfulness of God. God did not only promise salvation, which is sufficient in itself, but He also “guaranteed it with an oath” that He will fulfill His promise.

Praying the Scripture

1. The characteristic that all healthy living things ought to have is growth. Lack of growth may show a deeper problem – lack of life. Pray that we will not be stagnant in our spiritual growth, and that we will not be “unskilled in the word of righteousness”.

2. Those who “tasted the goodness of the word of God” but “have fallen away” are just like the path, rocky ground and thorns in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9). Even though they heard the word of God, these people did not become true believers, because they did not bear fruit. Pray that we will not reject the truth and we will not crucify “once again the Son of God”.

3. God is faithful and He not only made a promise, but guaranteed it with an oath. If we had ever doubt God’s goodness, let us repent from this sin, and pray that God will help us to persevere in good works.