Jesus Christ, The same Yesterday, Today and Forever – Part 2 {9 Freedoms As A Result}- {Hebrews 13:5-9}

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We are…

1. – FREE FROM GREED.. – “Keep your lives free from the love of money..”-{v5} Be free from Greed and a heart bent on money as the goal and end of your life. FREE  FROM THE SNARE OF GREED, CONSUMPTION, OBESSION WITH  MATERIALISM, COMMERCIALISM. “Money,” is neutral but the “love of money” is the problem. It does not mean we are not tempted but we do not have to yield, for Christ has set us free from slavery to Greed! Take heed to these warnings and learn and be wise!

1 Timothy 6:10 -“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through the craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Proverbs 28:25 – ” Greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.” 1Timothy 6:9- “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires and plunge people into ruin and destruction.” Luke 12:15- ” And He said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We are…

2. – FREE TO BE CONTENT- “… in the active voice meant “to be enough, sufficient, satisfied.” Be content with what you have…” -{v5} It means, “be satisfied, be content” in your present circumstances with what you have. The present tense calls for it to be the continual attitude.  Its been said contentment is cultivated by pulling the weeds of greed! Being content in what you have, finding Him as your sufficiency, and building on the promises of God. 

“CONTENT“-{Heb 13:5-6}. What would be one thing to keep us from being content? The writer of Hebrews gives the answer- GREED, COVETOUSNESS! While contentment means “enough, sufficient, implying satisfaction…” greed says “not enough, not sufficient, not satisfied!” The writer says, “keep your life FREE from the LOVE of money, and be content with what you have.” The two commands are positive- be free, be content!

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We have…

3. – THE PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE WITH YOU- “For He Himself has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” -{V5}. Build your life, contentment on His promise – Note the word “FOR,” which is to give the explanation… “He Himself has said’- Note the emphasis, “He has said!”  The VERB, “SAID” is in the perfect tense, which means this statement of God was made at some perfect time…at point in time in the past and has not been taken back, retracted, and never will be reversed. It is still in effect and will never be withdrawn! His Word is a faithful (trustworthy) Word (Titus 1:9–note). 

Wuest’s rendering “For He Himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you.”… “He has said” is not only useful to chase away doubts, fears, difficulties, and devils, but it also yields nourishment to all our graces…”-{Spurgeon}. This is an irrefutable promise God has for all His children. He is “EMMANUEL,” – “God is with us.” 

There are five negatives in the Greek to emphasize He will never leave you, abandon you. No circumstance ever can cause Him to go absent from you. “Forsake”– means, “to leave behind…” it means “forsaking someone in a state of defeat, or hopelessness, even in the midst of hostile circumstances.” its a verb. He will never, ever do that to you. Others may abandon you but not Him! He didn’t abandon Moses at the Red Sea nor the children of Israel. He didn’t abandon the three Hebrew youth. He didn’t abandon Daniel in the lions den. He didn’t abandon Joseph BUT GOD DID ABANDON THE LORD JESUS ON THE CROSS, that through His saving work YOU may never be abandoned! What love is His!

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We have…

4. – THE PROMISE OF HIS HELP 

“So we say… ” In the present context the writer is saying we continually (present tense) being full of courage, can act boldly in speaking or claiming the OT promise that Jehovah is our Helper. Are you confident of this wonderful truth beloved?” {preceptaustin}. “The LORD”- {Kurios}- “Master, Owner, “speaks of absolute authority, absolute owner, power. He is the Helper and in whom we rest our confidence in and derive courage from! We live under His authority, continually submitting to His authority as “LORD.” He is our “HELP”- (boethos is the noun form of the verb boetheo). The word “Help” used here speaks of one who upon hearing a cry to give assistance, to aid, help. It describes The LORD (Jehovah in context) – who runs on hearing a cry to give assistance! What a picture Psalm 121:1 says “My HELP comes from the LORD Maker of Heaven and earth!” He runs to assist me upon hearing my cry! 

Build your life and contentment upon His promise to personally be your Helper.

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We have…

5. –FREEDOM FROM THE FEAR OF OTHERS

v 6 – .“So we confidently say the LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”  The Hebrews were experiencing persecution and the writer quotes Psalm 118:6 to them, which is what is quoted in Hebrews 13:6. They may be threatened, they may lose all their possessions, be ostracized in the community, they may have their physical well-being threatened for their identification with the LORD Jesus, but if they lose it all, including their lives as horrible as that would be, they will not lose their salvation, they will not lose their Savior’s affection and love, they will not lose eternity in Heaven with the LORD Jesus. Paul in Philippians 1:21 said “…to die is gain!” The word “gain” was used to speak of “to win!” We win in death, because Jesus conquered sin, death and the evil one and arose from the Dead to declare His victory and He too will see we experience the reality of that victory. Martin Luther wrote in the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” and these words, “The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever.” Proverbs 29:25- “The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.” To be afraid of others is a snare, a trap, the alternative? Trust in the LORD and you can because God is your Helper. Joshua was told three times after taking over form Moses, “Be strong and courageous do not fear, do not be dismayed for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”-{Joshua 1:9}. “Fear and discouragement are two evil weapons the enemy of your soul uses, God says we counteract this by faith by choosing to be strong and courageous and we can because the LORD is our Helper and the promise He is present with us wherever we go!      

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We have…

6. -THE PATTERN TO IMITATE. 

REMEMBER His Faithfulness to those who led you. Consider their lives, and how He was faithful to them. Follow their faith, their teaching of the Word and trusting in this FAITHFUL LORD! Note their leaders were Word of God people who spoke it to you! And as a result of submission to His Word shaped their character and  as a result lived a life of faith in the LORD. Imitate their faith. But as wonderful as they were, like others they come and go through death but not Jesus Christ!, He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Though they depart, He remains!

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”-{v7-8}

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We are To…identify and reject…

7. THE POISON OF FALSE TEACHING
“Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so.-{v9}.IDENTIFY AND REJECT IT. The teaching is strange because it is not in accordance with God. Receiving and applying God’s Grace in opposition strengthens our hearts! This is something only God can do which “strange teaching” such as commitment to ceremonial foods cannot and are indeed “of no benefit to those who do!” 

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We have…

8.THE POWER OF STRENGTHENING GRACE

“Good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace,…”-{v9}.

“Strengthening,”- {Bebaioo} describes an increase in inner strength (with passive voice implying from outside source) with the implication that the result is a greater firmness of character or attitude in one’s heart. Bebaioo – 8 uses in the NT – Mk. 16:20; Ro 15:8; 1Co. 1:6, 8; 2Co 1:21; Col 2:7; Heb 2:3; 13:9. Note that at least 5/8 uses of “bebaioo” (confirm, establish, strengthen) are somehow related to a work of God or Christ (see Ro 15:8–note, 1Co 1:8, 2Co 1:21, Col 2:7–note, Heb 13:9) and so too in this verse.-“-{preceptaustin commentaries}.

Heart -{Kardia}- We often think of the heart as the seat of emotions, “I love you with all my heart.”….”The Bible relates it primarily to the intellect {Read Matt 15;19}. In a secondary way, however, heart relates to the will and emotions because they are influenced by the intellect. If you are committed to something, it will affect your will, which in turn will affect your emotions.” (Mac Arthur-Drawing Near. Crossway Books). ” “In most modern cultures, the heart is thought of as the seat of emotions and feelings. But most ancients—Hebrews, Greeks, and many others—considered the heart to be the center of knowledge, understanding, thinking, and wisdom. The New Testament also uses it in that way. The heart was considered to be the seat of the mind and will, and it could be taught what the brain could never know. Emotions and feelings were associated with the intestines, or bowels.”– (MacArthur, J: Ephesians. 1986. Chicago: Moody Press)

This “strange teaching” is of no eternal benefit! Instead avail of Grace that God has provided through which saves us -{Eph 2:8-9}. Sustains us-{2 Cor 12:9}, and here we see Strengthens us!

BECAUSE “Jesus Christ Is The Same Yesterday Today And Forever,” We are…

9. FREE FROM LEGALISM 

“…not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so...”-{v9}, In respect to justification, how to be right with God, the cleansing the conscience, sanctification, legalism is of no  spiritual profit! 

JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER is meant to have an AFFECT on our THINKING and CHOICES we make as we live.

In the above passages Materialism, money,{God gives the capacity to make wealth-{ Deut 8:18}….”For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”-{1 Cor 4:7}. Money is not a problem but our attitude to it can be. Pursuing it at all costs reveals Greed…and often a false sense of getting it will give security, satisfaction, significance... along with false teaching are very real TEMPTATIONS to lure the Christian away into false securities and hollow pursuits are REAL enemies to beware of.

GREED and FALSE TEACHING seek to lure us away from Him. The answer to theses twin evils is to REMEMBER – Jesus Christ is the SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!

BECAUSE- “JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER…”
We are
1. FREE FROM GREED
2. FREE TO BE CONTENT
3. PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE.
4. PROMISE OF HIS HELP
5. FREEDOM FROM FEARS OF OTHERS
6. FOLLOW THE FAITH OF YOUR BIBLE LEADERS.
7. FREE TO FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD
8. FREE TO TRUST HIM
8. FREE TO DISCERN AND REJECT FALSE TEACHING
9 .BE STRENGTHENED BY THE GRACE OF GOD…

All Because JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!

THANK GOD – JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER. 🙂