CCF: Let Brotherly Love Continue
Hebrews 13:1-6
Bro. Matthew Dela Serna
The final chapter of the book of Hebrews offers instructions for Christian living expounding on love, charity, purity and contentment. The author reinforces what the believers have already been doing in Hebrews 10:22-25 – to draw near to God with a sincere heart, with full assurance that faith brings, to hold unwaveringly to the hope that they profess and to spur one another in love and good deeds.
Why brotherly love is very important?
In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus said that the second greatest law is to love your neighbour as yourself. This is not an option for believers, we are commanded to love one another (John 15:12-17, 1 John 4:7-8).
In John 13:34-35, Jesus confirms that people will know that you are His disciple if you love one another.
Romans 13:8-10, says the one who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law.
Now that we established that brotherly love is very important, how do you show love to one another? 1 Peter 2:17 tells us to honour all people, love the family of believers, fear God and honour the king. We show love by honouring one another. Here’s how we can show love to one another according to Hebrews 13:
Honour the strangers by showing hospitality (Hebrews 13:2). There are three things to remember why showing hospitality is important:
It is a mark of being a true believer (Acts 6:15, Acts 16:34),
It is one of the qualifications of an elder (1 Timothy 3:2),
Because it is the right thing to do (Proverbs 3:27-28).
Honour the prisoners by visiting and remembering them (Hebrews 13:3). Let us remember our brethren in other countries who are being persecuted because of their faith.
Honour your marriage by keeping your marriage bed undefiled (Hebrews 13:4). The word honour means precious, expensive, or of great value. Marriage is precious because it is instituted by God (Genesis 2:23-25). We honour marriage as Christians when both husband and wife honour (treasure) their God-given mates as a gift of great value. (With reference to Christ and the church – Ephesians 5:22-23).
Honour your brothers and sisters by showing respect to one another (Hebrews 13:4). God designed sex within the context of a marriage between male and female. We honour our brothers and sisters by showing respect, knowing that their bodies don’t belong to you unless within the blessing of marriage. For God will judge all sexually immoral. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-9, says that God’s will for you is that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality and that you know how to possess your own body in holiness and honour.
Live an honourable life by not being covetous (Hebrews 13:5). Covetous means having a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else or showing an intense or selfish desire for wealth or power. The antidote for not being covetous is to keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. Ecclesiastes 5:10, King Solomon, the richest man who ever lived tells us that the one who loves money will never be satisfied, this is meaningless. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:6-10).
Be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5b-6). Don’t worry about anything for God knows your needs. God assures us that He will not leave or abandon us. We can confidently say that God is our helper and we should not be afraid.
Image courtesy of hosannachapel.com
Transcribed for CCF SG by:
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