RETURN TO SYLLABUS
HEBREWS 12:14-29
LESSON #31
PURSUING PEACE AND HOLINESS IN FAITH
v MEMORY VERSE: HEB 12:29
v READ HEB 12:14-29
THE FIFTH WARNING
Ø THIS IS THE FINAL WARNING GIVEN IN THE
BOOK OF HEBREWS.
§
A REVIEW OF THE FIRST FOUR WARNINGS:
· DON'T NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION
(2:1-4)
· DON'T COME SHORT OF THE PROMISED REST
(3:7-4:13)
· BE WARNED AGAINST THE DANGER OF SLOTH,
STANDING STILL, AND FALLING AWAY (5:11-6:21)
· BE WARNED AGAINST SINNING WILFULLY, AND
DRAWING BACK TO PERDITION (10:26-39)
Ø WHAT IS THE FIFTH WARNING?
§
BE WARNED AGAINST FALLING SHORT OF THE
GRACE OF GOD AND REFUSING HIM WHO SPEAKS (12:15-29)
· HE WHO SPEAKS GIVES US COMMANDS IN THIS
PASSAGE:
¨ FOLLOW (PURSUE, RUN AFTER) PEACE WITH
ALL MEN (14)
Ø SOMETIMES IT'S NOT EASY TO FOLLOW PEACE
IN DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS. THE IDEA OF FOLLOWING PEACE MEANS:
§
EVEN IF I AM RIGHT, I WILL DO
EVERYTHING I CAN TO MEND THE RELATIONSHIP.
§
EVEN IF I DIDN'T START THE PROBLEM, I
WILL BE THE FIRST TO TRY TO END IT.
§
EVEN IF IT COSTS ME SOMETHING TO MEND
THE PROBLEM, I WILL GLADLY PAY IT.
¨ FOLLOW (PURSUE, RUN AFTER) HOLINESS
(14)
Ø IT LITERALLY MEANS "HOLY
MAKING" OR SANCTIFICATION. WE ARE SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD AND THE ACTION OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES.
§
A. TO FOLLOW HOLINESS, WE MUST EXPOSE
OURSELVES TO THE WORD OF GOD, AND WE MUST BE OBEDIENT TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
§
B. TO FOLLOW HOLINESS, WE MUST PAY
ATTENTION TO 3 THINGS (15):
· MAKE SURE THAT NO BROTHER OR SISTER IN
CHRIST FALLS SHORT OF THE GRACE OF GOD (BACKSLIDES AWAY FROM GOD).
· MAKE SURE THAT NO ROOT OF BITTERNESS
SPRINGS UP IN YOU OR BETWEEN YOU AND ANOTHER PERSON. WHAT IS A ROOT OF BITTERNESS?
¨ IT BEGINS WITH AN OFFENSE, EITHER REAL
OR IMAGINED. FROM THERE, HURT FEELINGS PLANT THEMSELVES INTO THE SOUL OF MAN. THE MORE YOU
REFLECT ON THE OFFENSE AND THE INJUSTICE OF IT ALL, THE DEEPER THE ROOT GROWS.
· MAKE SURE THAT THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION
OF MANY OTHER PEOPLE IS NOT HINDERED BECAUSE YOU HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST SOMEONE.
Ø THE BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF ONE WHO DID NOT
FOLLOW (PURSUE, RUN AFTER) HOLINESS -- ESAU
§
READ GEN 25:27-34 SALE OF THE BIRTHRIGHT (MATERIAL INHERITANCE)
§
READ GEN 27:1-4,15-19,26-41 THE STOLEN
BLESSING (SPIRITUAL REWARD).
· THE TWO, THE BIRTHRIGHT AND THE
BLESSING, ALWAYS WENT TOGETHER TO THE FIRSTBORN. IT MEANT THAT THE FIRSTBORN INHERITED A
DOUBLE PORTION ON HIS FATHER’S DEATH.
· EVEN THOUGH ESAU BEGGED HIS FATHER'S
FORGIVENESS WITH TEARS, HIS FATHER DIDN'T GIVE HIM THE INHERITANCE OR THE BLESSING. WHY?
¨ THERE ARE SOME THINGS LOST IN
BACKSLIDING THAT CAN NEVER BE REGAINED. THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR BY REPENTANCE WHAT HAD
BEEN DONE. IN OTHER WORDS, SOMETIMES THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO SIN THAT MUST BE LIVED WITH
THE REST OF YOUR LIFE EVEN THOUGH GOD FORGIVES YOU.
¨ ESAU, HOWEVER, WAS A “PROFANE”
MAN. IN OTHER WORDS HE WAS AGAINST GOD. THEREFORE, HIS REPENTANCE WAS NOT TRUE REPENTANCE.
ESAU WAS LIKE A CHILD WHO SAID HE WAS SORRY WHEN HE GOT PUNISHED. HIS SORROW WAS NOT DUE
TO A REMORSEFUL ATTITUDE OVER HIS SIN, IT WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE GOT CAUGHT. ESAU WAS
SORRY THAT HE WOULD NOT GET THE DOUBLE INHERITANCE.
Ø THE BACKGROUND COMPARISON OF THIS
WARNING (18,22)
§
THE CONTRAST IS BETWEEN THE LAW AND THE
GOSPEL.
· MT. SINAI AND THE LAW
¨ THE PLACE IN THE DESERT WHERE GOD GAVE
MOSES THE LAW. MT. SINAI WAS A FEARFUL PLACE, WITH LOUD THUNDERING, LIGHTNING, AND FIRE.
IF ANY ANIMAL OR PERSON TOUCHED THE MOUNTAIN, THEY WOULD DIE.
Ø THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK OF TRYING TO LIVE
UP TO
GOD'S STANDARDS
OF LAW BY YOUR OWN GOOD WORKS PRODUCES SPIRITUAL DEATH.
· MT. ZION (JERUSALEM) AND THE GOSPEL
¨ THE GEOGRAPHICAL PLACE WHERE GOD GAVE
MAN HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
¨ THE NEW JERUSALEM MADE BY GOD WHICH
WILL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. JESUS CHRIST WILL REIGN HERE FOR ETERNITY.
Ø DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
(22-24):
§
IT IS A HEAVENLY CITY.
§
THERE ARE INNUMERABLE ANGELS THERE.
§
THE NAMES OF BELIEVERS WHO ARE BORN
AGAIN ARE ENROLLED THERE (FIRSTBORN).
§
GOD, WHO IS THE JUDGE, WILL BE THERE.
§
THE BELIEVER'S SPIRITS WHO HAVE DIED
ARE THERE.
§
JESUS, THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT,
IS THERE.
§
THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST IS THERE FOR
ALL ETERNITY.
· THE BETTER WAY OF COMING TO GOD THROUGH
HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, PRODUCES SPIRITUAL LIFE.
Ø WHAT IS THE SIN REFERRED TO IN THIS
PASSAGE? (25)
§
FALLING SHORT OF ACCEPTING JESUS
CHRIST.
· THE PUNISHMENT UNDER THE NEW COVENANT
IS GREATER THAN THE PUNISHMENT UNDER THE OLD COVENANT OF LAW.
¨ TRYING TO BE A "GOOD" PERSON
BY LIVING UP TO GOD'S STANDARDS INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR,
WILL PRODUCE SPIRITUAL DEATH FOR ALL ETERNITY. SPIRITUAL DEATH IS A GREATER PUNISHMENT
THAN TOUCHING MT. SINAI AND SUFFERING PHYSICAL DEATH.
Ø THE SHAKING (26-28)
§
LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE, GOD WILL SEND
TESTING UPON THE LIVES OF MEN TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY. THAT TESTING IS
REFERRED TO AS SHAKING.
· IN AN EARTHQUAKE, BUILDINGS WITH STRONG
FOUNDATIONS ON ROCK WILL REMAIN STANDING. THOSE BUILT ON SAND WILL SINK (LIQUEFACTION).
¨ READ MAT 7:24-27
¨ EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD SYSTEM AND
EVERYTHING IN EACH INDIVIDUAL LIFE WILL BE TESTED (SHAKEN) TO SEE WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION.
¨ THE ONLY STABLE FOUNDATION IS JESUS
CHRIST, THE ROCK.
Ø WHAT IS THE RESULT OF THE SHAKING?
§
EVERYTHING BUILT ON CHRIST WILL REMAIN
AS A PART OF THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST.
§
EVERYTHING NOT BUILT ON CHRIST
WILL BE CONSUMED BY FIRE.
· READ 1CO 3:11-15
¨ "GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE"
MEANS THAT GOD IS HOLY AND UNAPPROACHABLE BY SINFUL MAN. FOR THAT REASON, WE NEED JESUS
CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST, TO BE ABLE TO APPROACH A HOLY GOD.
¨ MANY PEOPLE PLAY GAMES WITH GOD. THEIR
CHRISTIAN LIFE IS SUPERFICIAL. THEY ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT FOLLOWING GOD, THEY ONLY WANT
THE BLESSINGS. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE AND WILL END UP GETTING BURNED.
v HOMEWORK
v HEBREWS 13:1-25
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK
ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF HEB 12:14-29
§
EXAMINE YOUR HEART, IS THERE A ROOT OF
BITTERNESS IN YOU?
§
EXAMINE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS.
DO YOU HAVE A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
WITH SOMEONE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS PROMPTING YOU TO MEND?
§
PRAY AND ASK GOD TO REVEAL A WAY TO
MEND THE RELATIONSHIP.
§
WRITE THE STEPS YOU WILL TAKE TO MEND
IT. IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK ME, AND I WILL GIVE YOU A LIST OF SUGGESTIONS FOR MENDING BROKEN
RELATIONSHIPS.
v PREPARATION FOR HEB 13:1-25
Ø READ HEB 13:1-9 CHRISTIAN ETHICS
§
MAKE A LIST OF THE THINGS "TO
DO" AND THE THINGS "NOT TO DO".
Ø READ HEB 13:10-14
§
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE AUTHOR IS TALKING
ABOUT IN THESE VERSES?
Ø READ HEB 13:15-19
§
WHAT IS THE BELIEVER'S SACRIFICE?
§
WHAT SHOULD WE OBEY?
Ø READ HEB 13:20-25 BENEDICTION
v WHAT ONE THING HAVE YOU LEARNED IN THE
WHOLE BOOK OF HEBREWS THAT MOST RELATES TO YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?