Hebrews 13:1-17 - Laws of Godly Conduct

Hebrews 13:1-17

Concluding Moral Directions

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:

“The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

Concluding Religious Directions

7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

These summary verses are concluding conduct directives for the Jewish believers addressed in Hebrews as well as for all believers of both called Jew and those called out of all nations since this book is God’s word for us all to live by.  These ten commandments begin with the second greatest one to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and not to give up doing so.  This first of all means showing hospitality to meet the needs of people we do not know that heaven’s inhabitants may glorify God as they witness us do so just as they have seen the wisdom of God in the gospel (Ephesians 3:10) in and through us.  We likewise are to consider those in prison as a second command to minister to their physical and spiritual needs in demonstrating His love; we are called to put ourselves in their place as fellow mortals to empathize and be motivated to help them.  Thirdly, we must value the sacredness of marriage by keeping morally pure in body and soul with commitment kept in sexual purity just as we do not have other gods besides the true God whose bride we now are.  Fourthly, we are to remember the original commandment to not desire what another possesses and let our desire to have the same divert us from being content in our godliness (1 Timothy 6:6) while considering all we have is from God and He always supplies every need we have.  We realize how His provision extends to eternal life which no man can take from us and which is utterly sufficient for true contentment.  Fifth, we are to submit under spiritual authority given by the Lord and not by man alone as we function in the body which is God’s local church.  We are called to follow their biblical teachings and guidance as evidenced by their conduct in their own walk of faith.  Sixth, we are to keep to sound doctrine and not seek new and exciting teachings that contradict the Bible or twist the context to change what God is telling us.  We live by the grace of Christ in His person and His work and not by following extra biblical requirements as of the old ceremonial law of acceptable foods.  Our altar of grace has mad all foods accepted (1 Timothy 4:3-4) and we are to be grateful for them all.  Seventh, we are to hear the reproach of Christ and the gospel of this grace in the face of opposition as we look toward the Celestial City which we await (Revelation 21:2) in eagerness.  Eight, we are to daily sacrifice our lives with praise to Him for all these things as we do good as a result of our salvation and never to vainly attempt to earn this grace in which we stand.  Nine, we are called to share all we have been given as stewards which is a sacrifice of gratitude.  Finally, the tenth command is to submit to worldly authorities placed over us by God (Romans 13:1-2, 3-4, 5-7) with the attitude of God’s providence given us to live in the nations we are part of His grace.  This gives the Lord joy as we submit to these as we also do within the church that the profit of godly lives reflect the Lord and not earthly pursuits or causes.  The gospel is our cause and the Lord is sovereign over all.  May we submit first to Him, then these others according to His word.  These are our concluding laws of godly conduct that guide our moral obligations to the Lord.