Hebrews by Dennis McCallum (2007)

An unknown author writes this letter to Jewish Christians to explain the significance of Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself through prophecy and various ways, but in the New Testament He has been revealed through Jesus, who is the incarnation of God in human form who went to take on the penalty of humanity's sin. The superiority of Jesus gives the basis for living according to the New Testament principles as opposed to the Old Covenant prior to the cross. Continuing to live by the Old Testament is a failure to recognize the importance of Jesus' sacrifice.

Tempted to go back to the Old Testament rather than New Testament Christianity, the author of Hebrews warns of the danger of saying no to God by not following radical grace. Common barriers to living under radical grace include the fear of persecution, losing the "security" of the Law, and having to admit our need to trust in God over self. The more we distrust God, the easier that rationale becomes, so we need to ask God for a sensitivity to His leading in our life.

The author of Hebrews describes entering God's rest. God's rest is communicated through His radical grace, to recognize the sufficiency of Christ to accomplish what we could not. To the original audience, this rest included a step of faith, total dedication, and a lack of confidence in self. Today, it means that we trust God will come through, giving up on "works". This kind of relationship with God is genuine and is rooted in the confident assurance to approach God based on His grace, not by our works.

The aftermath of a hardened heart towards God is spiritual dullness. As a result, Christians in this state are not accustomed to understanding the depths of God's Word, leaving them incapable of real spiritual discernment or the ability to live out God's truth in their lives. Not being deeply rooted in God's Word is a sign of spiritual immaturity and should be a warning sign to being unresponsive to God. Those who wish to grow radically with God should orient their lives around His revealed truth.

The Old Testament rituals within the sanctuary were regulated for the people to be able to worship God. All of the elements of Old Testament ritual represented the distinctiveness between God and fallen humans, and our utter rejection of His Law, provision and authority. The Old Testament rituals were a form of teaching to symbolize what Christ would ultimately fulfill. Now, these rituals are obsolete because of Jesus, giving Christians bold access to worship God under radical grace.

The author of Hebrews addresses the issue of priesthood, showing through Old Testament prophecy that Jesus Christ is the ultimate high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Through his argument, three implications of Jesus being a high priest are seen: 1) all priesthood is worthless because of Jesus' work; 2) Christians are no longer under law; and 3) Jesus can rescue people forever. This is a detailed argument seen through fulfilled prophecy spanning hundreds of years, all directly pointing to the finished work of Christ.

The author of Hebrews argues the sufficiency of Jesus' work on the cross. Four implications of Christ's finished work include: 1) the Old Testament forms are obsolete; 2) no further need for forgiveness; 3) no works based on guilt feelings; and 4) bold access to God. Thanks to what Jesus did, Christians can live in close communion with God and express gratitude through praise and meditating on His Word and how that affects our lives.

After thoroughly explaining how the cross was more than sufficient, the author now moves on in his argument to results of the cross. These results benefit humanity immensely. People can now: 1) come to God in prayer with confidence, 2) have assurance of the future, 3) think of others before themselves, 4) fellowship with one another, and 5) give and receive encouragement.

Biblical faith is not wishful, forceful, or emotional thinking, but is rooted in a confident assurance of the object of our faith, in this case Jesus Christ. Biblical faith is convinced of the unseen reality that God exists, is good, and is worth trusting to the point of personal action. Faith is the basis for a personal relationship with Christ, and is God's ideal for how we follow Him, as it cultivates dependence and trust in Him over self.

Biblical faith is founded on the assurance that God finely-tuned the universe at His command. Walking by faith includes remembering God's desire for the heart rather than outward works, as evidenced by the story of Cain and Abel. This account reveals Abel's humble dependence contrasted with Cain's works mentality before God. Developing a humble trust and responsiveness to God's calling is essential in the life of faith.

Abraham's live was exemplified in his faith in God. It was first seen as he left his secure home in Ur, and then deepened as he was forced to wait for God to fulfill His promise even while he was very old in age. It was epitomized as he was willing to trust God and sacrifice his son, Isaac. In each instance, God allowed Abraham to wait on Him, in order to cultivate a deeper trust and dependence on God to fulfill what He promised. The same pattern can be helpful for Christians today as they try and deepen their faith.

Since we have bold confidence and access to God and have Jesus as our high priest, we are freed to approach God sincerely, freed from a guilty conscience. We can also experience stability from God's grace as we anticipate our future inheritance with Christ. In the meantime, God calls us to play an active and loving role in others' lives, compromised of close fellowship and encouragement. These are commands that God has for our lives, which we should seriously consider.

The lives of Joseph and Moses reflect lessons for those eager to serve God. The life of Joseph was one of intense suffering while simultaneously trusting that God would ultimately provide for him, despite being imprisoned, sold into slavery by his family members, and being forgotten. During Moses' life, he gave up privilege to serve alongside God's people despite not immediately seeing success. Both Joseph and Moses had to encounter immense times of waiting on God, something that helps cultivate trust and dependence on Him to come through.

As we begin to follow God, He desires to deepen our faith and trust in Him. As we choose to believe His Word, we also receive inner revelation and ultimately an experience that allows us to deepen our trust as we live out of His Word. An active faith that is based on God's Word and backed up by action produces a more tested faith, enabling us to live more Christ-centered lives as we pursue Jesus.

The story of Esau's choice to sell his birthright for a bowl of soup shows the power of choices. Esau forfeited being immediately in the center of God's plan for a temporary and physical fix, as opposed to looking forward to the future, eternal, and spiritual reward that God had promised him. God's will for our lives is greater than any other thing we might think will satisfy, and even when we make irreversible mistakes, God in His grace is able to redeem those decisions as well. This teaching includes a personal testimony of a woman who reflects on how God redeemed a irreversible decision in her life.

A crucial attitude for Christians is a deep, sacrificial love towards both fellow Christians and non-Christians. This type of love is best practiced and grown within close interpersonal relationships through Christian community. A growing love within Christian community towards one another and the lost has a profound effect on experiencing and giving out God's love to a radical degree. A lack of this leads to superficial churches that aren't reflecting who God is.

Christians should remember those who are ill-treated and are undergoing suffering, as they are all a part of the body of Christ. Christians are instructed to honor marriage that is within God's design - a heterosexual, monogamous relationship. This type of relationship is increasingly rare in our society, but glorifies God and should stand distinct in our world. Those who are non-married should develop skills to be effective in marriage, and those within marriage should have a high priority on creating a God-honoring marriage.

Developing God's perspective on money is of utmost importance to Christians. God desires to free us from anxiety and fear that comes from the love of money, and instead teach us how to draw contentment and security from what He's provided. As God provides more freedom and contentment in this area, Christians are freed up to focus more on His will for our lives, be excited for His purposes, and enter into deep relationships with others. Developing a stewardship mentality over an ownership mentality concerning God's money is crucial for Christians wanting see freedom in this area.

Spiritual leadership is established by God within the Body of Christ. Christians should obey their spiritual leaders who serve as examples of sacrificial love for God's church and learn how to develop a servant leadership lifestyle. As we learn to follow and trust God, encounter suffering, and develop strong relationships, God can grow our ability to lay down our lives for others, as we try to emulate Christ - the perfect example of servant leadership.

One goal of effective Christian living is to represent balanced biblical truth. We are able to accomplish this as we teach what the Bible teaches and emphasize what the Bible emphasizes. Perhaps the most emphasized teaching within scripture concerns God's grace; His unmerited mercy towards us at Christ's expense. Christians who are strong in the grace of God are able to reflect His truth in a real way that separates itself from false and strange doctrines.

In order to be associated with Christ, Christians must reject the temptation to conform to what the world says is appealing. Instead, we should focus on what God says is important, and actively worship Him by praising Him, ministering to others and sharing with others. This form of worship is pleasing to God, and allows us to stand out in an increasingly conforming world. Christians who do not conform to the world around them are characterized by their thankfulness and how God is at the center of their lives.