“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.” (Hebrews 6:9)

Hebrews is packed with warnings against falling away and returning to old habits of sin and unfaithfulness.

However, the Hebrew writer emphasizes these warnings are not because God believes the worst in us but because He desires and is convinced of better things for us.  We should not confuse God’s warnings in the Scripture as a statement that He believes we are hopeless.  On the contrary, these warnings are reminders of His love and belief that we can grow and flourish in His kingdom.

His hard words come from a place of love and protection – something we should expect from a Father who loves us.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12)

Though there is a sense in which only a few possess the talents and skills of teaching (see James 3:1), there is a basic level in which all Christians must accept the responsibility to teach. After all, we cannot be “prepared to give a reason for the hope within us” (1 Pet. 3:15) unless we have gained the necessary skills to reasonably be prepared to share said hope.

Christians are in the people business, and we are in the teaching business.  Coercion, violence, or bribery cannot be induced to lead people to Jesus.  We are only left with the tools of teaching and persuasion to bring the good news to our friends and neighbors.  After all, there is no draft – the ranks of Jesus’ army are filled solely by volunteers.

It is not expected that every Christian know everything, but every Christian should know some things.  We must be prepared to answer the basic questions about the tenets of our belief in Jesus.  Why should I trust the Bible? What does the Bible teach about how one is saved? Why are we lost without Jesus? What is the church?  Why should I care?

Make no mistake, we must be able to articulate what we believe… maybe not at first, but eventually “you ought to be teachers.”

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:13)

Things can be hidden for many reasons. 

Camouflage Hidden – when we wish to remain invisible for fear we will be exposed.

Miniature Hidden – when we don’t wish to be hidden, but we are too small to be important to others.

Middle Child Hidden – when we are overlooked because others are prominent or require more attention.

Coward Hidden – when we hide from our responsibilities, evade our duties, and procrastinate in hopes that time and distance will cause them to disappear.

Regardless of which type of “hidden” we are – none are hidden from Him.  He sees you.  He knows your name.  You are visible in your quiet service, closeted pain, or your masked façade.

To Him – we are all laid bare in the noonday sun.  You decide whether or not this is a thrill or a terror to your heart.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“But encouraging one another day after day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

Today is the best day!  It is the day you have.  Yesterday is a day for historians. Tomorrow is a day for dreamers.  Today is the day for doers!  It is the day when encouragement and change happen.

When is the best time to encourage others? Today.

When is the best time to say those words that ought not to be left unsaid? Today.

When is the best time to remind each other that we are not alone? Today.

When is the best time to fight the calcifying effects of sin and start with better habits? Today.

Revel in today, for someday, there will be no more today at all.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“How will we escape if we neglect so GREAT a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3a)

We have the Bible in printed form, digital form, and indexed for searching – isn’t it GREAT?

We live in the era after Jesus died on the cross, so we know how much God loves us – isn’t it GREAT?

We have the time, health, and freedom to work for the Lord like no other generation could – isn’t it GREAT?

What will history say of the Christians of 2022?

“They were given so much, and they did so much with it!”

OR

“They were given great things, but they did so little with it!”

The choice is ours, and it’s a great one. Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“And like a mantle you will roll them up, like a garment, they will also be changed. But You are the same, and your years will not come to an end.” (Hebrews 1:12)

After a long day of toil and sweat, it’s time change your clothes.  They were good clothes, but they’ve served their purpose, and as the twilight arrives, we seek more comfortable attire.  Every day is the same: get up, get dressed, work hard, and then change our garments when the work is done.

This earth is one big garment.  Now we work, but won’t it be glorious when it’s time to change?

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him…” (Acts 28:30)

Evangelism comes in many forms.  In Paul’s case, when he couldn’t go out with the gospel, he made sure the seekers could come in.  The key word is ‘welcoming’.  Paul had an open-door policy while under house arrest in Rome, and his availability allowed him to continually reach the lost becomes those looking for answers found him to be accessible.

Which begs the question: are we available and accessible?  If someone is seeking answers, doing soul-searching, and looking for a welcoming heart to help, would they look to us?  If we are too busy for the lost, then we are not available.  If we are not interested in people and their problems, we will not be welcoming… and if we are never around the lost, we will not be accessible.

Evangelism involves being genuinely curious about the lives of others so that we make ourselves open to them and their struggles.  When our hearts and our doors are open, those who are asking, seeking, and knocking (see Matthew 7:7) might just find Christ through us.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat.” (Acts 27:35)

Next time you feel like you are in too much of a hurry to stop and pray before you eat… remember that Paul gave thanks in the middle of a shipwreck.

Perspective.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18)

One of the primary goals of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to open your eyes to the darkness.  To pretend there is no evil in the world (or at least no evil in me) is the sort of self-deception that Satan revels in.  If we do not recognize wickedness, we cannot flee from it.  Tyranny cannot be overthrown without recognition of its evil dominion.

Satan owns us as long as we give him the power to shackle us to our lusts, our selfishness, and our hunger for power and pride.  As long as we refuse to admit the problem, he happily leads us by the leash of our ignorance.  The gospel reveals the darkness in us, so it might be repelled.

When we open our eyes to our sin, we can flee from it and seek the forgiveness of the Savior.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…but they had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.” (Acts 25:19)

Acts 25:19 is one of those understated gems hidden in the New Testament.  During Paul’s trials, the conclusion the Romans came to was that Paul just had some “points of disagreement” over “religion” and whether or not Jesus was dead.  What the world sees as trivial, Christians view as monumental.

If Jesus is dead, we are the most pitiable of creatures… but if that tomb is empty, it changes everything.  If His tomb is empty, ours will be, too.

The world doesn’t get it.  It’s all religion, spiritual talk, and philosophy to them.  Don’t be discouraged – it’s all theory until we die, and then everyone cares about the empty tomb.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites