Day 854: Expressions of love - Hebrews 13 vs 1- 6

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2-3 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

4 Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5-6 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:1-6 English Standard Version

The last chapter ended with the words “let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” So Christians are called to a reverent fear of God - and to a deep gratitude that leads to worship that is acceptable to God. What does vs 1 tell us about this acceptable worship?

Our worship of God should come from hearts that have learned to put His love for us into practice. The apostle John put it well when he wrote: “If anyone says, 'I love God', and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn't love his brother whom he has seen - cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

But this love for fellow believers must go beyond just words. Note from vs 2-3 the practical ways this love can be expressed. In those days there would've been Christians arriving in town who'd been exiled from other places, as well as visiting preachers. Hospitality would've been very welcome. There will also have been Christians in prison because they followed Jesus. It would take courage to visit them as you would immediately be identifying yourself as a Christian too. But it too was love in action.

What was the next thing he urged so that their worship would be acceptable? (vs 4)

Then, as now, Christians lived in a society where divorce was not difficult. While adultery may have been less common among the Jews than the gentiles, the writer's words suggest it may have been widespread even in those times. We certainly live in days when promiscuity is rife. Sex outside of marriage, and adultery afterwards, are found even among those who profess to be Christians. People who treat the writers words lightly need to remember that he also said “our God is a consuming fire.” Christians who treat pornography lightly need to keep that in mind!

What else does he say about the life we need to live if our worship is to be acceptable? (vs 5-6)

We are not to make wealth our goal in life. And we must not even fool ourselves by saying that our desire to be rich is just so we can look after our family. Yes, caring for our family is important. But our families, like ourselves, also need to learn the lesson of contentment. He reminds them of words God spoke to a man named Joshua when God was calling him to care for the whole nation, not just his own family. God said to Joshua: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:5)

So worship is not a religious duty we do on Sundays. It is meant to be an expression of our love for God and our deep gratitude for saving us from sin and from hell. We ought to be grateful too for the countless other things He has done for us. Psalm 103 has much to say about this. And our worship ought to flow from hearts that are seeking to put God's love into action by acts of kindness, as well as lives that reject the lure of illicit sex and love of money. Our journey through this world's trials and temptations should be walked in the knowledge that “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”