Hebrews 12:25-27 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” den...

Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than th...

Hebrews 12:18-19, 22 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 22 But you have come to Mount Zion…       The Hebrews author contrasts two literal mountains in 12:18-22: Sinai in...

Hebrews 12:18-21 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” 21 And so terrible ...

Hebrews 12:15-17 …that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears.           Hebrews 12:15 teaches that it is the responsibility of all Christians to look out for each other and moni...

Hebrews 12:15a-16 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God 16 …that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.           Recall that “see to it” (Gr. episkopeō) in v. 15 is a present active participle that modifies the main verb in v. 14 which is “pursue peace with all.” So, while a Christian is pursuing peace with all, they are dai...

Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.            The imperative verb “pursue” (Gr. diōkō) in v. 14 is, first, a command for Christians to chase after “peace with all men.” Also, as a present...

Hebrews 12:12-13 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.The image of the race comes back into view in vv. 12-13, and the author urges believers to persevere when fatigued. Marathoners say the first thing that tends to tire are the arms tha...

Hebrews 12:9-11 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have be...

Hebrews 12:6 …those whom the Lord loves He disciplines. Throughout Scripture there are examples of people suffering and of God’s people being disciplined—in the case of His faithful people, discipline being a mark of His love, not His wrath. Notably in Hebrews 12:5-6, the author quotes King Solomon who wrote, “My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lor...

Hebrews 12:5-8 Have you forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons?  “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not di...

Hebrews 12:3-4 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. The author of Hebrews is admonishing his audience to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (12:1)—the “race” (Gr. agon) being the Christian life itself, at ti...

Ephesians 4:20b-24 …just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.           Having heard the gospel ...

Romans 13:11-12 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.            In view of the Christian’s command to love his neighbor as the fruit of his salvation (not the root o...

Hebrews 12:3-4 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;.           The author exhorts all in v. 3 to “consider” (Gr. analogizomai)—analyze, a Greek term that means “to think about with effort and precision.” In this case, we are...