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Hebrews 13:16, "But to do
good and communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
This morning, our minds are drawn once again to the age-old accusation hurled
against the church of Jesus Christ and her saints. To many, the old church
preaches a "do-nothing" religion, when, in fact, ours is the only real
"do-something" religion that I know. Friends, my soul is pained and weary of the
attack as it is borne out of ignorance, hatred, or spite. In all my years among
the Lord's people in His house, I have never heard one single do-nothing sermon,
and I hope by God's grace to never hear such a message. Some have said that
"preaching grace, grace, grace is the water that douses the flame of zeal."
Grace, when preached according to Scripture, is the actual fire of the flame of
zeal that makes our engine run. The reason that our works are important is not
to bring us to a certain place, but rather, they show forth that we have already
been brought to a certain place. Even more importantly, good works with the
proper motivation bring
out the most important thing this world can ever experience: the glory of God
Almighty. (Matthew 5:17)
The language of the Apostle Paul in the close of the Hebrew letter is a sharp,
pointed exhortation for us to bear the reproach of Christ in our lives. After
spending many chapters showing in great detail what He did in our room and
stead, Paul shifts focus to how our faith (as a result of His work) should be
utilized. Showing us example after example of witnesses of faith, we have the
encouragement to show forth the same exercise of good works, borne of faith,
that they did. As their walk was that of pilgrimage, ours should be as well. As
they endured a great fight of afflictions, so should we. As they anticipated and
looked forward to the resurrection, may our earnest desire be that manifestation
and end of the things of this world. Finally, may we endure chastening (as they
did) looking unto Jesus in our race of life. After this shift in the 10th, 11th,
and 12th chapters, Paul zeros in on the point of the works of our lives.
Christ's reproach was borne for us, and His reproach should be borne by us. As
He has suffered for us, so should we suffer for Him, knowing all the while that
His work and load is far greater in magnitude than ours is to bear. The point is
that the offerings of our lips and the thanks of our heart to His name is
well-pleasing to Him. Consider for a moment the exact verbiage of the apostle
here. This communication of thanks unto His name and this doing of good is
something in which He is "well pleased." It would be a grand theme to consider
that God is simply pleased with us, but consider the use of the adverb to say
"well pleased." Where else in Scripture is this expression found? How willingly
does God use this in His revelation to us?
The most manifest example of this expression, "well pleased," is found in the
life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Coming up from the baptismal waters
of the Jordan River, the voice of the Father from heaven declared that He was
well pleased with His Son. Upon the mount of transfiguration, the voice again
said that He was well pleased with His Son. The Son always did the things that
pleased His Father, and the Father on different occasions audibly declared it -
for our benefit and information. Jesus did not need the voice to prove the
pleasure of the Lord. By His knowledge and person, the Saviour knew the pleasure
of the Lord prospered in His hand just as He knew the surety of the salvation of
His people, the satisfaction of His work, and the prolonging of our days.
(Isaiah 53:10-11)
So, the Lord uses the term "well pleased" to speak of His Son. How could our
actions merit similar commendation from heaven? How would our own efforts bring
such a pleasing aroma to the heavenly portal? The answer is found in the type of
action. What does it mean to truly give thanks unto His name? The previous verse
says that this is the communication that we are to give Him. If we are truly
thankful to His name, we claim no credit or desert from His work. To think that
Christ owed us, owes us, or yet owes us anything is not the thanksgiving of our
heart. What we deserve, according to nature, is hell and separation from Him
forever. What we deserve, according to His grace, is what He has (joint-heirship).
But, thanks is given for what has been done, not in order to gain something yet
unattained. Paul considered himself striving and following after that which he
had already apprehended through the merits of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12)
Paul knew that his works were not in order to gain Christ's grace, but because
he had already been given the free gift of Christ's grace.
Thanks is given for what is done; it is not given to get something. Therefore,
people out "helping populate heaven for Christ" cannot reasonably encourage them
to thank Christ for His work as they still have to do something to gain His
work. The other thing we are to do is that which is good, which the previous
verse declares as offering the sacrifice of praise to God continually with our
lips. These calves of our lips that we offer should be exercised when things are
going well and not going well. Even if we have everything stripped from us here,
He still deserves our praise. Since our God has done more for us than we could
ever repay, there need not be a time when His praise is absent from our lips.
There should never be a moment that our prayers to Him not be continually upon
our heart.
Now that we have looked at what we are to do and communicate, how exactly,
again, does this merit the same commendation as Christ? Since we can only do
these things through Christ which strengtheneth us (Philippians 4:13), what do
these actions bring forth? When we let our light so shine, what is the face of
that light? As we are to work out what God has worked in us, what exactly does
that look like? There is an expression found at the close of Acts 6 that tells
us what Stephen looked like in the face of his accusers. While being up against
some of the wicked men of this world, his face looked, even to them, like the
face of an angel. In the face of the greatest trials and tribulations of life,
his visage had not become drawn down in a moment of "poor pitiful me." The
apostles that were beaten, imprisoned, reproached, and some eventually martyred
for the cause of Christ joyed in the fact that they were counted worthy to
suffer these things for
His name's sake.
To see the offering of thanks unto His name for what He has already done for us
and do good out of love for His love already sealed and verified to us, we bear
the visage of Christ in our actions. When looking at our steps, one should see
the steps of the Master. When looking at our course of life, one should see a
pattern begun in Him. As our children watch our conduct, they should see the
pages of Scripture coming up and walking before them in our actions. In good
times, thanks and praise should be seen. In bad times, thanks and praise should
be seen. This is the true import of grace in our lives. Grace, through the work
of Christ Jesus without the camp, is not some battle cry to "sit on the stool of
do-nothing and whittle on the stick of do-less." Rather, the love He showed
forth is the real motivation for His suffering, death, and resurrection to be
magnified in our bodies. The commendation (well pleased) is the same as the
actions and
their underlying motivation should be the same. God is well pleased with us,
because we are putting on Christ (manifestly) in our lives. By doing so, we
always understand that the glory abides with Him, for He is not well pleased for
us to do these things, seeking to take the glory He does not share with another.
May we be found so doing, so that others will glorify God and seek to know more
about the cause of Christ.
In Hope,
Bro Philip |