Seek strength and life from Jesus, not from things on earth

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. Today’s verse is obviously connected to the previous declaration that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are encouraged by the contrast, albeit a bit mysterious. Whereas the teaching of Jesus is always constant and dependable, there was an apparent danger lurking in the world system, of which he warned them throughout the letter. It is no different today in principle, although the specifics may vary. He warned them not to be influenced by, swept away by, or misled by teachings that were diverse and foreign to the teaching of Christ. If his readers confessed with the faithful saints of old that they were strangers and exiles on the earth, then they should be leery of foreign teachings, teachings that were new, novel, or different from that of Christ. This warning is very needed today with the so-called progressive Christians advancing varied and strange teachings to the historical faith anchored in the unchangeable Christ and His kingdom. We hear of ex-vangelicals, the deconstruction of faith, the new age, and those who have woken up to the progressive ideas of God, the Bible, mankind, and the spirit of the Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Stay on course, living to love with Jesus, drawing from His life, and anchored in His unshakable kingdom of love. As for the contrast between being strengthened by grace or by foods, I’m going to take a guess based on the context of the letter. I wonder if the author didn’t have in mind two generations with which God was so angry and swore that they would not enter His rest. They had good news preached to them, but the word they heard was not united with faith, and therefore there was no benefit to them. What was that generation so concerned about? Food! They provoked God in the wilderness by demanding food. They wanted to return to Egypt, for they said, “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5). That generation, which failed to enter God’s rest, did so because they were so occupied with the food they didn’t have. As a result, the good news of God’s promised rest was missed. I wonder if he also had in mind the Jews who failed to enter God’s rest because they couldn’t let go of the first, old covenant, which was the source of provision of food for the priests. To believe in Jesus, they would have to abandon the source of their daily food supply, which came from the altar sacrifices. He addresses the contrast of altars in the next verse. Since he had contrasted Jesus as the giver of the new covenant and the priesthood of the old covenant in this letter, this also seems feasible. The main point here is the contrast between the unbelieving who seek strength and life in the physical world versus those who are of faith and seek strength and life from the spiritual world in Christ. Let’s continue today seeking our life from Jesus, living to love with Him, and not be misled by the appeals of this foreign land in which we live that suggest there’s any lasting benefit from things or ideas originating from an earthly worldview. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.