JESUS, THE SAME FOREVER

Passage: Hebrews 13:1-8

Key verse: 8

NIV

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.(A) 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.(C) 3 Continue to remember those in prison(D) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

4 Marriage should be honored by all,(E) and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.(F) 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money(G) and be content with what you have,(H) because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”[a](I)

6 So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[b](J)

7 Remember your leaders,(K) who spoke the word of God(L) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate(M) their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(N)

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Footnotes
  1. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
  2. Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

13 Let (A)brotherly love continue. 2 (B)Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby (C)some have entertained angels unawares. 3 (D)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 (E)Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge (F)the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life (G)free from love of money, and (H)be content with what you have, for he has said, (I)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

(J)“The Lord is my helper;
    (K)I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

7 Remember (L)your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and (M)imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is (N)the same yesterday and today and forever.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Keep on loving each other (1-6)

Human love grows cold when it is not reciprocated, but Jesus' love is forever. He commands us to keep on loving each other--and he helps us to do so. We must welcome strangers and feel pain with those who suffer. Marriage commitments must be honored by all. If Jesus is in our hearts we can be faithful. We can overcome the two great temptations that Satan uses to make us his slaves--money and sex. We can be content.

2. Jesus is the same (7-8)

The men and women who have overcome the world and lived by faith are an encouragement to us. But the greatest encouragement is Jesus, who is the same forever. The Jesus of the Gospels who was patient and compassionate, who taught God's word with authority, who called and trained his disciples is the same Jesus who is our Good Shepherd. His promises and commands are for us. He was with us in the past, he is with us now, and he will be with us forever. He is faithful, so we must be faithful.

Prayer: Lord, help me to keep on loving others, for your love for me never changes.

One Word: Jesus is the same forever