Hebrews 12:14-29

Hebrews 12:14-29 … Recall that we’re in the midst of a call to action for believers, who hold in trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Individually and collectively (the believer and the Church), we’re called to (v.15) “See to it that no one misses the grace of God.” That’s quite a calling! How far we fall short of that charge! But there’s more (still in v.15): “See to it … that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” That seems like a call to work diligently to avoid bitterness and strife, not allowing those things to dissipate our energies in service to Christ.

Following that charge, we’re introduced to a contrast that would be especially meaningful to Jews, the contrast between Mount Sinai, where the Law was given to Moses, and Mount Zion, representing the New Jerusalem of heaven. The Jews who had been redeemed from Egypt were scared to death of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16). But the heavenly Mount Zion is the promise of God to His family of faithful believers, perfected (made holy) by Jesus and who will reside with Him forever.

One more thing we want to gain from this passage in Hebrews and that is the warning that begins at Hebrews 12:25. We’re given tremendous spiritual resources to live lives that are honoring to God and the admonition is not to be backsliders, not to be indifferent to the gifts and graces that we receive from God. The appropriation of all His blessings for us and the empowerment of God’s Holy Spirit within us ought to keep us excited about the possibilities to make a difference for Christ in our world. The Holy Spirit added a footnote that we must not ignore in Hebrews 12:28-29, to … “worship God acceptably with reverence and awe [recall, that’s what we call the fear of God] ‘for our God is a consuming fire.’”