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"Let Us" In Hebrews
"Let Us" in Hebrews
Having preached a particular lesson that I as a preacher found to be a fascinating subject, someone remarked as they were leaving: "So what." This person was a friend and their opinion was valued, so I did not take this as an insult. Rather, this was a very short way of telling me that I had failed to make any practical application of the subject. What were people suppose to do with this information? How were they to use this information?
I was intrigued to find that the writer of Hebrews would make point after point about how all things that pertain to Jesus are to be understood as 'better' than the things of the Old Covenant. Scattered throughout such points were his 'so what' statements, his 'application' of the subject. He repeatedly used a phrase to make these applications by beginning them with "let us…". Here are his applications:
Hebrews 4:1 - "Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it."
Hebrews 4:11 - "Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."
Hebrews 4:14 - "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."
Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 6:1 - "Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,"
Hebrews 10:22 - "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10:24 - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,"
Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Hebrews 12:28 - "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,"
Hebrews 13:13 - "Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured."
Hebrews 13:15 - "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name."
We have a lot of applying to do. Hugh DeLong
