We are continuing on in our exposition of the book of Hebrews. We are in chapter 13. We're getting close to the conclusion. And today our text is verses 9 and 10. In which we see the danger of departing from the gospel of grace.
to embrace a false gospel of human merit. Verse 9 says, Do not be carried away with various and strange doctrines For it is good that the heart be established by grace. not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar. from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right To eat.
Chapter 13, as you know, is a series of exhortations, many practical ones. about brotherly love. About Hospitality. about marriage, about a number of things. But this one contains a strong warning against.
departing from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. which is evidently a persistent danger even among those who named the name of Christ. being carried away by false doctrines. This warning is frequently found in the pages of the New Testament. This warning has been previously found throughout the book of Hebrews, and I just read.
one earlier portion that deals with this. that ties into the portion that we are looking at today. Apparently, being enticed by false doctrine is not An unusual thing, even for the people of God. And so the warning is given to us throughout the book of Hebrews, and even in this concluding chapter, the author of Hebrews brings it up once again. It is a repeated warning, but in some ways it is a new warning.
That is, There are certain aspects of the way the warning is given to us here. that give us a different perspective than the ones we have seen previously. And so in examining these two verses, I want us to see these four things. First, a warning. Secondly, a reminder.
Third, a declaration, and finally, a contrast. The text begins with a warning. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. Do not be carried away. with various and strange Doctrines.
A warning. The warning that first of all let's consider in its context And it's just been a couple of verses before. That they Hebrews, to which this epistle is written, We were reminded about the teaching of their pastors, those who are now with the Lord. But who had faithfully spoken to them the word of God, and they were reminded to remember. what they said and how they lived.
Remember verse 7. Remember those who rule over you. or who have had ruled over you. who have spoken the word of God to you. whose faith follow.
considering the outcome of their conduct. Don't depart from what they taught you. They taught you right. Don't depart from the faith which they declared to you, And they have sealed their commitment to Christ by dying, still believing in Jesus, and now They are in the presence of the Lord.
So remember the doctrine of your beloved teachers. And verse 8, remember. the immutability of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whatever the doctrine of Christ was yesterday, it's the same today.
It has not changed. Therefore, you must not change. in your understanding. of the truth as it is found in Christ Jesus. In fact, Remembering the purpose of this epistle, which is written to Hebrew Christians, some of whom apparently.
were being enticed back to the old covenant. Embracing the new covenant has brought you persecution, it's brought you pain, it's brought you separation from your family and loved ones of the Jewish faith who have not embraced Jesus as the Messiah. Why are you putting up with all of this difficulty? All you have to do is go back. to the old covenant.
and worship as you did before. And you'll be fine. Oh no. Christ has come. A new covenant has been inaugurated.
The new covenant has been inaugurated. The old covenant has now vanished away. If you go back to that, there's no salvation in that. Do not be carried away. with various and strange doctrines.
There is evidently a possibility of professing believers being carried Away. away from sound doctrine. And in some cases, even away from salvation, depending on what particular doctrines they are swept away with. Any doctrine that has to do with the person or work of Christ. If that is abandoned, then you have no hope of heaven.
Other doctrines are not quite that serious. But doctrines that have to do with the person and work of Christ. If you alter those, there is no salvation in whatever you have now. embraced. That's a warning.
And this warning apparently is enticing. Consider the enticements. They are described here as various and strange doctrines. Various or varied teachings. Many different kinds.
And this is what causes us to believe that the Hebrew Christians to whom this epistle is written We were not only being pressured to return to the old covenant, but apparently there were some other doctrines that were floating around that they were giving some consideration to. Varied doctrines. Various kinds. In addition to The doctrines of the old covenant that you left behind when you embraced Jesus, but.
Now you are being enticed to return to them again, but there are other things that you're giving attention to and saying, maybe there's some truth there, maybe there's some benefit there. Watch out for these. various doctrines. There are so many false doctrines. There's only one true gospel.
But there is a variety of false teachings to meet every weakness in the human soul. How many, if we use the word religion, how many true religions are there? One. One. The grace of God that's found in the person and work of Jesus Christ, which is received by Faith alone.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That's the one true. Religion, if you want to use that word, and I do use it occasionally. How many false religions are there? Who can tell?
Who can count them? There are so many. And they are so varied. And if one doesn't appeal to you, another one might. And our adversary, the deceiver, the chief deceiver, The greatest deceiver of all knows that.
And so if you're not Impressed with this one, then maybe you'll listen to this one. If you don't pay attention to this one, then maybe this one will be appealing to you. There are lots of false religions, lots of false doctrines, lots of false ways that promise. A right relationship with God. But there's only one.
That is true. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And so Heed this warning. Do not be carried away. with various and strange doctrines.
But there's secondly a reminder. And the reminder is as follows. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, Not with foods. It is good that the heart be established by grace. Not with foods.
Now, if the writer of Hebrews were writing directly to us, and he is writing indirectly to us, of course. The Holy Spirit having Guided him, and the Holy Spirit having included the book of Hebrews in our scriptures. But if he had been writing directly to us, he might have used some other reference to an enticing false doctrine. There probably aren't too many of you that are. That are enticed by some doctrine that has to do with dietary regulations and foods.
Some of you may. But most of you probably not. But of course that was A big part of the Old Covenant, wasn't it? He's writing to Jewish Christians who have left the Old Covenant behind. And one of the things that they were most concerned about was eating the right foods and rejecting the wrong foods.
Clean and unclean foods. That was such a big part. of the Jewish religion. And so the writer says, it is good. that the heart be established By grace Not with foods.
Foods.
Some false teaching enticing the Hebrew Christians that relates to foods. evidently a return to the old covenant dietary regulations. Be sure you don't eat any unclean foods. Which restrictions, you recall? were removed with the inauguration of the new covenant.
The scripture is clear about that. In fact, Jesus even announced that removal before the new covenant. was inaugurated when he inaugurated it by the shedding of his blood upon the cross. Do you remember what he said in the book of Mark, chapter 7? He spoke to the multitudes first and mentioned what then the disciples.
we're curious about and so we read in verse 17 When he had entered a house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
So he said to them, Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive? that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him. Because it does not enter his heart. But his stomach and is eliminated.
And then this phrase, Thus purifying Oh Foods. With that statement, Christ made it clear that the Old covenant regulations. Eat this, don't eat that. Be sure foods are clean, not unclean. That's...
All gone. In stating this, Christ Did away with that. Thus purifying All Foods. Ayanda? If that isn't clear enough for you, then listen to what Paul said to Timothy.
in 1 Timothy 4, 1 through 5.
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times Some will depart. From the faith. giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. forbidding to marry.
And commanding to abstain. from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Four. Every creature of God is good. and nothing is to be refused.
if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. Are there any? prohibited Foods to new covenant believers. No.
Now, that doesn't mean we're required to eat anything and everything. We have the freedom to choose what we think is best. And we have the freedom to not eat what we think may not be as healthy, but there is nothing. that is unclean in the eyes of God, there is nothing that may not be eaten by a new covenant believer. But here are the Hebrew Christians being tempted to return.
To old covenant regulations of all kinds, including those that have to do. With Foods. Clean and unclean foods. In other words, that's really I think uh A uh shorthand word. To speak of imposed regulations of any kind, contrary to sound doctrine.
Foods here represents Man-made religious regulations. And please note. I'm glad that the Holy Spirit of God Led the writer of Hebrews to do it this way, to bring up the subject of foods, because it helps with this very important point. The man-made regulations that people impose upon others may be something found in the Bible. But imposed contrary to the true teaching of Scripture.
It's been a good many years ago now, probably twenty or thirty. But I re remember a Sunday when A visitor showed up at church. actually traveling through the area. Uh And in an adult Sunday school class, I was told. He wanted to take over the floor.
And issue His teaching about certain foods that must be avoided by the people of God. And of course he had Bible for it. This is what the Bible says, going back to the old covenant. reading the regulations given by Moses. And saying, this is what God says, this is what God requires.
If, and I'm not sure exactly what he said, but let me postulate here. If you eat pork, you're sinning. The Bible says so.
Well The old covenant scriptures did say so, but the new covenant scriptures abolished that, right?
So you can't just take a verse out of anywhere, pluck it out of its context and rightfully apply it to some situation to which it does not apply because the other scriptures make that clear. We have to be students of the book, not students of one little section. or some favorite passages of the Bible. And so when Satan comes, through some some personable teacher. to entice you to add some man-made regulation.
to the requirements for salvation, that certainly is an abomination and is a false religion. or even to be pleasing to God in your life. And he can prove it from the Bible. You better study that verse very carefully in the light of the whole Bible. He may be imposing something upon you that has been abolished.
Foods.
It's good that the heart be established by grace. Not with foods.
Foods represent what man does. Grace is what God does. Don't be established by foods. Or Other regulations, man-made regulations of what is required of you, don't be established by things that man does and can do, but rather be established by grace. What God does, what God can do, that's what will establish you in the truth.
Grace alone can strengthen the soul. Not works. Not foods. or other kinds of regulations. not external ceremonies or practices.
Those exalt man. Grace exalts God. Grace exalts God and humbles man. Grace produces gratitude. Phrase.
Worship. It strengthens the soul. When you meditate upon God's grace, His amazing grace, His undeserved kindness, His kindness to you, a hell-deserving sinner. And what God has done in order to cleanse you from your sins and reconcile you to God. The more you meditate upon that, the stronger you become in the true faith.
They More grateful you become to God, the more humble you become before God. But when you're Basing your religious acceptance before God. on your keeping certain rules, that tends to make you proud. I'm doing it. He's not.
Look at me. Let your heart be strengthened by grace. Not. with foods or other man-made regulations. That's a reminder.
We come thirdly to a declaration in the last part of verse 9. Which, talking about these foods or man-made regulations, it says, which have not. profited those who have been occupied with them. Here's the declaration. Those things didn't do them any good.
Therefore, they won't do you any good either. Who's he talking about? They have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Well, he's certainly talking about those Hebrews who have not embraced Christ, who are continuing to endeavor to worship God according to the old covenant. pattern, the old covenant requirements. They certainly are in view. Unbelieving Hebrews, that is unbelieving in Jesus. Who are practicing old covenant Judaism, it's not doing them any good.
Christ has come, the Messiah has come, you've got to embrace Him, or you have no way. of having a right standing with God. Those who are trying to be reconciled to God through the abolished old covenant, are certainly missing the boat. These things have not profited those who have been occupied with them. But there is even an application to those in the Old Testament days of Moses and following.
As we read in Hebrews chapter 10 if you were paying attention carefully. And tells us that those things really had no And you have to listen to my words carefully here to understand what I'm saying. No direct spiritual benefit. for the Old Testament saints.
Now you'll see why I put it that way in a moment. Those Old Testament regulations such as dietary laws were commanded by God, and for them they were required. to keep them in order to obey God. They were commanded. They were demanding.
There were 614 Regulations under the Mosaic law. And it should be obvious, though it didn't seem to be obvious to blinded souls sometimes, but it should be obvious. Nobody can keep all those perfectly. Nobody did. Nobody can.
They were demanding. They were symbolic. They all pointed to something else. They pointed forward to the coming of Christ and the new covenant. They were instructive.
They showed the impossibility of being right with God by human merit because there's too much, there's too many. I can't even remember them all, much less keep them all. Right.
So what does that tell you? I'm a sinner. I I Cap Keep the law of God. I can't please God by my endeavors. I have no hope of salvation.
Oh, yes, you do, because God has promised. that he will send one a messiah who will keep the law perfectly. On behalf, in behalf of anyone who trusts in him. These Old Testament regulations were instructive. They showed the impossibility.
of salvation by works. But they themselves did not save or sanctify. They pointed to the one, the only one, who can save and sanctify. The very language that we read about in Hebrews chapter 10, if you were listening carefully.
So this is an important declaration. These things have not profited those who have been occupied with them. These things pointed to Christ for those who had eyes to see it. Christ who alone saves and sanctifies. They benefited simply by showing the need for Christ.
Who is the true benefit, the one who can truly benefit? people who trust in him. Old covenant salvation, when we're actually talking about how Old Testament saints were saved. Old covenant salvation was by Grace Through faith not by legal regulation. How was Abraham saved the same way you are?
By faith, Abraham, the Bible tells us, believed God, that is the promises of God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. How were any Old Testament saints who we will meet in heaven saved? By God's grace and by exercising faith in the promises of God. There's probably a great deal that they didn't understand that we do because so much more has been revealed to us now. But this much they knew.
God is a merciful God, and God has made promises of salvation. And I know I can't save myself, but I cast myself upon His mercy, and I believe that He has cleansed me. Read the Psalms of David, and that's so very, very clear. That brings us number four to a contrast. In verse 10.
We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. A big contrast here between Old covenant Ceremonies. And New covenant. worship. contrast between old covenant worship and new covenant worship.
pictured here in terms of altars. The contrast between old covenant altars and A new covenant altar, and this is important. What can we say about old covenant altars?
Well, they were physical altars. They were real material things. Starting out, they were altars of stone that Abraham constructed and worshipped upon and others worshipped upon. And they were and later constructed out of bronze, the bronze, the brazen altar. in the tabernacle and in the temple.
Physical altars that had a physical location. In the beginning, before the tabernacle and later the temple was established. It might be a particular Town, Bethel, or someplace else, where an altar would be constructed. And in that place, people would go to sacrifice upon this physical altar and worship God. And then later the tabernacle was constructed and there was this one place.
The tabernacle moved from place to place, but wherever the tabernacle was set up, there at that altar, that brazen altar, in the courtyard of the tabernacle, that was the place where people came to worship God. And then, of course, the temple that was fixed and not moving. In Jerusalem, that the altar there was the altar upon which animal sacrifices were made and where Old covenant believers worshipped God. And so Old Covenant altars were physical altars. They were found in a physical location and they involved participatory rituals.
The worshipper brought his animal. And the animal was slain. And the blood was spattered against the altar. And the animal, and this part is not always understood fully, but the animal, in most cases, was partially burned upon the altar. But some of it was reserved as food for the priests to eat of, the reference we find here in Hebrews 13.10.
And in the case of some Well some sacrifices and you You have to make a pretty detailed study of all the different sacrifices to get which ones are which. But some of the sacrifices were not only food for the priests, but also provided food for the worshipers who brought the animals. They feasted. of these.
So there was The shedding of the blood, the applying of the blood, The partial burning of the animal The eating of the priest and his family, and in many cases, the eating of the worshippers and his family. His family. all involved. In the old covenant Alter. One exception to what I have described, and that was the sacrifice made on the day of atonement which will get into in subsequent verses, probably by next Sunday.
But the one sacrifice that was made on the Day of Atonement was entirely burned. The part that wasn't consumed on the fires of the altar was taken outside the camp and burned out there. And nobody, neither the priests nor the worshipers, ate any part of it.
So, in this text today, in verse 10, we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. It's not clear, there's a contrast here, but it's not clear precisely what that contrast is. Is it a reference to The eating that the old covenant worshipers did of the animal sacrifices they brought. They had a right to eat of that food, but they don't have any right to eat of the altar. That we have a right to eat from, or is it the contrast between the altar on the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement?
which is the one that most clearly points to Christ. And as it's saying, Nobody in the old covenant had the right to eat. Neither priest nor worshiper, not even the high priest, could eat from that. sacrifice from that altar But New covenant worshipers can eat from The New Covenant altar.
Well, in what way? And so we have to consider new covenant altars along with old covenant altars. And when it comes to the new covenant altar, there's only one True. and what I will call spiritual Alter. Because it has not to do with a stone or bronze altar.
It has not to do with a particular location except in history, in retrospect. It has Not to do. with something that is burned upon the altar. It is something entirely different. No.
Physical Location is an altar to New Covenant believers today. No, Physical participation. in this altar. of which the writer of Hebrews speaks. It's not a matter.
Of participating in the ritual of burning the animals on the altar. It is something that is inward, it is spiritual, it is of the heart, it is. has to do with our believing something. No physical participation. The New Testament altar, I think we must say, is the truth.
of Christ's sacrifice upon the cross. Yeah. That's the altar. And it was an historical event. It took place more than 2,000 years ago.
Christ really did. die upon that cross. That new covenant altar, he really did shed his blood. upon that new covenant altar. But there's nothing left.
There's no place to go. Even if you go to the so-called Holy Land today. which I'd highly recommend if you have opportunity to do that. I have had the privilege of going, and who knows, I may go again sometime. It was a wonderful time.
But do you know, nobody even knows for sure where the cross was located? They think it was here, it might be there, it could be here. But it really doesn't matter, does it? Because we don't need to know where. The New Testament, the New Covenant altar, is not a particular location, is it?
The New Testament altar is where the heart by faith rests itself upon. The sacrifice that Christ made upon the cross 2,000 years ago, and that's our altar. The truth of Christ's sacrifice upon the cross? Faith in this truth, which nourishes the soul, which saves, which sanctifies. And of which we read in verse 10, Those who are serving the tabernacle, again, using that word for the whole old covenant system.
whether during the days of the tabernacle or the temple or even before that. But for those who are serving the tabernacle, are debarred from eating of Christ. We, in the words of the text, Eight. of Christ When we believe on Christ, that is spiritual food. that saves us.
that gives us life, that nourishes our soul. It's a spiritual matter. It's my faith resting upon Him and what He has done. Those who serve the tabernacle, who are still clinging to that old covenant worship. are debarred.
From worshiping on the new covenant altar. They are debarred from benefiting from the new covenant altar, which brings me now to several lessons that I will try to cover before we close. Number one, Some lessons regarding altars. The Old Covenant had altars, clearly. The new covenant has no physical altar, also clearly from our text.
The New Covenant has a spiritual altar. of doctrinal truth which the soul believes. or refuses to believe. The new covenant has no physical altar. The communion table.
is not A new covenant altar. It is not, it is not, it is not. Because the new covenant has only one altar. It's a spiritual altar. of Christ on the cross 2,000 years ago.
It is not. the communion table. as will be taught or at least implied in some Churches today, that is wrong. The New Covenant Altar is not, maybe this is more applicable to more of us today. is not the platform at the front of the church auditorium.
What in the world is an altar call? New covenant believers have no altar except Christ who died on the cross 2,000 years ago. How did we get this idea? that there is an altar in the church. I was accused by Yeah.
A fellow Baptist pastor. In this town, who's now with the Lord and knows better now. Dear man, I loved him. But he scolded me in front of his people and said, Why, at that church, at Beacon Baptist Church, they have taken the altar out of the church. Same, same, same.
To which I could reply. That church over there has put an altar in their church, the New Testament says they have no right to do. Which is worse. Removing one that shouldn't have been there in the first place. or insisting on having one.
But the New Testament says... is no such thing. What is our altar? We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. And it's not the communion table, and it's not the platform at the front of the church.
It is the cross of Christ. That's the New Testament word. Alter. But When I say the cross of Christ is not the physical wood, there are some places in the world today that will tell you they've got on display a. Piece of old wood, and they'll say, That is a piece of the cross upon which Jesus died.
And ah, in reverence we bow and worship before that piece of wood. Nonsense. Nonsense. It is a cross of Christ, but it's not the physical wood. It's the reality of what transpired in history 2,000 years ago.
We learn about this through the gospel when it is proclaimed, and we partake of it through faith. That's our lesson regarding altars. Number two. A lesson regarding religions. I used that term earlier.
I returned to it again. Yeah. There are many false religions. There's only one true religion. That is one way that sinners are reconciled with the Holy God, and that is through faith in the substitutionary death of Christ.
to benefit From this Sacrifice. One must, we are told, Forsake every false way of salvation, right? We have an altar. from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. I have been told that on some mission fields there are missionaries.
who have told people who have been worshiping idols Well, you don't really have to forsake all of those. That's kind of cultural. You can still have your idol. Shelf gods in your house. And you can certainly do reverence to them as long as you believe in Jesus.
That's not What? This Text says. It says the opposite. There's no faith in Christ. If you are continuing to embrace Idols and the false worship that they represent, you can't have both.
No man can serve two masters. No man can have faith in the finished work of Christ and truly be depending upon that for his soul salvation and still be worshiping the household idols, the ancestral idols, the cultural idols that his community all venerates. Or in the United States, A person has no faith in Christ. If they remain involved, in a false works-based religion. You can't I've got to be very specific here.
You can't be You can't go to heaven as a Mormon if you are believing and embracing what Mormonism teaches. about the way of salvation. Is it possible that a Mormon can come to an understanding of faith in Christ and for somehow not? Leave his Mormonism behind, I suppose. I don't know.
When we get to heaven, we'll find out about that. I suppose it may be possible. But it's certainly not Recommended, it's dangerous. Because we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle, we have an altar from those which serve man-made ways of religion. have no right to eat.
And I won't just pick on Mormonism. Jehovah's Witnesses, I could throw them in there the same. If you're Embracing the Jehovah's Witness way of salvation, you can't be saved by Christ. You can't put these things together. You've got to leave one to have the other.
Make your choice. Which way are you going? or liberalism. What's that? The social gospel.
How many churches in Alamance County today are basically teaching people the way you please God and go to heaven is to be a good neighbor and do good works and help the poor? And that's the way you're going to get to heaven. You'll split hell wide open, that's not the way to heaven. And those who serve that False religion. cannot eat.
Of the altar of Jesus Christ, or one more. Roman Catholicism. It grieves me. At how many Christians I here from today who seem to have embraced the idea that Roman Catholicism is a valid branch of Christianity. There was an article in in a recent World magazine By one of the ladies who writes there, and I should have.
jotted down her name, but I don't remember. The name right offhand, but basically, she implied that in an article: how a friend of hers who was a believer. Has gone into Roman Catholicism, and she's quite sure. that she saved. If she is, she's being very foolish.
If she is, she's being very disobedient. If she is, she's in a dangerous position because if she believes what her new church teaches, she can't be saved by Christ alone. It's a works way of salvation. Make up your mind. Make your choice.
What are you depending upon? for your soul salvation. The seven Sacraments? Or Faith In the altar upon which Christ died, the cross of Christ, and that alone. One more and I'll be done.
I've got I think three or four minutes. How about a lesson regarding growing in grace? It's good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods. Regarding growing in grace. You don't grow in grace by religious works and regulations.
Legalism will not help you grow. In grace. I'm sorry. You will only grow. Mature.
become more firmly established. through grace, that is through a growing understanding of and deeper appreciation for the grace of God in Christ alone. Meditate on the gospel. Start studying some Serious theology. That'll gets you into the grace of God in a greater way.
That'll do you good. That'll help you grow. That'll help you become Established. And the doctrines of grace will help you greatly. Do you have to believe the doctrines of grace in order to go to heaven?
No, you believe in Christ to go to heaven. But When you understand. That if you are saved, it's because God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world. You say, what? Why did He choose me?
Bingo. That'll humble you. That'll help you to grow. And right on through the doctrines of grace. It's a humbling matter.
It's a God-glorifying matter. It's a matter of worship and praise and honor to Him. I have no. I have no reason to be saved. I wouldn't have any desire to go to Christ unless the Holy Spirit had changed my heart and given me that desire.
All praise to Christ. who reigns above. in majesty supreme, That thrills my soul. That establishes me in grace, not in foods, but in Christ. and what he has done.
for hell-deserving sinners. Shall we pray? Father, Bless these truths to our souls today, we ask. In Jesus' name. I'm in.
