Hebrews 13:15-16 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (16) But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
We can readily identify the "him" in today's verse as being
Jesus. He is "the same, yesterday, today, and for ever." I
passed over a couple verses, so let us think for just a moment about them. The
writer digressed to the animal sacrifices in verse 11. He told us concerning
the shed blood of the animal sacrifices earlier and now he is telling us the
bodies of those animals were carried outside the camp to be burned following
the blood offering. He then spoke of Jesus' body being taken outside the gate
of the city. We read in verse 13, "Let us go forth unto him without
the camp, bearing his reproach." By this, he is speaking to us
concerning those daily transgressions that we commit. We can "go to
him" for forgiveness and cleansing.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
These final verses in Hebrews are reviewing all that has been spoken
throughout the book. Jesus is the same today as He was yesterday. He will
be the same tomorrow as He is today. Those yesterdays can be carried back
even before the beginning as recorded in Genesis 1. Those tomorrows can be
carried forward all the way past 1 Thessalonians 4. He does not have to
go back to the cross to atone for the sin of Adam. He will not have to go back
to the cross to atone for the sin of the very last one that shall be conceived
before time comes to an end. He is the same. His grace is the same. His
love is the same. His mercy is the same. And the atoning power of His blood is
the same from the first Adam to the very last one of His children. He never
changes.
What is to be our response to that understanding? "Let us offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually!" Our lips should constantly
be speaking of God's mercy, grace, and love that is bestowed upon unworthy
sinners. We should constantly be giving thanks unto Him. Every day is to be a day of thankfulness unto
the Lord.
Not only are we to give thanks with our lips, we are to give thanks through our
actions. How can we do that? "But to do good and to communicate forget
not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." The saying is
true: "Actions speak louder than words." Let us speak
thanksgiving and let us show "thanks-living".