Scripture

Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood – may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him for ever and ever. Amen.

Observation

In his concluding thoughts, the writer prays a blessing on his readers. May the God of peace, the same God who raised Jesus from the dead, may He equip them (us) with everything we need to do His will..

The book closes with the formal greeting, “May God’s grace be with you all.”

Application

The blessings of God rely on our personal relationship with Him. He is a real God, described here as the God of peace.

The peace of God comes from our dedication to following the Lord Jesus. The term does not mean that God owns peace, so to speak, but that He is the source of peace. When we submit ourselves to Him, He shares his shalom or peace with us.

God was the one who raised Jesus from the dead, and he ratified a new covenant, a better covenant, in the blood of Christ. This covenant is eternal and will never be done away with.

God calls us to live a life of holiness and good works. We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved in order to produce good works.

Even these good works are not our efforts alone. We need God’s grace and power in order to do every good thing that is pleasing to him.

Prayer

Hallelujah! You are an awesome Father, Lord God. Thank you for saving me by your grace and for equipping me to do the things you want me to do. Amen.

Scripture

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus continual sacrifice of praise to God proclaiming our allegiance to His name.

Observation

In the old covenant, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the temple, and their bodies were burnt outside the camp. Jesus died outside the city to make us holy. We need to go where He is and bear his disgrace.

This world is not our home. We are passing through on our way to a permanent dwelling place.

We should offer a continual sacrifice of praise to Jesus. This is our oath of allegiance to Him.

We should obey our spiritual leaders, so that they can rejoice in their responsibility.

Application

The Old Testament sacrifices are gone. Under the covenant of Christ, the only sacrifice left is the sacrifice of praise.

Our sacrifice his to be continual. Just as the animal sacrifices were offered night and day, so we must learn to be so full of joy and thanksgiving the praise almost leaks out of us. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul tells us to “Rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all circumstances.”

It is easy to praise God when our lives are going well. The sacrifice of praise comes when we learn to praise God when things are going badly for us. God is still the same god when we are enjoying green meadows as when the flood waters are raging around us. He is worthy of praise always. The sacrifice comes when we praise Him anyway even if it is hard to see His hand at work.

Praise must come from the heart and not from the lips only. I know someone who uses the phrase, “praise the Lord,” almost as a swear word. Bang your shins, and it’s “Praise the Lord.” This is not the sacrifice of praise. When we say, “Thank you” to God from a joyful heart, then we have learnt to offer the sacrifice .

Prayer

Please help me Lord to remember to praise you even in the difficult times. Amen.