THE MESSAGE OF GRACE IN TWO VERSES

Could the writer of the Book of Hebrews have crammed any more doctrine into just two verses?  Maybe, but if so, I don't know how!  In Hebrews 13:20-21, he wrote,  "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen."  What a prayer, and what a close to his marvelous epistle!

Foundational to our understanding of God is that He is a God of peace.  The Apostle Paul used that exact phrase to describe our Father four times in three of his epistles (Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thes. 5:23)! 

Foundational to our faith in His love for us, is the Resurrection of Jesus three days after He allowed His only begotten Son to die on a cross for our sins.  Without His Resurrection, salvation would not be possible, but thanks be to God, He is risen (1 Cor. 15:12-20)!

Foundational to our understanding of the relationship born again believers have with Christ, is that He is our Shepherd (Jn. 10:11-16); that is, He is our Leader (Ps. 23:2-3), Protector (Ps. 23:4), Provider (Ps. 23:1, 5); and we are His sheep.  In other words, He owns us!

Foundational to our being saved from "the slave-market of sin and death," is that we have been bought by an incomprehensible price, the blood of the Creator of the Universe (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:21-23; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.)!

Foundational to our being able to rest in our relationship to our Father is that He provided the sacrifice, the blood of the Lamb of God, to seal the everlasting covenant between the born again believer and Himself (Heb. 9:22; Jn. 1:29, 35; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Heb. 10:12-14).  Everlasting life has no end; the covenant is forever (Dan. 12:2; Jn. 3:16; 5:24; 6:40, 47; etc.)!

Foundational to our being made like Jesus, is for us to know it is HIS JOB to perfect us, and to use us, for His eternal glory (Rom. 8:28-29; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:11-13; Phil. 1:6; 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:10; etc.)!

We who believe can trust Him to complete what He has started in us (1 Jn. 3:2)!