Perfect in Every Good Work Hebrews 13:21

The writer of Hebrews began a prayer as he came to the close of his letter to his readers - “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”, and in chapter thirteen and verse twenty-one of Hebrews the writer continued his prayer as he expressed his desire for “the God of Peace” to make his readers “perfect in every good work to do his will” where we read:

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The verse begins, “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight,,...”. The writer began with the words, “Make you” which means “render, complete, equip, arrange and adjust the readers” “perfect” or “sound and complete” “in every good work” which means “in each, all, the whole and everyone of the good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, excellent and distinguished business, employment, enterprise, undertaking and that which one undertakes” “to do” or “to produce, construct, form and fashion” “his will” which means “God's desired and pleasure”, “working” which means “making, preparing, producing, acquiring and doing something” “in you” which refers to the readers of Hebrews “that which is well-pleasing” or “that which is acceptable and fully agreeable” “in his sight” which means “in the presence of, before and towards which another turns his eyes”. The writer desired for God the make his readers “sound and complete” in both His “will” and in doing what was “acceptable and fully agreeable” in His presence.

The verse goes on to say, “...through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” The writer continued with the word, “through” or “by reason and account of” “Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate”; “to whom” or “toward God” “be glory” or “be opinion, judgment, view, estimate, splendor, brightness, magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity and grace” “for ever and ever” which means “to the unbroken age, perpetuity of time and eternity”. “Amen” which means “faithful, verily, surely, truly and so it is, so be it and may it be fulfilled”. The way the readers would accomplish the writer's desire was on account of Jesus who deserves all the “glory” and “honor” for “perpetuity”.

When we think through these words in Hebrews, we understand how important it was for both the writer and his readers to follow “God's will” and be “well-pleasing” in His “sight”. The only way this could be accomplished is through “Jesus Christ” who deserves all the honor and praise for what He has done. We could have no access to God whatsoever if it was not for Jesus because no one except Jesus was “holy” in His presence. Our “sin separated us from our God”, and Jesus came to pay the price for our sins that we might have a relationship with God the Father. To do “God's will” and be “well-pleasing” to Him should be our goal, and when we believe in Jesus who deserves all “glory” forever, we shall complete that which the Hebrew writer desired for His readers.

Next time the writer begs his readers to “suffer the word of exhortation”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.