Hebrews 13:15

Context

Hebrews 13 concludes the epistle, offering practical exhortations after extensive theological arguments about the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant. The preceding verses in chapter 13 discuss various aspects of Christian living, including brotherly love, hospitality, remembering prisoners, marriage, and contentment. Verse 15 builds on the theme of Christ's sacrifice, particularly His suffering outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12), and calls believers to respond with appropriate worship that transcends the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Key Themes

• Spiritual Sacrifice: This verse shifts the focus from animal sacrifices to a spiritual offering. In the New Covenant, true worship is not about shedding animal blood but about offering one's life and praise to God. It underscores that believers, through Christ, have continuous access to God and can offer acceptable worship.
• Continual Praise and Thanksgiving: The command to offer praise "continually" highlights the ongoing nature of Christian worship. It's not limited to specific times or places but should be a consistent attitude of gratitude and adoration that permeates daily life. This concept of constant spiritual engagement is a hallmark of New Testament teaching.
• The Role of Jesus Christ: The phrase "By him therefore" is crucial. Our ability to offer acceptable praise to God is entirely dependent on Jesus Christ. He is both the mediator and the means by which our spiritual sacrifices are made holy and pleasing to God (Hebrews 7:25).
• Verbal Expression of Gratitude: The "fruit of our lips" specifically identifies the nature of this sacrifice: spoken words of thanks, adoration, and acknowledgment of God's goodness and greatness.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "sacrifice of praise" (Greek: thysia aineseōs) directly echoes Old Testament terminology, particularly from the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament). While the Old Covenant involved physical sacrifices, Hosea 14:2 speaks of offering "the calves of our lips," which is remarkably similar to "the fruit of our lips" here. This suggests a continuity in principle – that verbal thanksgiving and worship are a form of offering to God – but a discontinuity in method, as the physical animal sacrifices are replaced by spiritual ones under the New Covenant.

Practical Application

Hebrews 13:15 calls believers to live a life characterized by continual spiritual offering. This means:

• Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude: Actively acknowledging God's blessings, His character, and His saving work in Christ, even amidst difficulties.
• Expressing Praise Verbally: Not just thinking grateful thoughts, but articulating them through prayer, song, testimony, and sharing God's goodness with others. This "fruit of our lips" is a powerful act of worship.
• Living a Life of Worship: Understanding that worship extends beyond church services. Every aspect of life, when lived in submission to Christ and with a grateful heart, can be an act of praise to God's name (Colossians 3:17).
• Relying on Christ: Remembering that our praise is acceptable only "by Him." This reminds us of our dependence on Jesus for every spiritual blessing and our standing before God.