Baptism is one of the ordinances of the church. It something that a believer does in response to Christ's command in order to be a testimony to union with Christ. Many errant ideas are attached to baptism. New believers often have different of baptism due to their former religious background.

At this point in Hebrews, the writer gives out a series of seemingly disconnected commands. However, in the connecting factor is love. The love of believers should extend to all saints, strangers, suffering believers, spouses, and their status. Being selfless and looking to Christ makes all of these things possible.

Paul gives a series of exhortations for Christ-minded believers. The character and actions of these believers are a contrast to the world. They rejoice and are free from worry because they focus on Christ. God gives peace to these kinds of individuals.

This is the last major appeal in the this letter of Hebrews. The contrast is between the Old Covenant pictured by Sinai and the New Covenant pictured by the heavenly Jerusalem. God has spoken through Christ to the world. To reject Christ is to be under God's eternal judgment. The God who can shake heaven and earth will judge those that reject Christ.

This is the concluding section that started back in Philippians 1:27. The believers are to contend for the gospel. They are to stand together in one mind. Unity is key in holding forth the gospel. Paul desired unity between the believers, because disunity was a discredit the gospel. He was willing to address two woman at Philippi. They had been important in the gospel going forth. However, they were disunified with one another. It was important for the woman to take care of their differences and if they could not, the church was to step in to bring unity. When people are focused on Christ and unified around Him, they can have real joy.

This section of confession deals with the process of confession. Confession means to uncover sin and look at it as God does. God, on His part, will not bring up our failures again and will look us to fellowship again with Him.

This section of Hebrews reminds us that life is like a marathon. God brings discipline into our life to punish or educate us. Some people might give up Christ when things get hard. However, those that live by faith look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Other believers bear responsibility to help those who are faltering and look like they might not make it to the finish line. They are to point them to the grace in Christ, and the disaster of missing Christ because there is no future opportunity for repentance.

The believer undergoes difficulty. This is part of God's discipline for our life. Sometimes it is designed to teach us and shape us and other times it is designed to punish us for sin. This discipline is an indicator to a believer that they are part of the family of God. It is not sign of His displeasure, but of His love for us.

This section is an application for the church at Philippi. Paul had used himself as an illustration of focus on Christ. Now, the believers are to be focused together on Christ. This unified focus strengthens the church and prepares believers for eternity with Christ.

Something that a new believer struggles with is the committing of sin. Before salvation it was not concern. After salvation, the guilt of sin weighs on a believer's conscience. Does one lose their salvation if they sin? What must be done with sin after salvation. This lesson is important for a believer to know the relief of sins forgiven.