At the beginning of chapter 13 the author of Hebrews calls us to recognize specific marks of a believer in Jesus Christ. The author also reiterates that God has promised not to forsake and leave us.
As we move into the next few verses we see a reminder of several things. First, we are reminded of the leaders in the past who have gone before and what they sacrificed for – which is the Glory of Christ Jesus. We are reminded to follow those who followed Christ.
We are also reminded that there are those who are not preaching the truth and that we have to be well aware of the truth of Jesus Christ. There will always be people who preach a different gospel. The best way to identify a counterfeit gospel is to know by heart the real thing.
We are also reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The whole purpose of the book is to remind the audience of the work that Christ did on the cross, that is, his atoning work for our sins. He is the High Priest that has gone before us and mediated on our behalf.
As we have seen and understood this sacrifice we have to respond in kind to do what is good and pleasing to God. And as we are pursuing Christ in the church we need to trust and follow leaders who are trusting and following God. We trust them because God has put a great responsibility on their shoulders and they will be held accountable.