Let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds

Hebrews 10:18-39 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now where there is forgiveness of these things, an offering for sin is no longer required.

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; ²⁴ and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, ²⁵ not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

²⁶ For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³² But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, ³³ partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming companions with those who were so treated. ³⁴ For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession. ³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. ³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

³⁷ For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.
³⁸ But My righteous one will live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

³⁹ But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul.

There are many people who say they don’t need to go to church to be a Christian. That is true, but consider what today’s text says: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Being a Christian is more than just believing in God and praying to Him from a distance. It is having the confidence to enter into the very holy presence of God. Galatians 4:4-7 says: God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Abba does not want a long distance relationship with us. If we have confidence to come into His presence through Christ, we can come to Him as Daddy or Papa. Still though, our hearts must be cleansed from an evil conscience. We cannot carry the darkness and filth of the world into the holy place of Abba’s presence.

While church membership and attendance is not what makes a person a Christian, it is beneficial to our faith. We are to encourage one another in love and good deeds. In Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus says: “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!”  We should not judge others, but together we can help each other see clearly. In love we also be accountable both to and for each other.

If we remain only in the world, it becomes more difficult to be in Christ. While the world wants us to embrace the things of the world, James 4:4-8 says: Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. There is no perfect church because imperfect people are there. But together we can walk in our journey to become perfected in Christ. Ephesians 4:11-16 says: He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. In the church we are equipped, we are built up and we grow up into the fullness of Christ.

Additionally, Leviticus 26:8 says: Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand; and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. Our power is multiplied exponentially when we are united in Christ. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says: “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” The text says: Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul. Amen.

Thank You heavenly Father, Abba, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit may we live in the fulfillment of the prayer Jesus prayed in John 17:20-23: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” Amen.