“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and SO MUCH THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING.” (Heb. 10:23-25) The Hebrew believers who were shunning the fellowship – for whatever reason – were wrong. THEY NEEDED CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP. The author’s point was not that all members must attend at all services. He didn’t intend to provide legalistic Christians (both then and now) with a proof text for hounding fellow believers to appear at all the services – or else be judged as unspiritual! No, the point is that believers need to RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER IN CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, or their Christian growth will be stunted and incomplete. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (koinōnia: Christian fellowship, joint participation) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Corin. 10:16)
If we’ll be “obliged” to love all our brothers and sisters in Heaven, why not get with the program now? The writer to the Hebrews may have had these thoughts in mind when he wrote the words, “…and SO MUCH MORE as you see the Day (notice the capital “D” that’s the day of the Lord, the rapture) approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). In view of the ever-closer day of the Lord’s return, we are told to relate to our fellow believers now. There’s no way that we can justify playing favorites with some, while dodging others. We are “stuck” with relating now to the believers with whom we will spend eternity!
Hebrews 10:24-25 gives us three strong suggestions for how we should relate to our fellow believers now. We should STIMULATE one another (v24). We should GATHER TOGETHER (v25). And we should ENCOURAGE each other (v25). This teaching was given to the believers of the 1st century, but as God’s Word it certainly applies to us today. In fact, since we are closer than ever before to the Lord’s return, it applies “ALL THE MORE as we see the Day approaching” The Hebrew believers may have been provoking one another wrongly – criticizing, holding grudges and arguing, so they were urged to STIR ONE ANOTHER UP in positive directions. Instead of back-biting and needling, they were to motivate one another toward LOVE AND GOOD WORKS.
JUST WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING NOW!!!
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham