Hebrews 3
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Hebrews 3:12-14, See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
Just as the Israelites were susceptible to falling away from God, the author of Hebrews makes the point that Christians are also vulnerable to sin and turning away from the living God. Remember, the audience of Hebrews was already drifting from the core of the faith; they were disconnected and a sense of apathy had set in.
What was life like for these early Christ-followers? Really, really hard. They were experiencing persecution from Jews and Gentiles alike. It was difficult to be a faithful Christ-follower in the first century. For that reason, the author stresses the importance of supporting one another, not allowing your fellow brother or sister in Christ to turn away from the faith, encouraging one another daily.
How often do we encourage one another daily? While we aren’t experiencing the same kind of persecution as our first-century brothers and sisters, our world isn’t an easy place to follow Christ. We are painfully distracted by so many outside voices, we are inundated with negativity and division, and we are part of a culture that is increasingly hostile to anything related to the church. Thus, we often settle for mediocre faith-oriented lives, religious activity rather than Spirit-filled, passionate lives solidly rooted in Jesus. Churches have become social clubs rather than springboards for mission and discipleship. And we accept this as if there is no other way.
Friends, there is another way. What if we each made an intentional decision to live for Jesus, pay attention to the Spirit, and love others extravagantly? To do so, we would have to encourage one another daily (maybe even hourly). We need each other. We need the body of Christ. Life can be hard (think John 16:33) but Jesus is still on the throne and for that, we should constantly rejoice!
Let’s pray…Lord Jesus, How we need you. Help us make your church, your body, what you intended it to be. Help us push away the voices and distractions of the world and be focused on you and you alone. More of you and less of me, Lord Jesus. In Your Name, Amen.