Encourage One Another
Heb. 10:19-25
Therefore:
This word refers back to the preceding chapters and more specifically chapter 10 where the writer discusses the once for all sacrifice of Jesus. Under the Law of Moses, the high priest had to make a yearly sacrifice for the atonement of sins. But even those sacrifices could not take away the sins of the people but only reminded them of their sinfulness. When Jesus came, he did away with the Law of Moses and all the sacrifices associated with it. Instead, when Jesus came he made the one sacrifice for the forgiveness of all sins for all time. Jesus’ sacrifice has given you and me a level of access to God which those under the Law of Moses could not even imagine.
Therefore:
“Since we have confidence . . .” (vs. 19)
Confidence. (Boldness) What a wonderful word. Throughout this book, the writer has reminded his readers of the confidence they have through Jesus Christ.
Heb. 3:6 Our confidence is evidence that we are of the household of God.
Heb. 4:16 Through our confidence we receive grace and mercy in time of need.
Heb. 10:35 If we maintain our confidence, we will receive a great reward.
In this passage the writer is also going to remind us of the great benefits of our Christian confidence. The book of Hebrews was written to Christians who were under fire. Their faith was being tested by persecution that never seemed to stop. They were beginning to doubt their own faith and their relationship to God. Sometimes we too, because of problems in our life, can begin to doubt.
First of all, we have confidence in our relationship with God, because as Christians we have the great privilege:
“To enter the holy place”
Under the law of Moses (Lev. 16) only the priest could enter the holy of holies one time a year to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. Death awaited anyone else who dared enter that most sacred place. But as Christians we can enter the holy place into the presence of God anytime we want, because the way has been opened for us:
“By the blood of Jesus”
Under the Law of Moses, (Lev. 16:14) when the high priest would enter the holy of holies, he would take the blood of a freshly killed bull and goat and sprinkle it on the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the people. Our way into the presence of God is secured by the blood of Jesus which he shed on the cross. Heb. 9:11-14 tells us . . .
Second, our way into the presence of God through the blood of Christ is:
“By a new and living way” (vs. 20)
The word “new” is very interesting. It does not mean new like a new car or new house, something that has been newly made. Instead it is a word that pictures a sacrifice. Our way into the holy of holies is made possible by something that is newly sacrificed. So newly sacrificed that it still appears to be alive. This new and living way is:
“Through the veil” (his flesh)
Before Jesus could make the ultimate sacrifice of himself, he first had to become human. As the high priest under the Law of Moses had to enter the holy of holies through the curtain, so Jesus had to pave the way for us to enter into the presence of God by going through the veil of humanity. Heb. 2:14-17 . . .
Third, we have confidence to enter into the presence of God because we have a great high priest.
“Since we have a great high priest over the house of God” (vs. 21)
We have a high priest, Jesus, who: 1. Makes propitiation for our sins (2:17), 2. Understands our weaknesses because he has lived among us (4:15), 3. Will be our high priest, our source of salvation, forever (5:9-10), 3. Intercedes on our behalf to the Father (7:24-25). Therefore, since these things are true there are three actions we should take.
1. “Let us draw near . . . in full assurance of faith” (vs. 22)
“Draw near” or “come closer.” This phrase denotes a sense of familiarity. Again, under the Law of Moses, the people were separated from the presence of God by the curtain between the holy place and the holy of holies. The idea of drawing near to God was completely foreign to them. But we as Christians are encouraged to come closer to God and be in his presence. In 4:16 where this same phrase is found, we understand that we draw near to the throne of grace through prayer. But there are some conditions which we must meet before we can come close to God.
First, we must draw near to God:
“With a sincere heart”
In the bible, the heart is a word that stands for everything that we are, our thoughts, our attitudes, our character. It is the center of whom we are and all that we hope to be. The writer here tells us that to approach God we must have a sincere heart. Some of your translations may say “with a true heart.” The idea is that our heart must be free of any pretense or falsehood. It also implies that we have a heart that is completely dedicated to God. In Isa 38:1-3, Hezekiah became ill and was dying. In verse 2-3 we are told that he prayed to God. He began his prayer by saying to God, “I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart.” He was reminding God of his complete and whole hearted commitment to God. If we are to draw near to God, we also must have a true and whole hearted commitment to God.
Second, we must draw near to God:
“In full assurance of faith”
If our heart is pure/true/sincere, then the full assurance of faith will follow. This is a faith that is unwavering and completely confident. The object of that faith is in Jesus and his sacrifice in which he shed his blood making it possible for us to enter the holy place. It is a trust in him as our high priest who intercedes for us and opens the way for us to come to God.
Third, we must draw near to God:
“Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”
Under the Law of Moses in Num. 19:17-19, ashes from a burnt offering and clean water are mixed and then sprinkled on a person to purify him who has become unclean after touching a dead body. Ezekiel then uses that example to show how God is going to purify Israel from her spiritual uncleanness. He says in Ezek 36:24-26 . . . That same idea is found here in verse 22. In order for us to draw near to God we must be clean. Our cleansing comes when we are baptized into Christ. His blood cleanses our heart as the water cleanses our bodies. Now because we are clean inside and out we have that full confidence to draw near to God.
2. Let us hold fast to hope.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” (vs. 23)
When we are baptized into Christ, we make a confession that we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. That confession is the foundation for our hope of eternal life. The writer here is encouraging his readers to keep a grip on that confession. We must remember the confession that we made when we became Christians and not ever let go. There are unrighteous people and difficult circumstances around us that may cause us to doubt and waver in our faith. We must not let anything pull us away from our hope. The writer adds that we must not waver or bend to the winds of doubt that swirl around us. We must not be like the clouds in the sky that Jude mentions in Jude 12 that are “carried along by the wind.” Or the surf of the sea which James mentions in James 1:6 that is “driven and tossed by the wind.” Instead we must be like that tall oak tree that stands tall, firmly rooted and unaffected by the wind. How can we know that our confession of hope is something worth clinging to?
The answer is in the faithfulness of God.
“For he who promised is faithful”
God through Jesus Christ has promised us eternal life if we remain faithful to him, if we draw near to him with a sincere heart and a soul cleansed of sin and hold fast our confession of hope in him. And God always keeps his promises. In the Old Testament, God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. Hundreds of years later after the nation of Israel had conquered the land of Canaan, we are told in Joshua 21:43-45 . . . So it is with all of God’s promises. We are to be faithful to him because he is always faithful to us.
3. “Let us consider how to stimulate one another . . .”
“Let us consider . . .”
To consider something is to give careful consideration. It presents the idea of a person or situation to be examined or a problem to be solved. Here is the situation. We are drawing near to God and we are holding fast to our faith. That’s great! However, Christianity was never meant to be a “religion of one.”
The U.S. Army had an advertizing slogan sometime back that encouraged men to be an “Army of one.” I am not quite sure what they meant by that but rest assured no one man can be an army by himself. An army is comprised of many soldiers acting as one. Likewise Christianity cannot be successful if we become a “church of one.” For Christianity to bring people to Christ, change their lives and change the world, we must be many Christians working together as one, supporting one another and encouraging one another.
“How to stimulate one another . . .”
Now back to our problem. We are drawing near to God in faith and holding fast to our hope. How can we help others to join us and do the same? We poke, prod, provoke, agitate, stir up and incite. In people as well as objects, there is a natural resistance to change. That resistance is sometimes called inertia. Newton’s first law of motion states that “An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” In other words, objects - and people - tend to keep on doing what they’re doing and resist any changes in their “state of motion.” The next question is, what are we trying to stimulate them to do? We are trying to stimulate them . . .
“To Love and good deeds”
In the New Testament, the word “love” appears almost 200 times. Along with faith and hope, love forms the foundation of Christian behavior. In fact, Paul says in I Cor. 13:13, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” It is a commandment which Jesus gave to his apostles, and to us. In the upper room in John 13 after Jesus has washed the apostles’ feet and Judas has left the room and gone to betray Jesus to the Pharisees, Jesus said in verse 34-35 . . . Christian behavior is controlled by love. We must strive to stimulate one another to this most fundamental characteristic of the Christian life.
But we must also strive to stimulate one another to good deeds. James tells us that without good works, we cannot legitimately claim that we have faith in God. He says in James 2:14-17 . . . Good works cannot save us but we cannot say that we are saved and are faithful Christians without good works.
So, we want to stimulate one another to love and good works. How do we do that? One way is by worshiping together. We stimulate one another by:
“Not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some”
The problem of getting Christians to attend worship services is not new. It is obvious from this reference that some were already forsaking the assembly. One of the early documents of the church called the “Didache” exhorts Christians, “But be frequently gathered together seeking the things which are profitable for your souls.” (The Didache, The Apostolic Fathers, Vol. 1, 16.2, p. 333). This document which dates back to the second century after Christ shows that church attendance has always been a problem.
“But encouraging one another”
But the writer’s reason for exhorting to attending worship is not for the benefit of the one but for the benefit of all. There are those who say that they do not need to attend worship services in order to be a Christian. I personally doubt that, but let’s assume for a moment that they are right. They do not need to worship with others. But the writer here is pointing out that while they do not need to attend worship, others do need them. It is in the communal worship service that everyone encourages everyone else by their presence. As we worship together: Faith is increased. Hope is strengthened. Love is demonstrated. And good works are accomplished.
You or I may not “need” to worship Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, but there are others who need your presence and the encouragement you bring to them when you are here.
When you are absent from worship . . . Faith of is diminished. Hope is weakened. Love is unseen. Good work is left undone.
Your presence in worship is vital:
“And all the more as you see the day approaching.”
There is a great deal of differing opinions concerning what the writer meant here by the phrase “the day approaching.” I personally believe he is discussing the second coming of Christ. But the point is that we only have a limited time to accomplish the goals which God has given us. Time and again in the New Testament we are warned that we do not know when Christ is coming again. He will come “as a thief in the night,” at a time “when we least expect him.” Even more important, our personal time on this earth is not guaranteed. We must do what we can as long as we can to encourage one another. Read Heb. 10:19-25
