“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:12-13.
We are surrounded, invaded, by people, programs, activities, vocational demands, that can blind us to eternal truths. This blindness is most dangerous for those of us who have heard God’s word, responded to God’s word and intended to obey it.
These dangers that can lead to callousness, are an ever present reminder that we cannot think too much nor too often about what we have believed.
So the writer of Hebrews encourages us, “exhort one another every day.” The programs of the local church are not enough to combat the drain on our spiritual lives that these many dangers pose for us.
The exhortation is striking and urgent. He says everyday!! We need the eternal reminders every day. We can’t spend too much time nurturing time with our Heavenly Father through His word. The power of the word regularly planted builds faith, conviction and endurance.
It is urgent because life activities, the potential laziness in our flesh, and the enflaming activity of Satan and his minions, conspire to keep us away from our Father.
The exhortation is not only striking (daily) and urgent (protective), it is in need of relational sacrifice, “exhort one another.” As necessary as regular good preaching, and involvement with other believers in service activities are, much smaller and personal exhortations from people to people is needed…..everyday!!
People disciple people. Or, maybe better said, more matured people, give themselves to less mature people. Historically we have called that “discipleship.”
I don’t necessarily like that word, for two major reasons. One, it makes this relational process sound like a program. Two, it hides what ought to be the much more natural person to person process that is seen in Scripture.
Parents to children, older to younger, men to young men, women to younger women, leadership to the body.
At the beginning of this new year, those of us who are somewhat matured in Jesus, ought to find two or three others who are younger in the journey of faith, and sacrifice ourselves for them.
This may be the most urgent need of 2025!!!
