In verses 19 through 21, the author has presented
to us the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in the
Gospel. We see that Christ has reconciled sinners
unto God. He's brought men to God. He's enabled
men to... Come to God. And all of this is the
result of Christ's gospel work. It's all the
result of his sacrifice. It's all the result
of his perfect life. It's all the result of his
death and his resurrection. It's the result of
the gospel. Now we've seen the author in verses
22 through 25 give these exhortations. We've
seen for the last several weeks, for the last
two weeks, the author say, let us draw near with
a sincere heart. Then we saw last week, the author
say, let us hold fast the confession of our hope.
And this week we see the author say, Let us consider
how to stimulate one another or to stir up or
provoke one another. The author is connecting
these exhortations, these commands, to the work
of Christ in His sacrifice and in the Gospel.
He's saying these are the things that New Covenant
believers ought to be about. These are the things
that New Covenant believers ought to give themselves
to. These are the things that New Covenant believers
ought to be preeminently concerned about in their
lives. They ought to be concerned about drawing
near to God in prayer. They ought to be concerned
about holding fast the confession of our hope,
truth, and the Scriptures. But the author also
tells us today, and this is our text for exposition,
that New Covenant believers ought to be concerned
about the New Covenant people of God. That they
ought to be concerned about the assembly of the
saints. That they ought to be concerned about
those whom Christ died for. I would like to consider
three things this morning. We're going to consider
the exhortation to be faithful corporate Christians.
We see this in verse 24, where the author says,
and let us consider how to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds. This is the exhortation,
the command. But we're also going to consider
the means. of obeying this exhortation to be
faithful corporate Christians. We find the means
of obeying this in verse 25. There's a negative
means that he states. He says not forsaking our
own assembling together. But then there's a positive
means that he states, which contributes to the
command. And that is, but encouraging one another.
Lastly, we're going to consider the great motive
for obeying this command, this exhortation from
the author of Hebrews. This is the last phrase
in our verse where the author says, and all the
more. as you see the day drawing near. Here we'll
find the author giving us motivation to be faithful,
committed, corporate believers in the new covenant
community of Christ's church. Beginning with
the exhortation to be faithful corporate Christians
found in verse 24. He says, and let us consider
how to stimulate one another to love and good
deeds. First, the command itself. Let us consider.
This word consider has the idea of careful observation.
or fully understanding something. It has the
idea of being considerate about something. Now
immediately, we find in this text that the author
is implying that believers ought to be those
people who are observant, who are... Considerate
and thoughtful about particular situations, about
particular things, about particular people. We
find this so clearly in the text. Now, what's
the object of this consideration? What is it
that New Covenant believers are to consider?
Well, in the NASB, it's a little tricky because
it almost makes it look like the object is how
to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
But that's not the object. The object of this
consideration is one another. So New Covenant
believers are called here to consider. And to
be thoughtful. And to carefully observe each
other. One another. Those in the covenant community.
Those who gather as God's people. The people
of God are called to watch over and exercise
an affectionate care and thoughtfulness. an observation
in the life of those they gather with as members
of the new covenant community. This means there
has to be intentionality. There has to be time
taken to think about such things. What fills
your mind, brothers and sisters? And how much
time do you give to thinking about those things
that fill your mind? As believers who have been
bought by the blood of Christ, we ought to have
a portion of our thoughts, a portion of our hearts
allocated for the people of God. We ought to
have a portion of our mind dedicated to thinking
and considering and observing the people of God
that we have covenanted with. The people of God
that we worship with. Now, obviously, we have
to think about our jobs. We have to think about
our careers. We have to think about our families.
We have to focus our minds on certain necessary
realities in our lives. But how do we obey this
command, brothers and sisters, if we never take
the time to get our eyes off of our own situation,
our own lives, our own issues, our own problems,
and to take time to think about brothers and
sisters in Christ? How do we fulfill this command
if we do not do that? Certain things in the Christian
life just require time, brothers and sisters.
They just require us to slow down and to rein
in our thoughts and submit our hearts. And to
think and dwell and meditate on certain truths
and certain realities. And the author of Hebrews
is telling us that one of those things for the
new covenant believer in Jesus Christ ought to
be the people of God. Ought to be our brothers
and sisters in Christ who we're sitting next
to. Who we work in the same town with. This is
what the author is telling us. This same word
is used in Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1, where
the author says this, Therefore, holy brethren,
partakers of a heavenly calling, consider, consider
Jesus, the apostle and high priest, of our confession.
Now, there's that word consider again, and what's
the object in that text? Jesus, the apostle and
high priest of our confession. So the author
is saying in that text that if we want to have
a sturdy, steadfast, constant, balanced faith
in faithful life, then we need to have our minds
set on Christ. But the same word is used in Hebrews
chapter 10, verse 24, where he says, let us consider
one another. This necessarily and inevitably
leads to interpersonal relationships, the local
church, and corporate Christianity. How can one
fulfill this command? By themselves. How is it
possible? You cannot fulfill this command on
your own. It requires group Christianity. It
requires one another. It requires others be involved
in your life. It requires that we be in relationship
willingly and volitionally with others whom Christ
has died for. It requires that we don't just
be private Christians, but that we be corporate
Christians who are invested and who are part
of. the people of God, that worship together
in one place, under one name, in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no way to understand
this text without the local church, brothers
and sisters. No way whatsoever. The local church
is so... vitally important in the New Testament.
Think about all the epistles. Think about Ephesians.
Think about Philippians. Think about 1st and
2nd Thessalonians. Who are they written to, brothers
and sisters? The church at Thessalonica. The
church at Corinth. The church at Ephesus. The
local churches everywhere in the New Testament.
We think about the book of Acts. What is the
book of Acts all about? Brothers and sisters,
it's about the inception and the establishment
and the formation and the growth of the first
century church in the world. Why? Because of
the work of Jesus Christ in the gospel. That's
what this text is telling us. That because of
Christ's work in the gospel, because of his once
for all effective sacrifice, the local church
becomes that much more important to the life
of the believer. Now, what is the aim of this
exhortation or this command? What is the purpose
of it? We know the object and we know the command
itself, but what's the purpose of it? What is
the aim, the goal, the end of it? Well, it's
this. To stimulate one another to love and good
deeds. To stir up. This word is really, really
fascinating. It's the word. Paroxysm. It carries
the idea of almost a convulsion. It carries the
idea of incitation or provocation to provoke.
It carries this idea of sharpness with it. In
the New Testament, we see it used different ways.
Here, the NASB uses it as stimulate. There's
another way that it's used as stir up. In the
New Testament, it's primarily used with negative
connotations. We could think of Barnabas and
Saul or Paul. Remember their split? That's said
to be... A provocation. That was an abrupt thing.
Almost a sudden, immediate, almost a violent
reality that came about. There, and I saw this
from one pastor, he said there, that word signifies
their separation. But in our text, this word
is used in such a way that it's meant to contribute
and bring about men and women who know Christ
and bring them together. Not to separate and
drive apart, but to bring them nearer, to bring
them closer, to produce love and love's expression,
good deeds or good works in the life of the believer.
Now, I don't think we should do away with the
negative connotations of this word. Because there
are times, brothers and sisters, in Christian
relationship inside the church where there are
hard, difficult, challenging conversations and
interactions. which must take place. It can be
said that this in and of itself is loving. One
of the things that I'm fearful about in the life
of the church is that our idea of love and our
idea of... how to provoke one another to love
and good deeds has been taught to us more by
the world, the flesh, and the devil than the
authoritative word of God. What do I mean by
that? What does the world say, brothers and sisters?
What is loving? And what brings about love? And
what provokes good love and good deeds in others?
You just give them what they want and satiate
them. Take away the discomfort. Take away the
difficulty of the situation. Do whatever you
have to do. Just make the situation better. Do
whatever you have to do to make them feel better.
Then they will be loving. then they will be full
of good works and good deeds. That's catechism
by the world, the flesh, and the devil. That
is not loving, and that does not produce love
and good deeds in brothers and sisters in Christ,
friends. The Word of God says, That yes, we come
alongside and we encourage. We bear with one
another. We love each other. But listen. Christ
died for sin. That means that sin is never considered
as light or insignificant. That means that sin
must always be addressed and confronted. And
that means truth in love. This is the Christian
church, brothers and sisters. We are the only
place in the world that ought to do this. Do
you understand that? There's nowhere else in
the world that has an objective, absolute, fixed
standard that is authoritative and sufficient.
Do you know that? But the church of Jesus Christ,
in fact, does the word of the living God. And
where the word of God speaks, we obey. This is
the church. This is the people of God. Now I
think that when we consider this word, and especially
with this negative bent of the word, we also
need to really recognize the context of this
verse. Right? We can't just say this is absolute
across the board with everything. It is with
regards to truth and love. That's consistent.
But that doesn't mean that we always lead with
a fist. We know parties and we know camps that
do that. We know people in evangelicalism that
are all too eager for a fight any day of the
week. Everybody knows. There's those people.
There are those individuals. They always want
controversy. They always want drama. They always
want to fight. Because they've always got a dog
in the fight on everything. There's always those
people. But we have to understand the context
of this verse. The context of this verse is those
who are consistently in the habit and customarily
forsaking the assembly of God's people. So it's
not a one and done thing. It's not a single act.
It's not a single instance. There's a pattern.
There's a habit. There's a... custom that has
been established in their behavior. The author
of Hebrews is addressing this. And he's saying
in that instance, it's especially important in
the life of the church to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds, no matter the difficulty,
the hardship. or how trying it might be. So,
we see in this text, to be a faithful Christian,
brothers and sisters, we must be a corporate
Christian. There's no way of getting around it.
If you are to be a faithful believer in Jesus
Christ, that means that you have to be involved
in a... corporate, new covenant, community, people
of Christ. There's no such thing as a healthy,
isolated Christian. Zero. I can say that with
100 % certainty. Because it is completely contrary
and antithetical to the New Testament doctrine
of the local. We must be those who are involved
in the people of God. We must be those who are
committed not just to private Christianity and
personal religion, but we must be those who give
ourselves to the local assembly of God's people.
We have to be willing to give in such a way that's
described in this text as believers. We have
to be willing to encourage and provoke and stimulate.
We have to. We as believers must be on board
with giving of ourselves in such a way. That's
part of this. But there's another side to that.
Believers mustn't just be willing to give. Believers
also must be willing to receive in such a way
as described by Holy Scripture. There's a mutual
interworking. There's a mutual interaction that
takes place. in the one another's of the New
Testament, brothers and sisters. We must be corporate
Christians, and we must be relational Christians,
whatever that looks like for you and your personality.
We know that we're all made different. We know
it. God made each one of us unique and distinct
from each other. There's no two persons exactly
the same. God has made us different. It's His
sovereign will for us to be different from everybody.
Which means we're all unique. But, as believers,
we must be willing to be in a corporate relationship
with the people of God, with the group. And we
must be willing to interact with that group.
for their good and edification, and for our good
and edification. I just want to read Romans 12,
at least part of Romans 12. It's an incredibly
edifying portion of Scripture. You know, Paul,
oftentimes, he has these... of general exhortations
throughout the Scripture. We find them oftentimes
towards the end of his epistles. Sometimes I
just love just going and reading the general
exhortations of the Apostle. Because they're
so relevant. They're so edifying. But brothers
and sisters, they are so convicting. They show
me my failure and my weakness. They show me how
far short I fall. But they also show me how to
live in such a way that I can honor Jesus Christ
in the life of the church. And they explain it
and walk me through it and how it ought to be
done. In Romans chapter 12, following Paul's
doctrine, following all his theology, now he
starts applying the gospel to the people in Rome.
Here's what we read. I'll start reading in verse
4. And take note of the corporate characteristics
in this list. For just as we have many members
in one body, and all the members do not have
the same function, so we, who are many, are one
body in Christ, and individually members one
of another. Since we have gifts that differ according
to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise
them accordingly. If prophecy according to the
proportion of his faith, if service in his serving.
Or he who teaches in his teaching. Or he who
exhorts in his exhortation. He who gives with
liberality. And he who leads with diligence.
He who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Let love
be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling
to what is good. Be devoted to one another in
brotherly love. Give preference to one another
in honor. not lagging behind in diligence, fervent
in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing
hospitality. Bless those who persecute you and
bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who
rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the
same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty
in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not
be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back
evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right
in the sight of all men. If possible, so far
as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Do you see the corporate? character of all of
those exhortations. Paul is writing to those
who are under the expectation that they are a
part of a new covenant community birthed in the
gospel of Jesus Christ. These cannot be obeyed
apart from the local church. and corporate Christianity.
This leads us to the second thing, the means
of obeying this exhortation. Naturally, the question
comes up, well, how exactly do I obey this exhortation?
How do I obey this command that the author of
Hebrews is giving to me? What do I need to do?
What needs to take place in my life? What do
I need to change? What do I need to adjust? How
do I need to act, live, think, whatever it might
be, to be in conformity with the command of Holy
Scripture? There's two things, according to verse
25 in Hebrews 10. The first... is found in verse
25, the first part, where the author says, not
forsaking our own assembling together. Now, when
the author says this, he's using a negative to
express what he desires and what he wants in
the positive. Meaning he's saying, don't do this.
And I'm saying, don't do this. Because I want
this. So the first thing, the first way that
we obey this command is through a commitment
to the gathered assembly of the local church.
Why is the author saying this? Why is he pushing
this matter? Well, he has good basis for it.
He has good reason for it. He says, as is the
habit of some. So we think back to the first
century when the great Apostle Paul was still
ministering. We think back to the first century.
when the voice of the apostle could be heard
by Jew and Gentile. We think back to the first
century when Peter, the apostle that spent so
much time with our blessed Lord, was still roaming
the earth and ministering to the people of God.
And people would see them and people could be
around them and interact with them when the gospel
was first landing on ears. Immediately, the church
starts dealing with issues, does it not? Immediately,
men and women start caving to pressure and persecution
and rationales and all kinds of carnal justifications.
for not faithfully attending the assembly of
the local church. The author has good reason
to put this forward. You know, I think of Acts
chapter 18. In Acts chapter 18, it's Paul at
Corinth. We read this of Paul and his co -workers,
starting in verse 5. But when Silas and Timothy
came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting
himself completely to the Word, solemnly testifying
to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when
they resisted in blaspheme, He shook out his
garments and said to them, Your blood be on your
own heads. I am clean from now on. I will go
to the Gentiles. So, Paul is interacting with
the Jews, and he's having no success, and they're
being ignorant and hard -hearted, and he says,
Listen, judgment be on you. I'm done. My hands
are clean. And so what does Paul do? We read
this. Then he left there and went to the house
of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of
God, and listen to this, whose house was next
to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the
synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his
household, and many of the Corinthians, when
they heard, were believing and being baptized.
So Paul has no success with the Jews. So what
does he do? He goes across the street and he
plants a church in this man's house. Now I bring
this up to emphasize this point. Imagine the
Jewish converts that would come to Christ who
used to worship at the synagogue. The Jewish
converts who used to go this way. Who are friends.
Who have grown up with these individuals. And
now they come to know Christ. And they go this
way. They go to Justice's house. Not the synagogue.
Imagine the pressure. The peer pressure. The
anxiety. Imagine the fear of man. Those converts
would have to wrestle with. Walking this way
when all their Jewish friends are walking that
way. Identifying with Christ here and not the
Jewish worship here. Now let's say that one of
these converted Jews decides to cave. Say one
of these converted Jews says, I don't want this
pressure anymore. I don't want the mocking. I
don't want the scorning. I don't want the pressure.
I don't want to deal with all of the things that
come with knowing Christ. So they stop coming
to the worship of God on the Lord's day. That
very same thing, very likely is the same thing
that's taking place in the book of Hebrews. Now
here's what I want to ask you. According to the
author of Hebrews, is that justifiable? Is it
okay for them to forsake the assembly of God's
people because of the pressure on them? No. The
author of Hebrews in this text is implying, culpability
and negligence and fault for those who forsake
the people of God. He's saying it's unacceptable.
Now, we think about the many reasons we don't
go to church today. What would the author of
Hebrews have to say, brothers and sisters, about
our reasons? Are they justifiable? Are they reasonable?
Are they acceptable? This command necessarily
requires not just corporate Christianity. This
command requires committed, faithful attendance
of the worship of God. How else can we view this
text? How do we get around it? You say, well,
I believe everything else the Bible says, but
this one, I'm just not sure. You're telling me
that... As a believer, I have to be committed
to attending church. Brothers and sisters, if
this portion of Scripture is not authoritative,
then none of the rest of Scripture is authoritative
whatsoever. It just takes one verse. That's it.
Brothers and sisters, New covenant believers
are called and exhorted to be committed to corporate
Christianity and faithful attendance of that
local church. Don't buy into the lie of the world,
the flesh, and the devil that you can do it on
your own. That is a lie from the pits of hell.
Don't listen to the whisper of Satan when he
says, you don't need them. Don't listen to the
whispers of your sin and your carnality and your
flesh. Brothers and sisters, don't listen when
he says, you're better than all of them. You're
fine by yourself. You don't need the church.
Lies. That is not true. That is not what the
Word of God says. That is not what God's authoritative
and errant and sufficient Word teaches about
Christians and the people of God. You need the
people of God. And the people of God need you.
And God has so ordained it that you intimately
be involved. and committed as you wait for the
day of the Lord to arrive. Don't listen. Don't
give in. Don't submit to the lies of the flesh,
the lies of arrogance, and the lies of the devil
himself. Give yourself to the local church. Be
joyful and cheerful and love the local church.
as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself does. Christ
loves the church more than any of us could ever
think about loving the church. He is more faithful,
and He is more committed to the assemblies in
His name around the world than we ever will be.
He holds dear the people of God. Let us... emulate
and seek after that same love, that same commitment,
and that same dedication to worship Him and to
be with the people of God. I think it's also
important that we recognize from this text that
though what church we attend is a matter of conscience,
I believe that wholeheartedly. In God's providence
and opportunity. And is leading. New covenant
believers. In the freedom of their conscience.
Have the ability. To decide. Which church. They
go to. That's within orthodoxy. No heresy allowed.
Within orthodoxy. And preaches the gospel. But.
Once. A believer enters into relationship with
that church. Their attendance of that church's
worship is no longer a matter of conscience.
It's a matter of duty and command according to
Scripture. It's not dogmatic to say that. It's
not legalistic to say that. Because that's what
the Bible teaches, brothers and sisters. Christ
wants His name worshipped. Christ wants you among
the people of God. He wants your soul edified.
And He hasn't left it open to whether you want
to or not. He's saying, worship me, gather me,
be a committed, faithful, corporate Christian.
Give yourself to the people of God. So the first
way we do this is how? Through a commitment to
the gathered assembly of the local church. But
the text continues. And the text says this. One
another. So we might think. Well I can show up.
I can be there. I'll give them my presence. And
my person. I'll be among. The people of God.
But we all know. Because we have children. Because
we are husbands or wives. We all know. That it's
very very possible. To be present and still be
absent. To be here and still be elsewhere. To
physically be in a place. To physically be among
a group, yet not be engaged and be inactive.
uninvolved, and not participatory. We see another
way that New Covenant believers are to fulfill
this command. It's through active involvement
and participation in the gathered assembly of
the local church. When the author says, but encouraging
one another, notice something about that. He's
contrasting it. with not forsaking your assembly.
There's a clear contrast that's taking place.
So there's two things assumed in this encouraging,
but encouraging one another. The first, I believe
the author is saying this, this is an encouragement
that can be given and enjoyed, but it's dependent
on one's commitment to gathering with the local
church. So it's only an encouragement that can
be enjoyed and experienced and be a blessing
to the soul for those who are committed to the
faithful gathering of the saints. But it also
assumes that it's more than simply one's presence.
In the gathering. There is active. Encouragement.
Exhortation. Pleading. And edification. That
is meant to be derived. From that person. That
is present in the assembly. Otherwise. It could
just be. Be there. The author knows. That there
is always. A temptation. To fall into these ceremonial
rituals. Just like those in the old covenant.
To go through the motions. To make things outward
and external and physical and natural and material.
But that's not what is being called for here.
It's not just being present in the people of
God. It's being engaged. It's your spirit. Humbly
being in submission to God as we come to Him
and the Word of God and as we gather with other
saints. It's engaging our minds, our hearts,
by faith, in corporate worship as we gather.
So it's not just being here. It's being here.
And it's being present. And it's thinking. It's
being intentional. It's making sure you're listening
and hearing and loving and caring. There's intentionality
that is present in it. What are some ways that
individuals can be present and still be absent?
What are some ways that individuals can be in
a place but be completely in another land? Well,
there's being physically present while your mind
is off here somewhere else doing something else.
There's being present but being distracted by
everything else. There's being present but having
no intention of hearing or listening to anything
that's said. There's being present, there's being
here, but no love or edification or encouragement
being given to brothers and sisters in Christ.
Christ wants a people who don't just gather.
He wants a people who don't just come together
and physically be in the place, but he wants
a people who come together and give their spirits
to worshiping him in one spirit. Where they come
together and they love one another and they hear
Christ and His voice and they give themselves
to that. Where they shut out everything else
and they concern themselves with singing the
music that praises Jesus Christ. Where they shut
out everything else and they turn their ears
to the pulpit to hear the preaching of the Word.
A people who gather together and they listen
as the Word of God is read. And they're careful
in their hearing. They're careful in what they're
watching, what they're observing. They're intentional.
We cannot obey this command without intentionality.
And it's more than simply being present. I believe
the author is referring to the same thing. That
Paul is, in Ephesians chapter 5, verses 15 through
21. Listen to what Paul says in chapter 5, verses
15 through 21. Therefore, be careful how you
walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making
the most of your time, because the days are evil.
So then, do not be foolish. but understand what
the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk
with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled
with the Spirit. Speaking to one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody with your heart to the Lord, always giving
thanks for all things in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father, and be
subject to one another. In the fear of Christ.
Brothers and sisters, that's mutual encouragement.
Mutual admonition. That's mutual edification
that takes place in the worship of God. It's
not just vertical between man and God. What do
we see in that text? That there's a horizontal
element. To gathering together as the people
of God. That's edifying. That's building up.
That's encouraging. And that's strengthening
to God's people. And it takes place in the assembly
of the saints. So if we want to obey this command.
Then we must do it through a commitment. To the
gathered assembly of the local church. And we
must do it through active involvement. And participation
in. The gathered assembly. Of the local church.
And we have good reason. And good motive. To
obey these things. The author says all the more.
Referring to the coming. Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need. Motivation. In our lives. Unto diligence.
And faithfulness. We need reason. And we need
encouragement ourselves. To be encouraging. To
others. And the author gives us this. In this
statement. He knows. That it's motivating. And
it induces faithfulness and commitment in us.
And he knows that the return of Christ motivates
us because the church is the appointed means
that God has given for Christians to persevere
in this world. But the church is also the appointed
means that God has given to believers, to grow
and to be strengthened while we wait on the return
of Christ. There's a lot of positive things taking
place in the world right now, largely due to
the election. A lot of positive things. A lot
of beneficial things. But brothers and sisters,
that doesn't change the fact that we still live.
In a fallen world. It doesn't change the fact.
That we still have sin. In our hearts. And we
have a tendency. To hardness of heart. It doesn't
change the fact. That we have a tendency. To
unbelief. It doesn't change the fact. That we
have a tendency. To waywardness. But God has
ordained it that we not wait on Christ alone.
He has ordained it, brothers and sisters, the
risen Lord Jesus Christ has designed it to be
in such a way that you as a believer do not persevere
and struggle and wrestle in this life as we near
the day of the Lord by yourself. He has given
you a band of brothers to lock arms with that
is led by our elder brother, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You don't have to persevere by yourself. The
local church is given as a great blessing to
the people of God. Where we can love one another
and provoke one another to love and... Good deeds.
There's all kinds of motivations to give yourself
to the local church and the assembly of the local
church. There's many that are beneficial for
your own soul, but there's many that are beneficial
for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Nothing
good comes for your own soul or the souls of
other saints by forsaking the assembly. Positives
come. Blessings come as a result of faithfully
committing yourself to gathering together with
the saints. And if those aren't cause enough
to motivate us, remember that the one who loves
the church perfectly and knows the hearts of
all men will arrive and enter into this world.
And He will make known the motives of our heart.
He will reveal the justifications, the rationalizations
in our mind and our hearts. He can't be fooled.
He knows the intent and motives of our heart,
brothers and sisters. And He is coming. He will
arrive. And he loves his people. He loves his
people dearly. And on that day, he will separate
the sheep from the goats. Many who say they are
a part of the church will be revealed that they
were a goat in sheep's clothing all along. Christ
will come and sift every human being on the planet.
You will either be a part of the true church
because you have believed in Christ and His perfect
sacrifice, or you will be judged according to
your sin as you deserve as one who never knew
Jesus Christ. So the author gives us this exhortation.
He tells us how we can bring it about and obey
it. And he gives us great motive for obeying
every single one of us.