Encourage one another day after day

Hebrews 3:12-19 NASB

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is  still  called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,  while it is said,
"Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as  when they  provoked me."
  For who provoked  Him  when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt  led  by Moses?  And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So  we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

My thoughts -

I could be wrong and I'm definitely generalizing here but I am convinced that, by and large, people know right from wrong. Unfortunately there is often conflict between what we should do and what we want to do. When this conflict arises we tend to go with what we want to do at the expense of doing the right thing.

Often, when faced with a decision to make in this regard I will try to shut out the voice that says what I should do. I don't want to hear it. There's things that I desire. There is satisfaction to be had. Maybe I'm upset at having been wronged and want to retaliate. Maybe I have the opportunity to gain from deceit. Maybe I have a chance to help someone else but would rather do something for myself instead. Maybe I have the opportunity to reconcile with someone but would rather carry a grudge.

Whatever the circumstances may be I usually know what the right thing to do is. Not always, life is complicated, but usually. In these cases far too often I will silence the voice telling me to do what is right in order to listen to my own selfish desires. It is willful. It is intentional. It is sinful. I harden my heart. I choose sin over righteousness.

Here, the author of Hebrews tells us believers not to do that. While I don't think I need someone to tell me that, I know it's wrong, I love what verse two says. We are to encourage one another in this. When I choose to sin I become convicted of my sin. I can kick myself just fine. I don't need anyone else to kick me. But encouragement? That I need. I am convinced that encouragement is something we all need.

Sin entices. Sin speaks with a soothing voice and tells us what we want to hear. Sin woos us and then destroys us. Sin gives voice to our passions and encourages us to ignore reason and pursue our selfish, carnal desires. Sin offers an immediate satisfaction that makes our hearts race, our mouths water, and our minds fantasize about the endless hedonistic possibilities. Sin has us ignore consequences and leads to destruction.

And sin is what we think we want. But it is fools gold. It is a lie. It offers all of the things we think we want in life but it leads to death. And as we listen to its false promises and as we give in to its soothing voice we choose to harden our hearts and ignore that still, small voice of God that tells us what is right, what is good, what is holy, what is righteous, and what it is that will free us from our addiction to sin and enable us to live abundant lives in Christ. We harden our hearts.

Alone we are no match for sin. But through Christ we can overcome it. But we need to do this together. We need to encourage and exhort each other. Too often when one believer falls another one is there, but instead of lifting the fallen one down we will kick him while he lays there. We need to encourage each other. We need to lift each other up.

This does not mean anything goes. This does not mean that we are not held accountable for our actions. Quite the opposite. When we harden our hearts we need fellow believers in our lives to call us on it. When I decide to sin I'm in no position to help myself out. I need someone to call me out for my crap and to let me know that I can do better. I'm better than that. God desires more from me.

But rather than exhorting and encouraging we feel the need to ostracise and punish. Yes, there are consequences for sin. But our first reaction, when someone falls, should be to lift them up, not to shun them. If we break communion over sin how can we help each other to not harden our hearts? How can we restore each other if we break communion? How can we hold each other accountable?

God teaches us right from wrong. God provides a voice that we can learn to listen to that shuts up the voice of sin that woos us. God ultimately judges everything. We need to encourage each other to listen to the voice of God rather than place ourselves in the role of judge. That's not our place.

And ultimately we need to learn how to not harden our hearts. We need to learn how to overcome sin through Christ. We need to learn to listen to that still small voice. And we need to encourage each other in this.

We believe. We need to live like it. And we need to encourage one another to do the same.

Not condemn.

Encourage.