Instruction
Scripture: Hebrews 3:12-19
The writer of the letter began chapter 3 with a comparison
of Jesus and Moses urging his readers to recognize that Jesus’ glory is greater
than Moses’. In this section he warns believers against falling into unbelief
as the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness did. This reading stands as a
warning to all Christians against being hardened by our sin and rebelling
against God.
Teaching
There are those who teach that a Christian cannot lose their
salvation. Hebrews says otherwise. Sin is always damaging to faith – especially
sin that is open rebellion against God’s will for our lives; when we either
don’t care that we are sinning or refuse to believe that our actions are
sinful.
Sin’s deceitfulness is one of the reasons that it is
important for Christians to live in community with their brothers and sisters
in Christ. Those other people in our lives can sometimes see things about us
that we do not see when we examine ourselves, and their encouragement is
important for resisting temptation.
Life
John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, Entire to itself…”
While he wrote of the sorrow of death that connects us all, this statement is
true for followers of Christ because of the life that connects us all. Are you
cherishing sins in your heart so that you need to hear someone say, “For the
sake of Jesus, stop!”? Are you holding on to guilt so that you need to hear the
words, “Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace.” God has given us to one another
so that we might exhort one another. We are God’s gifts to one another to speak
of Jesus’ salvation and to proclaim the Word that keeps us from unbelief.
Prayer
O Father, is it really true that sin could cause us to lose
our faith? You warn us to watch out for evil, unbelieving hearts and for the
hardness that creeps in from sins deceitfulness. Yet You have, out of Your
love, given this word of warning and reminded us that this is what happened to
Israel when they were to enter the Promised Land. Not only that, but You have
given us our sisters and brothers in Christ to exhort us and help us to resist
rebellion and unbelief.
Thank You, Lord God, for this warning; and thank You for
putting us in relationships where we can exhort one another.
Forgive us, Lord, for Jesus’ sake for the times we have
dabbled with sin as though we were more powerful than it, or as though it did
not matter. Forgive us for our rebellion against Your Word. Forgive us for
resisting the exhortation of others and for being shy in exhorting those in
need of Your Word which we might have spoken to them. We share in Christ, and
our confidence is in Him for forgiveness.
Give us an extra portion of Your Spirit, O God, to keep our
hearts from hardening, and to sustain and grow the faith You have given us.
Give us wisdom and courage to exhort one another with the good news that we do
share in Christ – in His death and resurrection. We pray for those who are in
rebellion and ask that their hearts would be turned to You, and we include the
descendants of those who rebelled in the wilderness that the Jews, too, may
know Your salvation once again. Let all people hear Your voice, and let their
hearts not be hardened. Let them be receptive to the good news of Your
salvation. Amen.
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