If you are reading this and you are a Christian, know that you are not alone. This article is focused on how we are supposed to be living our lives in relation to our brothers and sisters in Christ. How are we to treat one another?
We have mentioned Hebrews 10:25 in a prior article and it is commonly emphasized due to the importance of Christians assembling.
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Verse 25 is of great importance. When the congregation is assembled we are supposed to be there, but we mustn’t neglect to see verse 24:
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
This cuts to the heart and soul of our responsibility to one another. We are to stir up one another to love and good works.
A Few Observations from this Passage:
The goal for our life is love and good works.
1 Timothy 1:5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
That love is supposed to be acted out by good works.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
As Christians we are new creatures and we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.
2. STIR UP one another to love and good works.
Stir Up. What does that mean?
NASB “Stimulate”
KJV “Provoke”
NKJV and ESV “Stir Up”
Here is a scene. We are all walking around apathetic and lazy and grazing along God’s path. I know this paints an ugly picture of Christians, but for many they find themselves in this state from time to time. The Hebrew writer is telling us we are to “stimulate” one another. We are to help each other from falling into this apathetic and lazy grazing about. We are to instead be living and fostering relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ in a manner that provokes each other to love and good works.
We are not going to let each other be loser Christians. We are not going to let each other become apathetic and lazy. We are not going to let each other stop growing and digress.
3. We must CONSIDER HOW TO stir up one another to love and good works.
This isn’t going to just happen in the moment. We can’t just wing it daily.
We must give great thought and prayer to considering one another and our circumstances and how we can most effectively build each other up and not tear each other down with our methods of stimulating or stirring one another up to love and good works.
Hebrews 10:25 is one example.
As we worship together every time the Christians are assembled we are encouraging one another and building each other up to love and good works.
Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
Speak. Teach one another. We can exhort one another. That is the idea of encouraging one another. Telling each other good job. Showing gratitude and appreciation. Even reproving one another at times. When we see someone doing something wrong and we pull them aside to correct them in a manner that demonstrates our love and genuine concern for them and their soul.
Speak, Exhort, Reprove.
Titus 2:7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Be an example of good works. And remember from Galatians 6:1 the principle of doing all things with gentleness. This is about helping people get to heaven. It is not about putting people in their place or trying to get people to be just like me.
4. WE ARE to stir up one another.
We are to stir up one another. The passage didn’t say the elders are to stimulate us. He didn’t say the preacher. He didn’t even say only the people who have been Christians for 20 years. He said we are to stir up or stimulate one another.
This is your responsibility as a Christian and it is my responsibility as a Christian.
This is a one another responsibility. We are going to strive to stir up others to love and good works, but we must have our own hearts prepared to allow others to stimulate us to love and good works as well.
Keep the faith today and next week we’ll discuss getting the message out.