What a privilege we have to become children of God and have a personal relationship with Him. But what about Christian fellowship with other believers? How should we view church attendance, involvement, and the nature of our relationships with one another? Are those things requirements for a Christian? Are they duties or are they not that important? What does the Bible have to say?
Today’s Readings:
Ezekiel 21 & 22
Psalm 126.1-6
Proverbs 28.23
Hebrews 10.19-39
How to Stir Up Love and Good Works
Hebrews 10.19-39:
Fellowship with God
The writer of Hebrews sums up this section on the superiority of Christ’s priesthood by saying that we should enter into His presence with boldness, “a full assurance of faith,” and a clear conscience.
That full assurance of faith gives us the right to come into His very throne room, not in fear, but knowing it’s a throne of grace where we find the mercy and grace we need (Heb. 4.14-16).
What a privilege we have to become children of God, have a personal relationship with Him, and be the recipients of His many blessings.
But what about our personal relationships within the body of Christ? How important is Christian fellowship? What about church attendance and involvement? Are those things requirements for a Christian? Are they duties or are they not that important? What does the Bible have to say about those questions?
Christian Fellowship
To answer those questions, let’s look at two more verses in Hebrews 10:
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (10.24-25).
After the writer had told us all about our Great High Priest, all He has done for us, His faithfulness and grace toward us, he says, “and let us consider one another.” Why? So we can “stir up love and good works” and “exhort one another.”
Christian fellowship certainly includes fun and friendship but it is much more. The meaning of the word translated exhort includes words like implore, comfort, and entreat. Other versions of the Bible use the word encourage. Because we have received His mercy and grace, we are to share them with others.
Growing Together
God never intended for us to be lone-ranger Christians. And part of how He grows, teaches, encourages, and reproves us is in community, that is in Christian fellowship, doing life with other believers.
I believe we should all be members of and actively involved in a good Bible-believing church. There are times in all of our lives when we need the love and encouragement of others. And there are times when others need our encouragement. We also need others to hold us accountable. That isn’t possible if all we do is come to church and slip out the back door and it certainly won’t happen if we neglect church altogether.
True Christian Fellowship: Loving One Another
I have never counted them, but I have read that there are 59 “one another” passages in the Bible. Among other things we’re to:
Be kindly affectionate toward one another (Rom. 12.10).
Admonish one another (Rom. 15.14).
Serve one another (Gal. 5.13).
Bear with one another (Eph. 4.2).
Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward one another (Eph. 4.32).
Submit to one another (Eph. 5.21).
Comfort one another (1 Thess. 4.18).
Edify one another (1 Thess. 5.11).
Exhort one another (Heb. 3.13).
Stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10.24).
Confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5.16).
Have compassion for one another (1 Pet. 3.8).
Show hospitality to one another (1 Pet. 4.9).
And repeatedly we’re told to love one another (Jn. 15.7, Rom. 13.8, 1 Pet. 4.8, 1 Jn. 4.11, 2 Jn. 1.5 & more).
We cannot obey any of those commands unless we are involved with other believers.
So, how do you view attendance at worship services, the importance of church involvement, and Christian fellowship? And are you obeying the command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together?
Today’s Other Readings:
Ezekiel 21 & 22:
Patiently Inviting & Warning
As we read the prophets it may seem that God is saying the same things over and over. It’s easy to get weary of reading them. But as we read these prophecies concerning God’s judgment, we need to remember that God repeats things because we need to hear them … repeatedly. It’s His mercy and patience at work.
Even today, God uses men and women to continue to sound the alarm and warn of the dangers of sin and compromise in our society. And although many want to cover their ears or worse attack those who speak the truth, we need to be like faithful Noah who both encouraged others to get into the ark and warned of the coming flood.
Psalm 126.1-6:
Tears & Joy
This psalm was probably written about Israel’s eventual repentance and return from captivity in Babylon, but also applies to our repentance and salvation. Those who sow tears of repentance shall reap the joy of salvation.
Proverbs 28.23:
Rebuke Versus Flattery
He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue.
Even though we are to encourage, love, and comfort one another, there are times when loving each other well means speaking hard truths and calling one another to repentance.
Coming Up:
In the next few days, we’ll discuss trusting God in suffering, the key to the Christian life, and the question, “Where is God when life is hard?”
I hope you’ll join us.
Getting ready for 2025:
The holidays are just around the corner and the new year will be on us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I’d like to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 15 minutes a day. You can read each day’s post or watch as I read through the passages on YouTube. Sign up here for my daily email. It has links to the written post and the YouTube video. And it can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.
You can check out our YouTube channel here.
If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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