Don’t Give Up
February 19, 2013 § Leave a comment
“And let us consider…not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)
Don’t give up church.
The first part of this plea from the writer of Hebrews charges the church not to give up meeting together as believers. You can be a Christian and never meet in a church, because “we have a great priest” in Christ (vs. 21) wherever we are. But who would want that kind of misery? There is much to gain from regular church fellowship. A great benefit is spelled out in the second message of this verse:
Don’t give up, Church.
Go to church and be found “encouraging one another,” something you can’t do outside a community of believers. In fellowship, we can encourage brothers and sisters in our salvation because of the Lamb’s once for all sacrifice (vs. 10), in assurance of forgiveness (vs. 22), in right living (vs. 26), in confidence in what we believe (vs. 35), in perseverance in the faith (vs. 36-39).
I belong to a church that is not without struggles, as is true with any church. I’m grateful for this dual exhortation. I won’t give up on my church, and as a part of it, I can encourage others not to give up God’s work that the church was made to do for His glory.
God&Neighbor 
Leave a Reply