Hebrews 10:23–25 (ESV): Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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.
Do you love the church? If you are like me, “Yes, of course,” just popped into your head. But really think about this for a moment. Do you love the church? Christ does. Christ loves the church like a husband loves his bride. He lays down His life for her. Now again, do you love the church?
Consider the verse above (Hebrews 10:23-25). We are all prone to wander as the old hymn says. We are all prone to leave the God we love. So we must hold fast to the confession of our hope in Christ. We must hold fast to the truth that Jesus is who He proclaimed Himself to be and He would do all that He proclaimed He would. That is hard. There are shadows of that difficulty in our lives. Holding fast to this confession of hope is like pushing through the last mile of a 5k. It is like cleaning up your home after a long week at work. It is like choosing to keep your vows in a difficult time in your marriage. The beauty is that the confession is trustworthy and true.
The problem is it can be hard to remind yourself of that in those moments. Like a runner hitting that “runners wall” or a mother in the midst of labor, it can be hard to see the glory at the end of your struggle. God did not leave us to do this alone. God has saved us to be part of a community, a family. God has saved us to stir one another; to incite one another to do good. Neglecting the local church is harmful to the church. It is harmful to you. You need encouragement and so do your brothers and sisters. You see the confession of hope we hold to necessitates we walk in good works. This is why the writer of Hebrews wrote about good works immediately after the confession and the One who is faithful. God is faithful to complete the promises He made to the church. Are you faithful to obey? Will you obey the command to not neglect? Will you encourage your brothers and sisters with the truth of the Word? Will you stir one another to love and good works? Will you love the church?
This article was written by Armando Yzaguirre Jr., Pastor of Family Ministry at Fellowship Church.