Called to be irritating Free Reprint Article

NotifySnack

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US

Translate this Page Here

Word Count: 541

Send Article To Friend

Print/Use Article

Contact Adam Bennett

Called to be irritating

by Adam Bennett
3/07/2008 / Church Life

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)

Starting from the end of this passage we are reminded that the people to whom this letter was sent lived in the expectation of Christ's imminent return. When the writer encourages them "all the more as you see the Day approaching" (v.25) you get the sense of urgency that characterised their faith.

They took Jesus' teaching seriously that we must,"keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42) Similarly, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.' (1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV).

The other exhortations in the passage should be read with this sense of urgency, because for us just like the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews, we do not know when the Lord will come.

With this in mind, the writer to the Hebrews wrote, "let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (v.24) so that our faith would not be hollow but would be characterised by real good works. We are responsible for helping other Christians to express their faith in action.

The Greek word translated "spur" is paroxusmos which literally means to incite or irritate. We are expected to more emphatically challenge Christians to live up to the life bought for them. The writer wants us to incite, or irritate Christians to progress in their faith and express it in good works because, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26 ESV)

Next, the writer exhorts us to, "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing." Our common notion of individual faith is misleading - faith is built up, supported, grown and expressed through the Church. (Although our perspectives on what comprises Church are probably too narrow.)

Paul clearly expected that it was a normal for Christians to meet together. In Ephesians he wrote that we should, "Be very careful, then, how you livenot as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity... Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-16,19-20)

The writer's objective in this was that in doing so we would "encourage one another." This is just like when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

There are plenty of things which are discouraging without Church and Christians adding to our difficulties. Christians should be encouraging to one another.

We have a responsibility, not only to meet together, but to ensure that when we do so we support others to grow in their faiths and live out their Christian lives.

Copyright Adam Bennett 2009. More articles are available at http://godward-thoughts.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW