Let Us – Week 14 / April 3rd

Hebrews 10:19-25

The writer of the Book of Hebrews lays down before us some marvelous truths aboutJesus and then in the light of these urges us to respond in three ways. He begins each of these three reasonable responses by declaring, “Let us….” The truths that provoke this threefold “let us” response are that; since Jesus has gone into the real Holy of Holies, that is, God’s very presence, on our behalf and by the all sufficient merit of His spilt blood and since this makes a “living way’ for us all to travel on and, finally, since He is a great High Priest interceding for us at the right hand of glory;

1.    Let us draw near to God

Jesus spilt blood on our behalf removes the consequences of our sins, past, present and future, from our lives and thus delivers us from the wrath of God and, more important still, reconciles us to Him. He is our loving Father and wants us to “draw near.” Our understanding of God our Father must come from what we see in Jesus. Jesus, though distinct from His Father, is of the same essence! There is “no light” or difference between their characters. This is precisely why, in response to a question from the Disciples that they should be shown the Father, Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me?” (John 14:8-9) John declares at the very beginning of his Gospel that Jesus has shown us the nature of His Father. (John 1:18)

We are then to trust these things fully by faith, have the assurance of the Spirit of God in our hearts and we are to live lives that are not only clean and holy but seen to be so! Have your body washed!

2.    Let us hold fast our confession

“Let us hold fast our confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” Hebrews 10:23

Church history has certainly taught us that apostasy is an ever present enemy. Time and time again the wider Church has looked more like the world than the Temple of the Living God. It has done anything but hold fast its confession because preachers, ministers, pastors and priests have strayed from their first love and have sought power, influence and acceptance in the world. Today we are facing what Paul called “a great falling away.” (2Thessalonians 2:3) Deviant sexual lifestyles are given the stamp of biblical approval even though the Bible clearly condemns them and same sex marriage is also embraced as something that God blesses. He does not, will not and neither should we. It takes courage to hold fast our confession as we will be branded unloving bigots filled with prejudice.

Coupled with all of this is the attack leveled at the Bible so that today, in the name of academics, it is considered to be full of myths and legends that have no historical veracity. They are wrong and we must stand up to these assaults against God’s word. Paul tells us that the Devil masquerades as an “Angel of Light” (2Corinthians 11:12-14) meaning that his greatest and most powerful strategy is to destroy the Church from within. We must be watchful, first of all, over our own lives and then over the Church of Jesus that He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28-30)

3.    Let us consider one another

“And let us consider one another in order to
stir up love and good works, 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”
Hebrews 10:24-25

Christianity is a “one another” religion because it recognizes that alienation and independence are hallmarks of the fall and of sinful lives. (Ephesians 4:25-32) Our faith in Jesus not only reconciles us to God our Father but it also reconciles us to one another.  So, the “me and Jesus syndrome” that has afflicted many Christians is just camouflage that hides the truth that they are not yet fully appropriating the life of Christ. This manifests in many ways in that people don’t attend church regularly or claim that they attend an electronic church at home in the comfort of their lounge. All of this is just nonsense and sinful and really says more about these people’s carnality than anything else! We must avoid this and so the writer here firmly states that we should not forsake “the assembling of ourselves together.” In this regard we are to stir one another up and thereby encourage ourselves to play a meaningful part in the local Church.

Let us do this, after all Paul likens us to a body that has many parts and can only really function and grow properly when each part works as it should. (Ephesians 4:15-16) So, let’s be done with all the excuses as to why we cannot attend and serve in a local church and let’s get on with it! Even more so because Jesus is shortly coming and we shall have to give an account of ourselves to Him; the Day is approaching!

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries