It Is a Matter of Life and Death

Church Family,
What could be more important than living or dying? If faced with the choice to live or to die, we would choose to live, obviously. And when it comes to that question, all the other "important" things in life that take up our time and energy and effort seem to pale in comparison. If you and I were faced with the choice of life or death RIGHT NOW, it wouldn't matter too much what kind of house we live in, what career we have, what kind of boss we work for, the traffic we fight on Hwy 17, how much we have in our investment portfolio, or who the President is. We would want to know: what can I do to ensure that I live and don't die?!

God has given us the very answer to this question of living or dying in Hebrews 3:12-14: Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Our very spiritual life is dependent upon the daily exhortation of other believers. Let that sink in. I think we can often miss the significance of this reality in the Christian life. Sometimes, as we strive to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling..." we can falsely come to the conclusion that it's an individual effort: that my spiritual growth in godliness is up to me. We may intellectually know this isn't true, yet we functionally live as if it is. And yes, while it is true that each believer is to follow Christ and love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, our spiritual growth in Christ is a community event. One of the primary means of our preservation to the end of this life is daily exhortation from other believers. One of the primary means of our protection against sin is daily exhortation from other believers.

Why do we need daily exhortation from other believers? Because of the deceitfulness of sin. Sin hardens the heart. Sin kills godly desires and affections. Sin brings forth spiritual death. And God has given us the means to fight against sin and its effects in our lives. The means of conquering sin and thus the spiritual hardening which leads to death is true Christian fellowship and community. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation, but rather in regular ongoing relationships with other believers. Do you see a believer hardened in their heart towards God? Do you see a believer distancing themselves from other believers? Do you see a believer who used to be the epitome of "on fire for God", but has now disappeared and no one knows where they are?

"But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

See you Sunday, with great exhortation: Kyle