a young reformed blog designed to edify

Let’s get into it.

Hebrews 10:23-25

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 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.

Let’s see what our boy John Piper has to say about this piece of scripture:

Let’s read it. Verse 24: “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” Here is the focus for your life. Here is what you aim at from morning till night as a Christian. Notice carefully: it is not what you might expect. It is not: consider how to love each other and do good deeds. That would be Biblical and right. But it’s different: “Consider how to stimulate each other to love and good deeds.” Focus on helping others become loving people. Aim at stirring up others to do good deeds. And of course the implication would also be that if others need help and stirring, we do too, and so we would be aiming at what sorts of ways we can think and feel and talk and act that will stir each other up to love and to do good deeds. The aim of our lives is not just loving and doing good deeds, but helping to stir up others to love and to good deeds.

And also let’s read:

Hebrews 3:12-14

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 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. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

These scriptures vibrate with infectious love. 10:23 speaks of holding strongly to the hope we have, namely the Gospel. The context that flows forth from this verse is that we would rightly see the Gospel from the Word and through sound doctrine and also that we would have an affection for the slaughtered Lamb. Intelectually we know that we should be close to God. But how often do we have those feelings of affection for Him? 10:24 is telling us clearly that we ought to stir up others to love and do good works. We need to encourage each other on towards intimacy with the Almighty. Let’s drop the legalism. Let’s drop the show. Let’s talk about being absolutely HELPLESS like mere infants, and our utter need for His protection and provision. Let’s talk amongst the brothers and sisters of eternal things. Let’s talk constantly of His grace, mercy and love.

Let’s stir up one another.

~doctrinated