Our theme for the upcoming season is “Draw Near.” We’ll be focusing on Hebrews 10:19-25. “Therefore, brothers,since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 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.”
There are so many wonderful truths found in this passage. I love this phrase “hold fast”. It’s a beautiful picture of clinging tightly to something with a passion of not letting go. But it doesn’t just mean to cling to it, but also to stand on it. We hear the term “hold the line” in war documentaries, or “hold firm” and stand your ground. It is not just grabbing ahold of that promise, but then of making it your ground to stand on.
There are many promises given to us in scripture to hold fast to, but the one we claim here is that of our eternal hope in Christ Jesus and the promise of eternal life with Him because of His righteousness, not our own. There is one requirement that He possesses that enables us to do this. It is HIS faithfulness, not our own. God is the ultimate promise keeper.
Paul also gives further instruction that we are to consider or study each other so we might effectively stir up each other regarding love and good works. We not only need encouragement to be loving and do good works towards others, but also to meet together. We need the fellowship of the body! And the need will INCREASE, not decrease, as His coming grows closer. We live in a world that allows us to neglect fellowship with others in place of short texts, social media interactions, online church services, and “virtual” everything! Do we deliberately engage with others enough to even have the opportunity to “stir” them and be stirred ourselves?
I was looking recently at the final words of Joseph who, in Genesis 50, reminded the Israelites of God’s promises at the time of his death. While he knew he wasn’t going to see it with his own eyes, he still believed that one day God would take them up and restore them to the Promised Land. The promise of God through Joseph is that God would come and take them up. This is the promise that Jesus gives to those that follow him. John 6:40 says “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
It’s easy to walk through the daily trials of life and be bogged down by the myriad of tasks that bombard us. It’s easy to look down at the next step and forget that we walk with a great promise ahead of us. We pray that as a ministry, we will faithfully teach others about our great God, that we will stir others up to remember and encourage them to keep walking in faithfulness and draw near to Christ. What a blessing to introduce folks to the faithful God who always keeps His promises. He will take us up!
