Encouragement for Survival

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:13 AV)

Exhortation is important.  This exhortation needs to be an effort of the body and not only of the preacher.  Paul (whom we assume wrote this letter) is speaking to the Jews as a whole.  This letter is not to an individual as the letters of Timothy and Titus where.  This letter is to the whole of the group of the Hebrews.  Hence the title.  Furthermore, it is not necessary written to those who are saved as opposed to those who are lost.  Rather, it is written to an ethnic group.  In the Biblical sense, a nation.  He is instructing those who are Jewish to exhort one another lest the whole group become hardened in sin.  Putting it simply, righteousness comes from a group effort.  Encouragement is a group effort.  For the body as a whole to overcome the hardness of sin, the body must have a mutual care for itself.

 Coming from such a large family, I can understand this a bit.  When we consider what it meant to be who we were and the demand of mature and responsible living which our parents required, it was not easy growing up with temptation all around us.  What was of a great help were all the sibling upon whom we could draw for support when things were particularly difficult.  I had my good friends.  There was Scott, Pat, and Marc.  There was another Mark, still another Mark, and a Matt.  These were close friends through different stages of life.  They were there when they could be.  But family was always there.  I remember one occasion of difficulty most vividly.  After school we had boarded our bus for the ride home.  Some of my classmates were egging me on to say things or agree to things that I could not.  I felt all alone.  Then, across the aisle, I caught my brother Chris’ gaze.  All he said in that simple look was that it was going to be ok and that he was proud of me.  That is all it took.

There were days of old when we had prayer chains.  We would communicate as a church family.  There were times when we never went through a difficult time alone.  There were times when we didn’t have to organize a time for visitation just so that we could keep up on fellow members.  Phone calls, cards, and letters went out without prompting.  We live in a private world.  We hide behind a little screen of anonymity.  We go to work, work long hours, go home and close the door.  On comes the one-eyed monster and we are secluded from our church family.  This isn’t healthy.  This will only lead to hardness in sin.  The body needs to communicate.  The body needs to encourage.  If only for the sake of one another’s survival in the midst of an evil world.