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“But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.”
— Hebrews 3:13-14 NKJV
How often do church members see a fellow member go astray and never exhort one another or warn them? How frequently do we hear reports of the inconsistent lives of other members? We might even contribute to the circulation of those reports. We do this without trying to inquire whether such reports are valid.
In some assemblies, the poor fear the rich. In others, the rich despise the poor. They see one another living in sin and fail to exhort one another to change. Not to mention, no one makes an effort to petition or save them!
The message of Hebrews 3:13-14 to the church is simple. Every member of the body of Christ is commanded to exhort one another. As we mature in Christ, we learn that it is our duty to our brethren to:
Encourage Each Other Daily
The primary purpose of attending church is not to hear the word of God preached in a sermon. While preaching is a vital part of attending church, it is not why we should assemble (Hebrews 10:24-25). It is not the duty of ministers of the gospel (pastors and preachers) to encourage us.
We are members of the same body, the Body of Christ. Members of the general assembly should exhort one another consistently. Each member sustains a part of the honor and responsibility of the whole. In addition, each member should admonish a fellow member who goes astray.
How We Should Reprimand Each Other
Friends
Close friends in the church should encourage, counsel, and admonish each other about their faults. A pastor can’t often see members of his flock privately, so we should help one another live righteously. We can do this by sharing our testimonies when we are not in the assembly.
Parents
Believing parents should also admonish their children daily, as God has placed them under their watch and care. Parents who exhort one another and admonish their children aid pastors in their work.
Teachers and Pastors
Sunday school teachers aid pastors and parents in the duty of exhortation. In many churches, children and young people are often cared for by Sunday school teachers and youth pastors. These teachers and pastors have a chance to understand the state of mind of our youth. They learn about the temptations and dangers that our youth face. Youth may share things with them that they don’t share with their parents.
The Aged
Every aged member of the body of Christ has a responsibility to the younger members of the body. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 says,
“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as sisters, with all purity.”
The experience of the aged member of the body of Christ is invaluable. It aids the weak, reclaims the wandering, recovers the backslider, and directs the inquiring believer. A vast amount of “spiritual capital” in the church is not utilized. This capital could be made instantly useful in helping others to enter into the kingdom.
While It Is Called Today
While life remains, we are liable to go astray every day. Every day, we must try to help others live godly lives. Our hearts can become hardened, causing us to be less sensitive and our conscience to be less tender. Thus, we must keep our hearts clean and ready to serve God. It is the only way to properly admonish and exhort one another in love.
The Deceitfulness of Sin
Sin is always deceitful. It promises more than it performs. It assures us of pleasure which it never presents. The person who sins is always under a delusion. Sin puts on plausible appearances and preferences. It assumes the name of virtue and offers excuses. It takes the edge off until it snares the victim.
Sin deceives, deludes, and blinds. People do not, or will not, see the fearful results of indulgence in sin. Deluded by the hope of happiness or gain, the fascination of pleasure draws people. This continues until their hearts become hard, and their consciences become seared.
Admonish As Partakers of Christ
We are spiritually united to our Savior. We are one with Him (John 15:1-7). The idea here is that we partake in everything that pertains to Christ. It is a union of feeling and affection, principle and congeniality. It involves dependence as well as love. In this union, we impart nothing, but we gain everything. Thus, it is a great condescension on the part of the Redeemer. In the example of the union of the branch to the vine, the branch draws support from the vine. The vine nourishes it.
Perseverance
We must keep the same confidence we had at the beginning of our Christian life. Hence, we must persevere if we have evidence of true righteousness. Scripture teaches this doctrine throughout the Scriptures. But what are we to persevere in? Are we merely to profess our affiliation with a particular sect? The Pharisees had that to the end of their lives to no avail. Thus, we should persevere in:
- The love of God.
- Guarding our hearts.
- Studying the Bible.
- Our prayer life.
- Leading a “Christian” life, distinguished from a life of worldliness and vanity, a life of mere morality, and honesty.
