The
character of God can be summarized by how he engages humanity and what he
desires our response be when we read about his commands and communicate with
him through prayer and supplication (Philippians 4:6-7). For example, God
specifically lays out a foundation for how we should treat one another. On
multiple occasions, the power of our influence is well documented in Scripture.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says,
“And let us consider how to spur one another on towards
love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit
of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.”
God
created us to be in community with one another. Fellowship matters to him
because it is a reflection of him and his deepest desires. In fact, our
influence on one another withholds so much power, it will even prepare us for
the dark days that are ahead of us. All
the more is a key phrase used to explain how much more important it will be
when the men and women who serve the Lord will be put on trial for their
beliefs (see Matthew Henry Commentary of Hebrews 10:25).
In
addition to all the more, another
phrase that is important to focus on is as
some are in the habit of doing. Long before this day and age, God knew the
greatest weakness that could potentially eliminate the positive influence of
man, and it would come in the form of isolation. Commentary suggests ‘assembling
Christians’ (found in Hebrews 10:25) translates to Christians who publicly worship
(Barnes’ Notes on the Bible). The problem, unfortunately, is the lack of
meeting and publicly worshiping God together in word and deed. What looms
larger is the disguise: Isolation and comfort often go hand-in-hand, and
filling our schedules with busy seems to be the norm. Even when there is
meeting up with others in worship to God, we are not spurring one another
toward love and good deeds as much as we should. We forget and abandon the
unlimited power of influence we are given when we meet with the purpose of
encouraging one another on.
While
Hebrews does provide clear instruction on how to engage with one another, it is
not the only reference in Scripture that cites the importance of meeting
together. Matthew 18:20 also promises, “For where two or three gather in my
name, there am I with them.” Sure, alone time with God is good for the soul and
the relationship, but a fellowship of believers makes a strong impact as well. When
those who come together with a common desire to make him the vocal point of
conversation and action, God’s presence is multiplied. Why? In the context of
Scripture, it’s simple. Take a look at how influential fellowship works:
First, we are called to be
“imitators” and to “imitate God” in everything we do (see 1 Corinthians 11:1
and Ephesians 5:1). This means Jesus didn’t just come to save us from sin, but
he modeled for us what it looks like to imitate God in all we do. Second, being
imitators of Jesus means this: when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and
adhere to its promptings, we are very much like Jesus. Now imagine a room full
of Jesus’, loving on one another, instructing one another, admonishing one another, etc. Our words, actions, and
deeds, when prescribed in the context of imitating God’s goodness (the fruits
of the Spirit), carries so much power because God is in the midst of it.
God earnestly desires for us to be
committed to one another in Christ because in doing so, we are intentionally
engaging in the mission statement of God: to bring Love and Truth to a world
who so desperately needs it. Men, women, and children so often struggle to be
like Jesus; to live like he did and imitate him in all they do. When we meet
together and spur one another on, we collectively see that living like Jesus is
possible, and it strengthens our desire to continue living that way.
Those closest to me, the men who
run the race with me, know me well. When I am feeling down, or I let my
circumstances define my faith, these men give me a pep talk; they snap me out
of my mindset. Like a star athlete huddling around his teammates to remind them
the game is not over, my buddies will yell in my ear who I am in Jesus and that
I am bigger than Satan’s flaming arrows; that I have the armor I need to fend
off any attack from him. My friends are good at giving me the pep talk because those
pep talks are grounded in Scripture and aligned with God’s promises. When Jesus
feels invisible to me, the Holy Spirit living in my friends is what catapults
me into Truth and Victory. When Jesus fees non-existent in the midst of my
problems, my fellow warriors show me Jesus in them and how that same Jesus
still resides in me.
Again, the problem remains. We
don’t gather together as much as we should (Hebrews 10:25). We don’t spur one
another on enough through meeting one another and worshiping together. Too many
people live outside of the realm of this possibility. If we do gather together,
God isn’t in the picture as much as he could and should be. Fortunately, each
day is new, and each day is another opportunity to flip the script. If you’re
not spurring one another on towards love and good deeds and getting spurred on
as well, your life will lose Biblical, godly purpose.
We were designed to gather together
and encourage one another towards being imitators of Jesus. We were designed to
publicly worship together. In today’s age, we have become distracted, and
distraction is one of Satan’s tricks. If he can’t take us out, he will use daily
distractions to prevent us from living in the complete blessings that come from
God. Fellowship is a blessing, and isolation is Satan’s way to eliminate imitating
God. When we see another believer properly living out his faith, we are
inspired to begin or continue that process. If we are not inspired, we should
be. If we are not inspired to meet with others, Satan could be using
distractions, busyness, and other excuses to eliminate that desire.
There is a reason God gives the command of meeting together. It works, and it brings us closer to His likeness. Jesus walked with twelve disciples. This means he didn’t go through life alone. We too are not meant to go through life alone, so it is critical to be proactive in this area, because God says it is important.
- The way to combat complacency and enter into a spiritually Christ-centered community is by doing some of the following.
- Making a local church your home and attending (maybe even serving) regularly.
- Finding spiritual brothers (if you’re a guy) and sisters (if you’re a girl) and becoming genuine friends with them (one of the most powerful accountability tools is putting yourself around godly people and allowing them to show up in your life)
- Finding a same-gender leader who is willing to mentor and/or disciple you to become or continue being an imitator of God.
Never give up on opportunities to meet with
others, worship God together, and spur them on toward love and good deeds – this is a command that God
gives us, so it is important to not become lazy in this area.
There is a reason God gives the command of meeting together. It works, and it brings us closer to His likeness. Jesus walked with twelve disciples. This means he didn’t go through life alone. We too are not meant to go through life alone, so it is critical to be proactive in this area, because God says it is important.
*Additional verses
instructing the engagement of brothers and sisters in Christ: Romans 12:10-21, Colossians
3:12-17, 2 Timothy 2:23-25, Matthew 5:21-23