Hebrews 10:19-25

¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not 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.

Freed in Order to Live

Reading this passage, two thoughts stand out:

1. The writer strongly emphasizes the aspect of hope. (v 23)
2. The readers are clearly asked to spur one another on towards love and good deeds. (v 24)

Many years ago, I had a conversation with a woman, who after finishing her studies in a Bible college, began a church plant in a little town in Belgium. Thinking about the fact that there were a lot of churches in many villages and towns already, I asked her about the purpose of her efforts. She replied that planting new churches would influence society and would have a positive impact on the communities, ethics, economic attitudes and political behavior. The lady had a clear goal in mind. The motivation to trigger positive changes generally requires the hope that sooner or later the desired effect will become real.

At present we are overwhelmed by bad news from all over the world and life is not easy. We get the impression that there is no room for sustainable hope. Everything seems to be getting worse. Hope is based on a profound faith and the steady confidence in something that is powerful enough not only to surmount disastrous circumstances, but to change them into something good.

God sent his Son to overcome the separation between himself and mankind and free us from our excessive fear and the uncertainty about what will happen after we die. Jesus called his disciples to be responsible counterparts to spread the Good News that includes hope, pardon of sins and the promise of eternal life. The Gospel was not meant to be secret knowledge for an elite circle but, was meant to be common property and knowledge for everyone. All are supposed to benefit from his teachings and messages - filled with hope and giving meaning to everyday life.

I see the purpose of not giving up meeting together (v 25) as an opportunity to accompany each other on our journey to a life that makes a difference. Being together can help us to develop a strategy to not only maintain but even improveour lives together.