Faith, Hope, and Love
October 22nd, 2018 | Hebrews 10:19-25
As one Christian teacher put it, the Bible tells us “what is true” and then tells us “what to do.” Theology is never an abstraction or mental exercise; it always includes an application to our lives. That is also true for the book of Hebrews.
Having laid out the great truth of Christ’s priesthood, sacrifice, and new covenant, Scripture now calls us to apply it to our lives. Three specific exhortations follow. First, we are told, “let us draw near to God” (v. 22). We should do this with “confidence” (v. 19) and “full assurance” (v. 22), not in ourselves, but in our “great priest” (v. 20). By His blood, our “new and living way” (v. 20), we have been purified and cleansed. As a result we now have permission “to enter the Most Holy Place” (v. 19), and that is what we are called to do—draw near to God in faith.
Second, we are told, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” (v. 23). In addition to faith in God’s present salvation, we also look forward to a future hope. But again, our expectation rests not in ourselves, but in God, “for He who promised is faithful” (v. 23). It is His character that allows us to live in hope and profess it in our lives.
Third, we are told, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on” (v. 24). The Christian life is not just about faith and hope; it is also about love in a community of fellow believers. Given all that God has done for us, we are now told to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters toward “love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together” (vv. 24–25). As John Wesley famously said: “The Bible knows nothing of a solitary Christian.”
APPLY THE WORD
Have you neglected the practice of gathering together with fellow believers in worship? Or maybe someone you know has drifted away from regular worship. The body of Christ is important for our Christian walk! Encourage that person (or yourself!) to renew your commitment to regular communal worship.
PRAYER | CHINA
Pray for Nazar, a believer whose Muslim husband divorced her because of her newfound faith in Jesus. She asks us to pray for her son, as the divorce deeply affected him. Please ask God to heal and comfort her son.
Today in the Word’s Devotion is a production of Moody Global Ministries
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