Essential Encouragement
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24–25)
All the way through Hebrews the spotlight is on Jesus Christ, the Superior One. He has opened for us a new and living way to the Father. We don’t have to go through a system of works. We don’t have to go through some other person who will represent our cause. We don’t have to earn our way into the presence of God and hope that He will lend an ear and hear our requests. No, not that.
Finally, we arrive at the climax of the book:
Since therefore, brothers and sisters, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (Hebrews 10:19–21 NASB)
His point is this: Since we have confidence to enter the Lord’s presence and since we have Christ as our “great Priest,” let us execute the following three commands, each of which is introduced by “Let us.”
Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (10:22 NASB 1995)
This is symbolic language. It means: Let us come into the presence of our God clean and pure. Let’s have no lingering sin hanging heavily over us like an anchor as we attempt to storm the throne with our needs. Let us draw near!
The next command:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (10:23 NASB 1995)
The second command is a strong one, written before the ink is dry on the first. “Let us draw near.” Amen! “Let us hold fast.” Amen! But also:
And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. (10:24 NASB 1995)
Did you ever know that was in the Bible? Let us give attention to how we might stimulate our brothers and sisters in the family of God. It isn’t just a suggestion, an off-the-cuff, casual idea like, “Oh, by the way, it might be good, while you’re holding fast to the faith, to toss in a little encouragement.” It’s a command.
