Fellow Christian, you have been called to a life of striving. Living for Jesus in the midst of a fallen world means that all of your movement toward Christ and Christlikeness will be opposed strongly by a powerful current running in the opposite direction. Even now, the prevailing current of the culture and our own sin-nature is pulling strongly at our hearts and minds. There is a strong downward pull to these days that we are living in.

Hebrews 10:24-25, sits squarely in the midst of a larger block of scripture which is positively dripping with concern that some will cease striving and thereby be pulled backwards away from Christ. In the surrounding verses the author of Hebrews uses language like, “hold fast,” (23) “draw near,” (22) “do not throw away your confidence,” (35) “You have need of endurance,” (36) and the author  closes this section by warning that those who “shrink back” (38 + 39) because of the carrot of sin or the stick of suffering will be swept away to eternal destruction. And sitting right there in the midst of all this talk of holding fast, enduring and warnings against shrinking back and giving up we find our text, Hebrews 10:24-25.

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Clearly, the one-another community of the church is intended by God to play an important role in helping a believer hold fast to the Word of Life and persevere to the end.