Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Hebrews 3:1-19

Exhort One Another Every Day

Chapter three begins by letting us know that Christ is greater than Moses, as much as a son is greater than a servant.  This goes along with Jesus being greater than the angels, which was highlighted in chapter one.  The point, of course, is that as Jesus is God’s Son, he is preeminent over all things.  He has the dominion.  As great as Moses was, and we spent the last four weeks reading about that, even he cannot compare to Christ.  Moses was a man, a great man, the greatest prophet Israel ever had.  But Christ is God’s Son, who of his own free will (for who is truly free but God alone) and out of no obligation to us but his own promise, became man for us, to live and die and live again on our behalf.  He is the God-man, our Savior.

In light of all of this, in light of such a wonderful salvation as we have attained, in light of our Lord and Savior who endured suffering and death on our behalf, in light of our God’s calling us out of darkness and into light, and not of any works of our own but by his own grace and mercy – what kind of people ought we to be?  This is what chapter three is saying.  In light of our heavenly calling, we should consider Jesus our high priest, and how he was faithful in all God’s house as a son.  We are now called to be faithful as adopted sons.  We must “hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”  This is the debt that Christians owe.  After all, Jesus paid a debt he did not owe on our behalf.  We now return the favor by giving our lives over for the One who gave his life over for us.

The rest of the chapter is a call to let not our hearts grow hard, nor to fall away.  It is a difficult task, as every Christian knows.  Our clinging, sinful nature drags us down; Satan tempts us sorely.  And one of his most insidious temptations is the dulling of our faith, the gradual lull of weariness that slowly hardens the heart as embers of faith cool and apathy sets in.  Soon a person becomes cynical, having been fooled by the deceitfulness of sin that tells one that it’s all for naught or that church is boring.  It is this hardening that causes one to rebel against the Lord and miss the rest that God has promised to those who believe in him.  Therefore, it is so important that we lift one another up in prayer and encourage one another, daily.  At different times, each one of us will be down, some one of us will be depressed.  That’s why we have the church.  Let us exhort one another today, while it is still today, so that sin not creep in and snatch one of us away.  There is a rest awaiting the people of God, and we shall one day enjoy it, if we do not faint before the time (Galatians 6:9).

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist