Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
So many people believe this is talking about a church setting, telling them they have to go to church or they are forsaking the assembling of themselves together. It's not. This is advocating, or admonishing, people who believe in Christ as their Savior and want to live for Him to get together to help each other out- to provoke to love, to provoke to good works, to encourage each other - something that should be done more and more the closer to the end we get.
If you belong to a church that does this and holds fast to all the truths as the Bible reveals them, praise God! Many however simply go to church because it's expected of them, it's a duty, it's a chore, it's what a Christian is supposed to do. They go to see the latest fashion on those around them, or to hear a very eloquent preacher relay His own personal study on what He believes you might be interested in hearing. Some go so they can be assuaged of guilt they've built up through the last week, others go because it's what they've been taught to do and want their children to do. There are many, many reasons people attend church that have NOTHING to do with provoking others to LOVE and to GOOD WORKS. Many reasons that don't involve exhorting anyone, they don't go to encourage anyone because Christ is coming soon. If you go to a church JUST to listen to a sermon and be on your way after a few handshakes, hugs, and smiles you haven't come together with a group of like believers in the manner Christ would have you do so. So if it's not how Christ would have you get together- it's coming together in a manner someone else would like you to get together as you *play pretend* at being a Christian and that someone is your enemy, an enemy that LOVES when you play pretend Christian.
When you get together with others that believe in Christ and His soon coming just like you do, you should get together to PROVOKE them to love and to good works, you should get together to encourage one another. This is INTERACTION. This isn't being preached at and going on your way back to your every day life in front of the computer, or the tv, maybe both- or even doing yard work, or visiting grandma and grandpa, or who knows maybe it's time for you to get a big meal ready. This isn't what we are told to do.
Think about how you personally can provoke someone of like faith to love and good works. How do you do that?
Provoke
PROVO'KE, v.t. [L.provoco, to call forth; pro and voco, to call.]
1. To call into action; to arouse; to excite…
To call into action their LOVE, their GOOD WORKS.
To arouse them to LOVE, to GOOD WORKS.
As we consider each other- as we think about each other- we are to arouse the desire to love and good works in each other. Notice that LOVE and GOOD WORKS go hand in hand. It's out of love we do good works, isn't it? Love is an action, love is a choice. I'm not talking about the fake- I love you- that means absolutely nothing. I'm not talking about the - I'm infatuated with you love- that means absolutely nothing. I'm talking about the CHOICE you make to do unto others as you would have done to yourself, the choice you make to put aside self and help another. I'm talking about the love that chooses to ACT selflessly- not selfishly. I'm not talking about feelings here and too many associate love with a feeling and not a fact. If they're NOT feeling it, then they don't love- according to the mainstream. To be able to look at someone who is despitefully using you and choose to act in a manner of LOVE, to choose to do good unto them- that is love.
LOVE is a choice of action. Love is a choosing to respond as Christ would respond, not as our own feelings might be egging us on to react. YES, you can LOVE someone by choice without feeling all wishy-washy and sentimental. YES, you can LOVE someone by choice - in fact we are to LOVE all others and if that means taking on some false flowery I'm better than you because I love you so that makes me good-attitude that's NOT love. To say 'I love you' without ANY meaning- isn't love. To say 'I love you' and really choose to love that person is love. And really choosing to love that person means really being interested in their well-being now and their eternal well-being too. No, YOU shouldn't be solely concerned with their eternal well-being. What good does it do to tell someone about the love of Christ and the way to eternal life through Him if they are starving for food and you have the means to give them food but don't?
Love is a choice, love is an action borne out of the choice. Is it any wonder at all we are told to provoke one another to love and good works? To do both? Jesus' example to us was filled with love- filled with His choosing to love others and that love was revealed in every action. He spent a lot of time healing, a lot of time helping- He didn't just stand up on a rocky podium and preach- He healed, He LOVED, and He taught. He was example of how we are to love- in word and deed.
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
DON'T tell ANYONE you love them- but rather show them that love first. Make that love real and then say it.
I'm not saying you have to show it by gifts and such, you can show your love in the act of listening, in the kind word, in the thoughtful gesture that is selfless. Be loving before mouthing the words. What good does it do to tell someone you love them if you have NO intention of being loving towards them? LOVE isn't just a word to say haphazardly and hold up, waving around like a banner to try and get others to believe you are a Christian. Love isn't just something you automatically say in response so you appear 'good'. Love isn't something you feel, IT'S A CHOICE you make! And in making that choice to love, you have to be loving, not just say the 'L' word.
If you're the type of person who easily has the 'love' word sliding from your tongue to those you meet, I'm not saying to stop saying the words- just make sure that you mean them. The next time you tell someone you love them ask yourself if you've 'loved' them. Have you acted in love towards them? Do you care about them, really care, are you choosing to be loving towards them.
Christ loved us and died for us- this was His example. For us to love and reveal His UNSELFISH love, to be willing to die for each other. And if we're willing to die for each other surely we have to be willing to suffer for one another. And if we're willing to suffer we must be willing to be a little put out for each other. Choosing to love doesn't mean enjoying the idea of death, or enjoying the idea of suffering, or wanting to be put out- it means choosing to do the right thing no matter the feeling. Yes, we are to count it joy when we suffer for Christ's sake, but that doesn't mean we are to enjoy the pain. We are to realize that we are Christ's and take joy in that- not joy in the pain, the suffering, the annoyance.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The only way we can provoke follow believers in Christ- and to Salvation through Him- is to be in contact with them in some way. Without that contact there is no provoking, no encouraging. So yes, we are to be in contact with each other- and maybe we can't do that physically but we have a huge world of communication available to us on the world wide web- the internet. Do I have to touch you physically to communicate with you? No. We can assemble together in many different ways. If you can't find a group of people who follow Christ as you've been led by the Holy Spirit to follow Christ, then pray that God will guide you to someone, anyone and be open to that guidance to come in any number of ways. We know as the day draws near there will be fewer and fewer people on that narrow path, we can't abandon the narrow path to sit in a church on the wide path.
May God bless us and keep us firmly rooted and ground in Him, in His love, teaching us to love one another as He would have us love one another in word and deed, helping each other as we face the trials of life that Satan would have ruin us and tear us from the narrow path before us.
By the grace and mercy of our loving Savior, through HIS righteousness, in His holy name now and forever- Amen.
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