Sunday, November 11, 2012

Provoke unto love

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.

Provoke unto LOVE and GOOD WORKS.
EXHORTING one another and so much more as you see the DAY APPROACHING.

Provoke- incitement to good.
Exhort- implore, entreat, pray.

We are to incite one another to LOVE and to GOOD WORKS.
We are to get together and IMPLORE, ENTREAT, PRAY for one another more and more as we see the day of the coming of the LORD is approaching.

Do we do this?
Do we INCITE, do we PROVOKE one another to LOVE? To do GOOD?

Seriously. This is something we really need to think about. If we are NOT inciting one another to LOVE and do GOOD what exactly are we doing? If we aren't praying for one another, then how are we helping each other, encouraging each other? 

It's so easy to tear one another down. We read something like this--

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

These verses telling us to preach the word, to REPOVE, REBUKE, EXHORT with longsuffering and doctrine- because there will be a time when people will NOT want to hear sound doctrine but only want to hear things that make them feel good, they won't want truth but lies that comfort them.

So these two verses seem a bit contradictory-

Provoke to LOVE and GOOD WORKS.
REPROVE, REBUKE.

Can you provoke to love if you are reproving and rebuking?

At our Bible study this week we talked about this, about how maybe we should reprove one another when we see one another doing wrong, but it was quickly shut down and then decided we should only do that when it's something serious, not nitpick at each others many faults, faults we all seem to have.

We don't want ANYONE pointing out our faults especially when we are so aware of them ourselves. To put ourselves up for intense scrutiny means realizing others do see things in us that are not Godly. 

Someone might point out that I have a very selfish streak, and what would I say in reply? I know and it's my prayer that God help me overcome this awfulness in me. Would it hurt me to have others point out my faults, yes. But is that hurt a result of PRIDE in me? If it is a result of my pride then this too is an awful thing.

No, I'm not saying I want to sit at my Bible Study and point out the faults I see in those around me, I don't and I won't! Why? Because they are aware of their own faults. And I do agree that if there was something major that I saw and truly believed that I should reprove. But … and it is a but… it gets so confusing because maybe it is that selfishness in me that needs more work on. And by work I mean maybe I do need it pointed out and in having it pointed out have others pray for me. We don't rebuke and reprove for no reason, but rather to HELP.

We are to PRAY for each other! We are not to simply reprove, rebuke, and so on without any LOVE in us for those we are confronting.  Without LOVE it's all wrong!

We really do need to PROVOKE to LOVE and GOOD WORKS and we certainly are not doing that if we spend a lot of time pointing our fingers  at each others faults.  Maybe people do not want to hear about their faults and that's their right, and we need to pray for that also. We need to pray to accept any reproof that comes our way and let that reproof work in us as God would have it work.

First and foremost LOVE. LOVE! I can't scream it here on paper as much as I want to, I could put a million exclamation points after it and it still wouldn't be enough.

We need to love and provoke others to love.

We need to consider HOW we can provoke others to love.  Yes, maybe we are to reprove and rebuke but we have to remember that reproving and rebuking without love at it's core means absolutely NOTHING, and is wrong, very, very wrong.

More tomorrow all by the GRACE and WILL of our GOD!

In HIS LOVE!

No comments: