By: Scott Shifferd, Jr.
Most people have no idea why they do what they do. The whole world cannot escape it. Some people reason that their desires are who they are even if they sleep around or degrade others with profanity and slander. Paul reflected, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom 7:15). The apostle Paul showed the way to deliver oneself from the acts of the body to walk in the Spirit (Rom 7:24–8:8). That means making no provision of the flesh and disciplining the body daily (Rom 13:13–14; 1 Cor 9:27).
For Christians, the temptations do not cease. Jesus was tempted in every way, but He did not sin. He is able to help everyone (Heb 2:14–18). However, some believers think that they cannot live up to the standards of Christ forgetting God’s grace and the continual washing of the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). God is faithful providing a way to escape sin. Part of that escape includes the church. Many refuse to be a part of the church of Christ because they try to protect themselves from failure. However, Christ helps God’s people with God’s people. In other words, the church needs Christ and the church. Christians need Christians.
The writer of Hebrews urged believers to remain faithful, not go astray, and live in obedience to God. For this reason, the writer emphasized that Jesus is the high priest and apostle of the Christian confession (Heb 3:1–2). Jesus being more worthy than Moses received glory as the builder of God’s house — the church (Heb 3:3–5). Christ is God’s faithful Son over God’s house (Heb 3:6). To warn against apostasy, the Hebrews writer recalled how Israel saw the working of God during the time of Moses, but many became hard in heart and went astray (Heb 3:7–11). Likewise, the writer warns Christians of not having an evil unbelieving heart and falling away from the living God (Heb 3:12). For this reason, the church is essential to encouraging one anther daily, so that sin does not deceive and harden believers (3:13). Christians can only share in the blessings of Christ if they hold their faith firm until the end (Heb 3:14). Those who are disobedient will not enter God’s eternal rest (Heb 3:15–19).
A close relationship with Jesus Christ and faithfulness in the church help all believers to remain strong. Christians need each other. When believers remain faithful, wonderful things happen. Many more begin to see the glory of Christ in the church. The world sees the light of Christ in His followers. “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Cor 4:1).
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