Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. —Hebrews 3:12-13
These verses are more than a somber warning about falling away from God. They are a command for the church to care for one another. God has given us other believers to help us grow (1 Corinthians 12:25). Earlier, Hebrews 2:1 warns us of the risk of drifting away from the truth and falling into sin. This is why we need to be in relationship with other believers. We are to warn each other away from sin. If sin grows unchecked, we’re in danger of our hearts hardening. That makes it much harder to repent and turn back to the truth.
I’ve seen too many people, families, and even churches suffer when sin is ignored and not dealt with the way Jesus set forth in Matthew 18:15-17. We all have blind spots, sins, and propensities that can hinder our faith. We need each other to help us see our faults, as well as point out where we need to grow. And we all need encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 14:19).
“Exhort one another” is an important command because sin is serious. It must be dealt with, not only for the good of the individual sinning, but also for the health of the whole body of Christ. To exhort means to strongly encourage or urge someone to do something. It is loving to exhort one another. But too often we shy away from loving exhortation because we don’t want to seem confrontational, pushy, or legalistic.
As a novice gardener I struggle with weeds, but I have seen flowers bloom and fruit plants thrive when I’ve uprooted those weeds. So, too, the church thrives when believers care for one another by helping each other deal with sin issues before hearts harden with un-confronted sin. One of the worst “weeds” Christians can hold onto is bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). The best antidote for that pernicious weed is forgiveness (Ephesians 4:2-3, Colossians 3:13-14). Indeed, the key to love is forgiveness, which is truly love in action.
We must, of course, be careful to approach others humbly (Ephesians 4:2, 29) and prayerfully (Galatians 6:1-2). We are to be Spirit-lead (Psalm 143:10), keeping our own hearts vigilant against sin and pride (Proverbs 4:23). Love must be the true motive with which we approach others (1 Peter 4:8), and grace must characterize what we say, and how we say it (Colossians 4:6).
Helping others look to Jesus is always a good thing when pointing out something in their lives that needs to be addressed (Colossians 3:2, Hebrews 12:2-3). As He helps them replace sinful tendencies with godly desires and practices, they will overcome what has led them astray by the power of God at work within them (Philippians 2:12-13, 4:8).
Over the years, a couple of people have cared enough about me to confront my blind spots. It was uncomfortable and humbling, but I grew to appreciate the love and care they extended to me when they did so. And it caused me to grow in my faith and dependence on God. God places people in our lives for accountability. It’s one way He causes our faith to grow, and protects us from hardened hearts.
For Reflection
Who are the people in your life who are willing to share hard things with you?
If you don’t have anyone like that who can speak into your life, ask God to show you who might be someone with whom you could develop that kind of relationship.
Do you love others enough to confront them humbly about things they might need to deal with?
Lori Myers is a customer care specialist at Truth78 and serves as a ministry assistant in her church's Kids Ministry. She has been using the Fighter Verses memory program since 2004 beginning with The Sermon on the Mount (Extended Set 5). Daily practice on the Fighter Verses App still deepens her faith and knowledge of God's Word. She is blessed to have two amazing daughters, two wonderful sons-in-law, and five adorable grandchildren.