ASSEMBLE AND EXHORT. Hebrews 10:25. The question of how to make this happen is why believers gather in an assembly. In His great wisdom, God has provided us with the pattern of a scripturally gathered community of believers. We have both an outer life and an inner life. The inner life becomes clear and proven when we gather together. We have all entered the Holiest as individual believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that inward work is evident in our unity in Christ. When we assemble in fellowship, we share a common place of gathering similar to the tabernacle for the Israelites. They had the type; we have the reality of our Lord in the middle of us, which the assembly provides.
Not forsaking the gathering of the Lord's people together is a warning to us that neglecting the means of grace means missing the grace we minister to each other, "As the day approaches." To neglect Christian meetings is to give up the encouragement we can give others and to miss out on the help of fellow Christians. In our meetings, we share our faith and strengthen one another in the Lord when we worship, learn, and pray together. Spiritual struggles and persecution will increase over time, and we will need the support we can give each other. Anti-Christian forces will grow stronger, and we need to resist the pressures of apostasy. Difficulties should never be excuses for missing the gathering of the saints.
There is great value in gathering together to foster our growth and comfort, allowing the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to nurture us. The Word is taught, practiced, and applied during our time together. Participation in worship, training, testimony, and private conversations when we meet are all vital to our fellowship. Relying on ourselves to be effective worshipers and learners is a false hope. Such meetings are times of blessings, peace, and power.
There is also the responsibility we have toward each other to ensure love is present. Gathering together doesn’t just mean attending the assembly's meetings because it is expected of us. It is a place where we share our faith, hope, and love with others. Consideration of others occurs when we are aware of what is happening in others' lives, and we can provoke, promote, and encourage one another in our public testimony.
When we know our Lord Jesus Christ may come at any time, we can encourage each other to dedicate ourselves to the purifying effect of gathering together. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Living a life in the Holiest motivates us and moves us to win others to commit themselves to the power and blessings of fellowship with the Lord and His people. His divine presence is truly felt when we come together as believers united by our faith in Him.
The writer of this epistle was likely looking to the approaching judgment that was going to fall on Jerusalem. There is a solemn day coming when the whole world will experience the judgment of God. Our efforts to spread the Gospel and see souls saved will then be over. The work we are engaged in is urgent. We all need to commit ourselves to filling the role we have been given by using the gifts we have been given. We have personal access to God, we grow in faith in this new life, our relationship with God deepens as we take His yoke upon us and learn of our Lord, our fellowship with other believers motivates us to live for the Lord in harmony with His people, and we find holy joy and worship when we gather together with others in the name of the Lord. How blessed we are in this Holy Place!