Love and Beautiful Works

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

LOVE AND BEAUTIFUL WORKS

Heb 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

NIV

Now that we know about how we enter the Most Holy Place, the presence of God, and having a true heart, we need to contemplate the rest of what we are told by this preacher to the Hebrews. First, we are to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. The Greek word translated here as unswervingly is a good rendition, but it would be clearer using a more direct meaning, of unmoved, firm, unwavering. We cannot ever have any doubts whatsoever, no matter if our circumstances change, or we are having some trouble, whatever that might be, or we have to deal with the onset of some health issue, we are to hold fast without wavering to one side or the other, but standing firm, taking our stand, standing our ground, firm, without any doubts, in the hope we profess because God is always, as he promised, faithful. We are going to get everything God has promised us. As we are unwavering in our faith we also need to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Interestingly, the word good in Greek means beautiful, with many applications like beautiful to look at, magnificent, good, excellent in nature and characteristics, and therefore adapted to its end. Beautify by reason of purity of heart and life and hence praiseworthy; morally good, noble. This is all wrapped up in this one word, good. In other words, if we are thinking correctly, when we see someone doing an act that benefits the kingdom of God, it is beautiful to look at. On the other hand, if we see someone doing an act that benefits them, or lifts themselves up, being boastful and prideful in what they are doing, it is not beautiful to look at because it is not good work. This applies to us as well, so that we must always serve with a pure heart, humbly doing that which benefits the kingdom of God. All that is within this "spur each other on toward love and good deeds". Then all the while we are spurring each other on, we are also to keep meeting together, which we do. However, what we also see is some are not fulfilling that call. Some have dropped away because either their feeling were hurt, or they get distracted by the things of this world, or we have also seen age and infirmities cause people to just sit not making any effort to get to gather with other believers, to spur others on toward love and good works, Perhaps, because of infirmities it just becomes impossible, then we believers, need to meet with them to spur them on, Maybe even when we do gather, we are so inward in our thinking, so self-absorbed with our own situation in life, or so self-absorbed in our own good deeds, becoming prideful and boastful that we fail to spur each other on. Let us always be aware of this command of our Lord, to never fail to gather together for the expressed reason to spur each other on toward, first and foremost, love, then beautiful acts that benefit the kingdom of God.