HOW SHOULD WE LIVE NOW?
Hebrews 10:19–25 — Helping One Another Remain Faithful
WHAT SHOULD WE DO BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE?
For nearly ten chapters, the writer of Hebrews has explained why Jesus Christ is greater than everything that came before Him under the Law of Moses.
Jesus is greater than the angels.
He is greater than Moses.
He is our great high priest.
And unlike the priests who offered sacrifices repeatedly, Jesus offered Himself once for all.
Hebrews 10:18 concludes:
“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
But this raises an important question.
If Jesus has accomplished everything necessary to provide forgiveness, how should Christians respond?
The writer answers with three instructions:
Let us draw near.
Let us hold fast.
Let us consider one another.
These instructions are not separate subjects. They belong together.
And the third reminds us of something we must never forget.
God did not intend for Christians to face the dangers of life alone.
1. WE CAN APPROACH GOD WITH CONFIDENCE — HEBREWS 10:19–21
The writer begins:
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus ...”
Notice the word therefore.
Everything that follows is based upon what Jesus has already accomplished.
Under the Law of Moses, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place once each year, carrying sacrificial blood.
Ordinary Israelites could not enter that place.
But Jesus has opened the way into God's presence.
Hebrews 10:20 calls this:
“The new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.”
The curtain reminds us of the separation between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
Through His sacrificial death, Jesus has opened access to God.
And because He is our great high priest, believers can approach God with confidence.
That confidence does not come from our own goodness.
It comes from what Jesus has done.
We can approach God because Christ has opened the way.
2. LET US DRAW NEAR — HEBREWS 10:22
The first instruction is:
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”
The writer is not merely telling Christians to become more religious.
He is encouraging them to make use of the access to God that Jesus has provided.
Notice how they are to approach Him.
With a true heart.
With full assurance of faith.
With hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.
And with bodies washed with pure water.
The language of cleansing is important throughout Hebrews.
Under the former covenant, priests underwent ceremonial washing and purification.
But the sacrifices and ceremonies of that covenant could not finally cleanse the conscience (Hebrews 9:9–14).
Jesus accomplished what those sacrifices could not.
The reference to bodies washed with pure water also naturally recalls Christian baptism, although baptism is not explicitly named in this verse.
The writer's central point is that Christians who have been cleansed through Christ can confidently draw near to God.
They do not need another priest to open the way.
They do not need another sacrifice.
Jesus has already provided what they need.
3. LET US HOLD FAST — HEBREWS 10:23
The second instruction is:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Why did these Christians need such encouragement?
Because remaining faithful was becoming difficult.
Hebrews 10:32–34 describes suffering, public humiliation, imprisonment affecting members of their community, and the loss of possessions.
These were not imaginary problems.
The readers had already suffered for their faith.
And some were in danger of abandoning Christ.
The writer does not promise that their difficulties will disappear.
Instead, he reminds them of something far more dependable.
God is faithful.
Their hope rests upon His promises.
Notice that the writer does not say, “Hold fast because you are strong.”
He says to hold fast because the One who promised is faithful.
But how can Christians help one another remain faithful when life becomes difficult?
That brings us to the third instruction.
4. LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER — HEBREWS 10:24
The writer says:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
Notice that he does not simply command Christians to love one another.
He tells them to consider how to encourage love and good works.
That requires thought.
It means paying attention to other Christians.
Who is discouraged?
Who is suffering?
Who has been absent?
Who needs encouragement?
Who might be losing confidence?
Who needs someone to listen?
And who might be quietly drifting away from Christ?
The writer expects Christians to take an interest in one another.
This responsibility does not belong only to elders, preachers, or teachers.
It belongs to every Christian.
And the next verse explains why meeting together is so important.
5. DO NOT NEGLECT MEETING TOGETHER — HEBREWS 10:25
“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Something troubling was already happening among these Christians.
Some were developing the habit of neglecting their assemblies.
The writer does not treat this as a small matter.
Why?
Because these Christians were facing pressures that could lead them to abandon Christ.
They needed encouragement.
They needed reminders of God's promises.
They needed to hear again what Jesus had accomplished.
And they needed other Christians who would help them remain faithful.
The writer has already addressed this danger.
Hebrews 3:12–13 says:
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day ...”
Notice the connection.
The danger is falling away.
The response is mutual encouragement.
And in Hebrews 10, the writer specifically connects that encouragement with Christians meeting together.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRISTIANS ASSEMBLE?
Christians gather to worship God and strengthen one another.
They hear God's Word.
They pray.
They remember what Jesus has done.
They encourage those who are discouraged.
They remind one another of God's promises.
They strengthen those who are tempted to give up.
And when Christians observe the Lord's Supper, they remember Christ's sacrifice and proclaim His promised return.
Paul wrote:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
Notice what Christians are reminded of.
Jesus died for our sins.
He has opened the way to God.
He is coming again.
And His promises can be trusted.
These are precisely the kinds of truths that discouraged Christians need to hear.
Acts 20:7 also tells us that Christians gathered on the first day of the week to break bread.
The regular Christian assembly was therefore an important part of the life of the early church.
Meeting together was not simply about being present. It was about helping one another remain faithful to Christ.
WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIANS WHO CANNOT ATTEND?
There is an important difference between neglecting Christian fellowship and being unable to attend.
Illness, disability, danger, and other circumstances may prevent someone from gathering.
The writer is warning about a habit of neglect, not condemning those who genuinely cannot attend.
And Christians who cannot assemble may especially need encouragement from those who can.
A visit, a telephone call, a prayer, or a thoughtful word may help someone who is struggling.
The writer's concern is not simply counting the people in a room.
His concern is that Christians continue helping one another remain faithful.
6. WHY IS THIS WARNING SO SERIOUS?
We must not separate Hebrews 10:25 from what follows.
Hebrews 10:26–31 contains a solemn warning about deliberately turning away from Christ.
Later, the writer reminds his readers of the suffering they have already endured and urges them not to throw away their confidence.
The danger is greater than missing a meeting.
The danger is abandoning Christ.
These Christians were under pressure.
Returning to their former religious life might have seemed easier than continuing to follow Jesus.
But the writer has spent much of Hebrews demonstrating that the former sacrifices could not accomplish what Christ has accomplished.
There is no other sacrifice that can replace His.
There is no greater high priest.
And there is no other way into God's presence that makes His sacrifice unnecessary.
That is why the readers must hold fast.
And that is why they must help one another remain faithful.
A Christian who becomes discouraged may begin withdrawing from other believers.
When that happens, he may lose an important source of encouragement at the very time he needs it most.
The writer is warning against allowing that pattern to develop.
He is not teaching that attending assemblies automatically guarantees faithfulness.
Nor is he saying that every missed gathering means someone has abandoned Christ.
He is showing why Christians need one another.
7. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY?
The circumstances of Christians today may differ from those of the original readers.
But the need for encouragement has not changed.
Some Christians face persecution.
Others struggle with illness, disappointment, family problems, loneliness, or discouragement.
Some begin to wonder whether remaining faithful is worth the difficulty.
Others quietly withdraw from their fellow Christians.
What should we do?
Hebrews tells us.
Consider one another.
Encourage love and good works.
Continue meeting together.
Help one another remain faithful.
A congregation should be more than a group of people who occupy the same room once a week.
It should be a family of believers who notice when someone is struggling and care enough to help.
Sometimes encouragement begins with a simple question:
“I missed you Sunday. How are you doing?”
Or:
“I'm looking forward to seeing you this week.”
A few sincere words may mean a great deal to someone who is struggling.
And sometimes we are the ones who need those words.
CONCLUSION — CHRISTIANS NEED ONE ANOTHER
Hebrews 10:19–25 begins with what Christ has accomplished and ends with what Christians should do for one another.
Because Christ has opened the way, let us draw near to God.
Because God is faithful, let us hold fast to our hope.
And because Christians can become discouraged and drift away, let us consider one another and continue meeting together.
The writer is not merely interested in attendance.
He is concerned about faithfulness.
Christ has opened the way to God. Now let us help one another remain faithful to Him.
GOING DEEPER
WHAT DAY WAS APPROACHING IN HEBREWS 10:25?
Hebrews 10:25 ends with these words:
“And all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
What day did the writer mean?
This question deserves careful examination because the answer is not stated explicitly.
Many modern English translations capitalize the word Day, suggesting that the writer refers to a future day of judgment or Christ's return.
But the capitalization is an editorial decision.
The earliest Greek manuscripts were generally written in capital letters throughout. They did not distinguish this particular word by capitalizing it.
The Greek expression means “the day.”
The definite article identifies a particular day understood in context, but it does not tell us which day.
We must examine the context rather than allow capitalization to determine our interpretation.
1. COULD THE DAY BE THE APPROACHING CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY?
Consider the immediate sentence.
The writer tells Christians to encourage one another.
He commands them not to neglect meeting together.
He observes that some have already developed the habit of neglecting their assemblies.
Then he urges them to encourage one another increasingly as the day approaches.
The subject immediately before the reference to the day is Christians meeting together.
Could the approaching day therefore be the next day when they would assemble?
That is a reasonable possibility.
The writer would not necessarily need to repeat the words “of assembly” if his readers already understood which day he meant.
We often speak this way ourselves.
Suppose Christians regularly gather on Sunday.
On Monday, one Christian might say:
“See you Sunday!”
But on Friday, knowing that a discouraged Christian has been missing the gatherings, someone might say:
“Remember, Sunday is only two days away. Don't make other plans. We want to see you there!”
The closer the meeting comes, the more urgent the encouragement becomes.
On this interpretation, the writer is reminding Christians to encourage one another as their next opportunity to assemble draws near.
WHY WOULD THIS BE SO IMPORTANT?
These Christians were facing serious difficulties.
Some were in danger of abandoning Christ.
And some were already neglecting the very gatherings where they could receive encouragement to remain faithful.
When Christians assembled, they could remind one another of everything the writer of Hebrews had been teaching.
Jesus is our great high priest.
His sacrifice is sufficient.
He has opened the way into God's presence.
God is faithful to His promises.
There is no better sacrifice to which they can turn.
And Jesus will return.
These are the truths that strengthen Christians who are suffering.
The passages following Hebrews 10:25 warn about judgment, encourage perseverance, and remind believers of God's promises.
Such truths are also appropriate subjects for instruction and encouragement when Christians gather.
Therefore, the presence of those warnings does not automatically mean that “the day” in verse 25 must refer to judgment.
On the approaching-assembly interpretation, those warnings help explain why the assemblies are so important.
DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT IDENTIFY SUNDAY AS A DAY OF ASSEMBLY?
Acts 20:7 says:
“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread ...”
This passage shows Christians gathering on the first day of the week.
First Corinthians 16:2 also refers to the first day of each week in instructions about setting aside money for a collection, although it does not explicitly describe an assembly.
Revelation 1:10 refers to “the Lord's day,” traditionally understood as Sunday.
These passages provide evidence for the importance of the first day of the week among early Christians.
However, Hebrews 10:25 does not specifically use the expression “first day of the week” or “Lord's day.”
Therefore, identifying its approaching day as Sunday remains an interpretation drawn from the context, not an explicit statement.
2. COULD THE DAY REFER TO FUTURE JUDGMENT OR CHRIST'S RETURN?
Many interpreters understand the approaching day as a future occasion of divine judgment, often connected with Christ's return.
Why?
The strongest argument comes from the larger context of Hebrews.
Hebrews 10:26–27 warns about judgment.
Hebrews 10:37 says:
“For yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay.”
Elsewhere, the New Testament uses the word day in connection with future judgment and the fulfillment of God's promises.
For example, 1 Corinthians 3:13 speaks of the day when each person's work will be revealed.
On this interpretation, the writer is saying:
Because the day of judgment is approaching, Christians should be increasingly diligent about encouraging one another and remaining faithful.
The approaching judgment gives urgency to the command.
This interpretation has been widely accepted by Christian interpreters and is not limited to premillennial teaching.
BUT HOW COULD THEY SEE THAT DAY APPROACHING?
This is an important question.
Jesus taught that no one knows the day or hour of His return (Matthew 24:36).
And Christians have now been waiting nearly two thousand years.
How could the original readers see that day approaching?
Those who favor the future-judgment interpretation may answer that Christians can recognize the certainty and nearness of God's promised judgment without knowing its exact date.
The New Testament sometimes speaks of the approaching fulfillment of God's promises in this way.
Romans 13:11–12 says that salvation is nearer than when believers first believed and that the day is at hand.
On this understanding, the urgency is not based upon knowing the calendar date.
It is based upon living faithfully in view of what God has promised.
That is a possible explanation.
However, Hebrews 10:25 does not explain how the readers could see the day approaching or explicitly identify that day as the final judgment.
Those questions remain part of the interpretation.
3. DO THE FOLLOWING VERSES SETTLE THE QUESTION?
Hebrews 10:26–31 contains a serious warning about judgment.
Hebrews 10:37 refers to the coming One.
These passages certainly support the importance of future judgment and Christ's return in the writer's argument.
But do they prove that the approaching day in verse 25 refers to those events?
Not necessarily.
The writer has been urging Christians to remain faithful.
He has just instructed them to encourage one another and continue meeting together.
The warnings that follow reinforce the seriousness of abandoning Christ.
Those warnings could explain why the readers needed regular encouragement.
And they could also explain why Christians should encourage one another in view of future judgment.
The question is not whether the writer believes in future judgment.
He clearly does.
The question is whether he is identifying that future judgment as “the day” in verse 25.
The connection is possible, but it is not explicitly stated.
4. DOES THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT FAVOR THE DAY OF ASSEMBLY?
There is a meaningful difference between the two interpretations.
The approaching-assembly interpretation keeps the reference to the day directly connected to the writer's immediate instructions about gathering together.
Some Christians were neglecting their meetings.
They needed encouragement.
The approaching day of assembly would provide another opportunity to strengthen one another.
The future-judgment interpretation understands the day as a coming event that gives additional urgency to the need for mutual encouragement.
Both interpretations fit the writer's larger concern about faithfulness.
But they connect the approaching day to different parts of the context.
The assembly interpretation emphasizes the sentence immediately surrounding the expression.
The judgment interpretation emphasizes the warnings and promises in the surrounding passage.
Neither interpretation is established simply by observing that its subject appears somewhere nearby.
We must ask which explanation best accounts for the writer's wording and the needs of his original readers.
WHAT ABOUT “ALL THE MORE”?
The writer says Christians should encourage one another “all the more” as the day approaches.
This language can be understood in two ways.
If the day refers to judgment, the approaching event increases the urgency of remaining faithful.
If the day refers to the next assembly, the nearer the gathering comes, the more urgently Christians may encourage those who are in danger of neglecting it.
Neither explanation is impossible.
And the words “all the more” do not, by themselves, settle the question.
5. WHAT SHOULD WE CONCLUDE?
There are good reasons to examine the approaching-assembly interpretation carefully.
It follows the immediate discussion of Christians meeting together.
It takes seriously the fact that some were already neglecting those gatherings.
And it connects the approaching day with the practical encouragement these suffering Christians needed.
There are also reasons many interpreters understand the day as future judgment.
The wider passage contains solemn warnings about judgment and calls for perseverance in view of God's promises.
But Hebrews 10:25 does not expressly identify the day as either Sunday or the final judgment.
Both interpretations require us to draw a conclusion from the context.
Readers should examine the evidence and decide which explanation best fits the writer's words.
But while considering that question, we must not overlook what the writer plainly commands.
Christians must consider one another.
They must encourage love and good works.
They must not develop the habit of neglecting their gatherings.
And they must help one another remain faithful to Christ.
THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT
A Christian may misunderstand which day the writer had in mind and still obey the passage's clear instructions.
But a Christian who develops the habit of withdrawing from fellow believers may be placing himself in spiritual danger.
Not because attendance earns salvation.
Not because every missed gathering is a rejection of Christ.
But because Christians need the encouragement, instruction, fellowship, and mutual care that help them remain faithful.
The writer's warning is not merely about missing a meeting. It is about the danger of drifting away from Christ.
Whatever day Hebrews 10:25 refers to, we must not allow disagreement about its meaning to distract us from the instruction we know the writer gave.
Keep encouraging one another. Keep meeting together. Keep helping one another remain faithful to Christ.
CONTINUE EXPLORING SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 10:1–18 — What Does It Mean That Jesus Came to Do God's Will?
Why was Christ's one sacrifice sufficient when the repeated sacrifices under the Law could not take away sin?
https://text-b4-tradition.com/10-1-18-hebrews
Hebrews 3:7–19 — The Danger of an Unbelieving Heart
Compare Hebrews 3:12–13 with Hebrews 10:24–25. Both passages connect mutual encouragement with the danger of falling away.
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 — Remembering Christ Until He Comes
Consider how the Lord's Supper reminds Christians of Christ's sacrifice and His promised return.
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
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