And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Deliberate and thoughtful attention to one another in order to stir one another to love and to right action is commanded, and to stir means to move toward love and goodness and never toward anger or irritation. It stands together with drawing near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, holding fast the profession of faith without wavering, and not forsaking assembling together but encouraging one another so much the more as the day is seen approaching. It rests on the once-for-all offering of Christ by which believers are sanctified and perfected and given boldness to enter the holiest by His blood, with Him as High Priest over the house of God. It requires laying aside self, the desire to command, and all variance and strife, and pressing together in brotherly love, tenderness, and compassion with eyes fixed on the Redeemer. This stirring is done by unselfish personal interest, consistent kindly conduct and practical help, earnest example, and gracious speech that encourages rather than wounds, and it is lived out especially as believers faithfully gather for worship, fellowship, and mutual strengthening.
Meaning and Setting
Believers are to give deliberate, thoughtful attention to one another in order to stir one another up to love and to good works. This thoughtful care is to be unselfish, marked by compassion and tender personal interest, and such care bears fruit to God's glory. It means setting aside discord and self-interest, cultivating brotherly love, and working together in Christian unity so that shared service can benefit others. As Christians thus draw near together in Christlike love, the beauty of holiness is revealed. This mutual encouragement flows from shared access to God through Jesus' sacrifice and confidence in Him as High Priest.
To provoke in this command means to stir toward love and good works, and provoking to anger or irritation is contrary to its meaning. Provoking one another is right only when it stirs these responses rather than anger. This includes refusing to speak words that irritate fellow workers.
The command belongs together with drawing near with a true heart in full assurance of faith with hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and bodies washed, holding fast the profession of faith without wavering because He who promised is faithful, and not forsaking assembling together but exhorting one another, so much the more as the approaching day is seen. It rests on Christ's once-for-all offering of His body, His one sacrifice for sins forever and sitting down at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool, the perfecting forever of the sanctified, the new covenant putting of God's laws into hearts and minds with sins and iniquities remembered no more and no more offering for sin. Through this believers have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way through His flesh, consecrated through the veil, with a High Priest over the house of God. In that setting dependence rests not in what man can do but in what God can do through Christ, the wholly surrendered believer cleansed from all sin by His blood, freed from condemnation, made perfect in Christ Jesus, able to claim sanctification and enjoy the favor of God, accepted in the Beloved on the ground of what God thinks of Christ the Substitute, with the surrendered soul accepted by Christ to be molded after His likeness. It belongs to a consecrated life spent seeking to save perishing souls in dependence on the Lord rather than human agencies, and to daily conversion to simple obedience and growth in grace through deep understanding and appropriation of Scripture truth as spiritual life to the soul.
It is spoken to the true people of God, those perfected forever by Christ's one offering, sanctified, with sins and iniquities remembered no more, having Christ as High Priest over the house of God. They wear no yoke but His and keep the Father's commandments as He kept them. They are children of light who please Him who gave His life, His representatives in the world made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men, set apart from those who follow pernicious ways, corrupt the word of God, and cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of.
Christ's Sacrifice and Priesthood
The call to stir one another to love and good works rests on Christ's once-for-all offering of His body, His one sacrifice for sins forever and His sitting at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool, perfecting forever those who are sanctified. It stands under the new covenant in which God puts His laws into hearts and minds and remembers sins and iniquities no more, so that there is no more offering for sin. In that setting it belongs together with drawing near with a true heart in full assurance of faith with hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and bodies washed, holding fast the profession of faith without wavering because He who promised is faithful, and not forsaking assembling together but exhorting one another so much the more as the approaching day is seen. It is part of a consecrated life spent seeking to save perishing souls in dependence on the Lord rather than on human agencies, with daily conversion to simple obedience and growth in grace through deep understanding and appropriation of Scripture truth as spiritual life to the soul. Through the sacrifice made in their behalf sins may be perfectly forgiven, with dependence resting not in what man can do but in what God can do through Christ.
Through that sacrifice believers have boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way consecrated through the veil of His flesh, with a High Priest over the house of God. Through Him and with Him they may enter the true tabernacle not made with hands, Christ giving Himself and standing in the presence of God as High Priest over the house of God. Apart from Christ people can do no good thing, and this mutual care belongs with drawing near to God through His sacrifice and priestly ministry. The wholly surrendered believer is cleansed from all sin by the blood of Christ, freed from condemnation, made perfect in Christ Jesus, able to claim sanctification and enjoy the favor of God, accepted in the Beloved on the ground of what God thinks of Christ the Substitute, with the surrendered soul accepted by Christ to be molded after His likeness.
The verse is motivated by remembering what Christ endured to give eternal life, passing through terrible trial in Gethsemane and giving His love on Calvary. As He laid down His life believers ought to lay down their lives for the brethren. The great love and care shown by the Redeemer and all the heavenly host for the redemption of the soul in tireless ministry to save the lost should arouse believers to love and good works in behalf of their fellow men. Those who partake of the riches of the grace of Christ must not withdraw interest and sympathy from fellow men, must not indulge pride of rank or caste, and must not despise the unfortunate and the poor. Being stirred to love and good works comes from seeing Calvary with hearts made sensible to the love of Jesus given there, with self abased and Jesus exalted, the whole heart and undivided affection given to God, rising to a noble, elevated, sanctified standard with no moment unemployed, and because the time is the great day of atonement doing work carefully to God's glory.
Unity Self-Denial and Love
To provoke one another to love and to good works requires losing sight of self and laying aside the desire to command instead of serving and to work at cross purposes. It requires putting away variance and strife and dissension and alienation and every evil trait of character, including peculiar hereditary and cultivated traits, sweeping them away through humiliation and repentance. Setting aside discord and self-interest in this way belongs to thoughtful attention to one another that stirs toward love and good works.
A sour, gloomy, depressed, surly and unreasonable spirit is forbidden, because such a spirit misrepresents the Christian faith. Working in disharmony and at cross purposes dishonors God, and self-confidence with an unchristlike, fitful, hasty spirit must be confessed and turned from to Christ. Wearing His yoke and learning of Him gives His strength and makes believers sons of God.
The verse requires cultivating brotherly love and tenderness of heart and compassion, working in harmony and unity and Christian fellowship with eyes fixed on the Redeemer. Pressing together in this unity replaces dissension, alienation and working at cross purposes. Love and reverence for God, together with respect for all His commandments, move people to encourage one another to love and good works. This influence is expressed in guarded thoughts, speech, tone, expressions and conduct that reflect Christ's character, with careful regard for one another's needs and kindly words of sympathy and thoughtful assistance.
Shared service in such unity can benefit others, and mutual encouragement supports wholesome church life and helps workers serve by helping and strengthening fellow workers, encouraging each one to use God-given abilities and never weakening another's efforts. Souls will not be convicted and converted until believers come into such unity.
Stirring by Word and Example
Believers stir one another to love and to good works by thoughtful, unselfish care, showing compassion and tender personal interest that encourages both love and right action. Following Christ's example of drawing near to the needy and hopeless kindles this spirit, while envy, suspicion, and evil surmising work against it. Such care bears fruit to God's glory.
Stirring one another is done by conscientious, consistent conduct that gives thoughtful attention to one another in dealings together. It means caring for one another's needs, speaking kindly and sympathetically, offering thoughtful practical assistance, and helping and strengthening fellow workers in their work. It includes encouraging each person to use the abilities God has given and never weakening another worker's efforts. This mutual encouragement strengthens both those who receive it and those who give it, making them laborers together with God and supporting wholesome church life that helps workers serve others.
Earnest personal example that goes first stirs others to zeal and good works, for when one works earnestly and heartily others catch fresh zeal and work with a will, rejoicing in the privilege of sharing the labor and even eagerly striving not to be left behind in doing the good deed first. This applies to practical physical work such as cultivating land and planting trees and crops until others join in. It is obeyed when a wife takes up light hoes and does planting and hoeing of berries and vegetables herself, even blistering her hands, to draw her sick husband outdoors to do very little, so his once active mind is occupied with something besides himself and he is led to exercise and forget himself toward recovery. It also moves by generosity and self-denial, as when one goes first by offering to pay the pledges of those who cannot pay in order to move the whole church to give, and this deliberate provoking brings advancement and marked spiritual breakthrough where instruction is greatly needed, since one person's self-denial can encourage others to benevolence and mercy.
Longing to stir others belongs to doing the will of God with burning gratitude for His mercy and lovingkindness, seeking opportunities to show forth the praises of Him who called out of darkness into marvelous light with gladness in a compassionate Saviour and rejoicing in His love as hope and crown of rejoicing with no doleful story to tell. Those who keep the love of Christ glowing in the heart provoke others to good works, and when His light and love and grace are seen, souls take the impress of Christ's image. When the soul is flooded with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness it reflects light to others, and by personal example, fervent charity, brotherly love, unswerving fidelity, humility, fairness, respect, and kindness invites others to love and good works. Love and humility melt the way into hearts that seem barricaded, and this provoking returns a hundredfold to God in praise and gratitude shown in willing, cheerful obedience, with hearts full of thanksgiving to Him who gave His life for the life of the world.
All speech to one another must stir toward love and right doing and show honor and respect, including speech between husband and wife united in sacred work of grave responsibility when in the presence of others. Tantalizing, unwise teasing, irritating, discouraging, or strife-stirring words fail this standard even when no harm is meant, because hearers may misunderstand, and provoking to anger is contrary to provoking to love and good works. The habit of such words must be broken off for always speaking respectfully, revealing mutual honor and respect in all words, glorifying God by words and works, and maintaining true moral dignity as in the presence of Christ so that associates see mutual respect and appreciation and God gives approval and blessing. Refusing to join sinful, vain, or wicked talk belongs to this considering, and when such talk cannot be stopped, leaving rather than answering can help turn people toward love and good works, following Christ's example of answering discouraging words with a psalm that helps others adopt a better spirit.
Considering one another includes watching for souls under stress of temptation, recognizing that Satan may be wrestling severely with them in unseen ways, and taking care not to discourage them and thereby give the tempter advantage. It means Christians of the same faith associated together, in institutions and in missionary Bible readings, must guard one another and give all possible strength to help each one perfect Christian character by not only explaining Scripture but practicing it in association with those of like precious faith. As the end is seen nigh, believers are to admonish one another more carefully and faithfully, watching for souls as those who must give account, which leads to faithfulness and earnest prayer for one another and to the practical work of warning, exhorting, entreating, and reproving. Reproof is to be given in love, generously mingled with grace and the softening influence of Christ, wounding only that it may heal, and when these faithful offices enter practical life, fellowship becomes the practical blessing God designs through association, without which the highest benefit of friendship and brotherhood is lost.
Urging others toward greater zeal and good works must be done with tender love and kindness, for stern duty separated from kindness does harm. Severity and harsh words do not spur to greater zeal but provoke resistance and combativeness instead of encouraging good works. Church dealings that encourage fault-finding, accusations, jealousy, and hatred oppose considering one another for love and good works, since correction without love and compassion harms the church rather than strengthening it.
Gathering and Fellowship Practice
Christians are to thoughtfully consider one another and associate together because fellowship cultivates sympathy, keeps the truths of God's Word vivid and spiritually effective, and develops strength for service. This answers the social nature God gave, since all are children of one Father dependent upon one another for happiness and under the claims of God and of humanity. Shutting oneself away and shutting oneself up to oneself neglects that designed position and brings loss, for without mutual sympathy the truths of the Word lose vividness and importance, hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by sanctifying influence, and spirituality declines. Cultivating the social elements of human nature instead brings sympathy with brethren and gives happiness in blessing others.
God appointed earthly assemblies to lead His children into unity so that in Christian love and fellowship they help, strengthen, and encourage one another. Coming together for prayer, confession, study of the Word, and communion with one another and with God refreshes believers and gathers all possible help to urge faithfulness to the end as the day of God approaches. This mutual thoughtful personal interest in one another, knowing one another in Christ Jesus and not merely outwardly, is the keynote of the gospel, while self is the keynote of the world. Such gatherings prepare believers to receive the fulfillment of the inheritance in the heavenly assemblies, with Christ Himself present as Master of every assembly. Believers must therefore not neglect coming together for religious worship but put spiritual and eternal interests above selfish, worldly interests. Regular gathering for worship, prayer, singing, exhortation, confession, study of the Word, and communion with one another and with God gives opportunity to encourage one another and strengthen active religious life.
The same considering of one another is put into practice by visiting smaller churches to cheer and strengthen the faithful who stand firmly for the truth, sharing the testimony of fellow believers. Churches are also to visit one another with Christlike concern for spiritual welfare, and such caring ministry strengthens those visited and revives those who serve. In meetings each person is to contribute to the life of the meeting instead of engaging in idle talk that kills time. Where no minister is present one person should lead briefly without long sermonizing, speaking in the Spirit and love of Jesus to set the example, and every person has the duty to share personal soul experience, soul struggles and victories won, and above all praise from a thankful heart that Jesus died for them, and this mutual participation brings the blessing of God in large measure.
Workers for God in the cities are to read carefully and apply to themselves the instruction in Hebrews 10 and 11. They are to go forward in faith doing their very best. As they watch and work and pray God will hear and answer their petitions and give them an experience invaluable for their after work.
Fruit for Mission and Life
Keeping the verse straightens tangled and knotted threads in the work in a healthful and wholesome manner and untangles difficulties, turning people from self-confidence and an unchristlike spirit to trust in Jesus and to draw nigh to God. It forbids being sour, gloomy, depressed, surly, and unreasonable in spirit, since such a spirit misrepresents the faith, and it is kept by conscientious, consistent behavior, by occasionally pausing to sum up results to see if the course is wisest, and by careful regard for one another's needs, kindly words of sympathy, and thoughtful assistance in helping others in their work. This encourages both others and oneself and makes believers laborers together with God, calling church members in Greater New York to draw nigh to God and leading those perplexed by self-confidence to confess a fitful, hasty spirit, to turn to Christ, to wear His yoke and learn of Him, to receive His strength, and to become sons of God.
Mutual encouragement joined with earnest zeal and harmonious work under Christ can stir lukewarm members to spiritual zeal and encourage the desponding to trust in God. Believers are to awaken one another's consciences and stir one another to good works, and when that prompting arises through the Spirit of God working in a person it is not self-generated, so pledges made under that influence are sacred because they are fruit of the Spirit's work.
The verse prompts sacrificial gifts of benevolence and mercy, such as giving for the schools, for one person's self-denial and generosity can encourage others to acts of benevolence and mercy. Deliberate provoking by going first in generosity, such as offering to pay the pledges of those who cannot pay in order to move the whole church to give, brings advancement and a still more marked spiritual breakthrough in church meetings where the people greatly need instruction.
The verse applies to Christians of the same faith associated together in institutions, who must consider one another and watch for souls, guarding one another and giving all possible strength to help each one perfect Christian character. It applies to missionaries who give Bible readings, who must not only explain Scripture but practice it in association with those of like precious faith, for failure brings demoralizing influences and a worldly mold, while keeping it means following the words of Christ to the letter and aiming at the standard of Christian perfection. The love of Christ expressed in daily life can move fellow workers to love and good works, so managers and directors are to obey Christ, treat coworkers with respect and kindness, and deal fairly with them, since position alone does not make a person worthy of respect.
Young people can encourage older, more experienced believers to love and good works by making determined efforts to be true and righteous and by building their lives securely on faith. All believers are to strengthen one another in the faith and to put Christ's kindness, tenderness, mercy, and love into practice, with Christ's mercy to the repentant thief showing how love is to be expressed, while the call to self-denial and service gives practical shape to a life of good works.
Being stirred to love and to good works comes from seeing Calvary and the love of Jesus given there, requiring hearts made sensible to that love, with self abased and Jesus exalted and the whole heart and undivided affection given to God. It rises to a noble, elevated, sanctified standard with no moment unemployed, and, because the time is the great day of atonement, does work carefully to God's glory.
Deliberate and thoughtful attention to one another in order to stir one another to love and to right action is commanded, and to stir means to move toward love and goodness and never toward anger or irritation. It stands together with drawing near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, holding fast the profession of faith without wavering, and not forsaking assembling together but encouraging one another so much the more as the day is seen approaching. It rests on the once-for-all offering of Christ by which believers are sanctified and perfected and given boldness to enter the holiest by His blood, with Him as High Priest over the house of God. It requires laying aside self, the desire to command, and all variance and strife, and pressing together in brotherly love, tenderness, and compassion with eyes fixed on the Redeemer. This stirring is done by unselfish personal interest, consistent kindly conduct and practical help, earnest example, and gracious speech that encourages rather than wounds, and it is lived out especially as believers faithfully gather for worship, fellowship, and mutual strengthening.
Meaning and Setting
Believers are to give deliberate, thoughtful attention to one another in order to stir one another up to love and to good works. This thoughtful care is to be unselfish, marked by compassion and tender personal interest, and such care bears fruit to God's glory. It means setting aside discord and self-interest, cultivating brotherly love, and working together in Christian unity so that shared service can benefit others. As Christians thus draw near together in Christlike love, the beauty of holiness is revealed. This mutual encouragement flows from shared access to God through Jesus' sacrifice and confidence in Him as High Priest.
To provoke in this command means to stir toward love and good works, and provoking to anger or irritation is contrary to its meaning. Provoking one another is right only when it stirs these responses rather than anger. This includes refusing to speak words that irritate fellow workers.
The command belongs together with drawing near with a true heart in full assurance of faith with hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and bodies washed, holding fast the profession of faith without wavering because He who promised is faithful, and not forsaking assembling together but exhorting one another, so much the more as the approaching day is seen. It rests on Christ's once-for-all offering of His body, His one sacrifice for sins forever and sitting down at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool, the perfecting forever of the sanctified, the new covenant putting of God's laws into hearts and minds with sins and iniquities remembered no more and no more offering for sin. Through this believers have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way through His flesh, consecrated through the veil, with a High Priest over the house of God. In that setting dependence rests not in what man can do but in what God can do through Christ, the wholly surrendered believer cleansed from all sin by His blood, freed from condemnation, made perfect in Christ Jesus, able to claim sanctification and enjoy the favor of God, accepted in the Beloved on the ground of what God thinks of Christ the Substitute, with the surrendered soul accepted by Christ to be molded after His likeness. It belongs to a consecrated life spent seeking to save perishing souls in dependence on the Lord rather than human agencies, and to daily conversion to simple obedience and growth in grace through deep understanding and appropriation of Scripture truth as spiritual life to the soul.
It is spoken to the true people of God, those perfected forever by Christ's one offering, sanctified, with sins and iniquities remembered no more, having Christ as High Priest over the house of God. They wear no yoke but His and keep the Father's commandments as He kept them. They are children of light who please Him who gave His life, His representatives in the world made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men, set apart from those who follow pernicious ways, corrupt the word of God, and cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of.
Christ's Sacrifice and Priesthood
The call to stir one another to love and good works rests on Christ's once-for-all offering of His body, His one sacrifice for sins forever and His sitting at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool, perfecting forever those who are sanctified. It stands under the new covenant in which God puts His laws into hearts and minds and remembers sins and iniquities no more, so that there is no more offering for sin. In that setting it belongs together with drawing near with a true heart in full assurance of faith with hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and bodies washed, holding fast the profession of faith without wavering because He who promised is faithful, and not forsaking assembling together but exhorting one another so much the more as the approaching day is seen. It is part of a consecrated life spent seeking to save perishing souls in dependence on the Lord rather than on human agencies, with daily conversion to simple obedience and growth in grace through deep understanding and appropriation of Scripture truth as spiritual life to the soul. Through the sacrifice made in their behalf sins may be perfectly forgiven, with dependence resting not in what man can do but in what God can do through Christ.
Through that sacrifice believers have boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way consecrated through the veil of His flesh, with a High Priest over the house of God. Through Him and with Him they may enter the true tabernacle not made with hands, Christ giving Himself and standing in the presence of God as High Priest over the house of God. Apart from Christ people can do no good thing, and this mutual care belongs with drawing near to God through His sacrifice and priestly ministry. The wholly surrendered believer is cleansed from all sin by the blood of Christ, freed from condemnation, made perfect in Christ Jesus, able to claim sanctification and enjoy the favor of God, accepted in the Beloved on the ground of what God thinks of Christ the Substitute, with the surrendered soul accepted by Christ to be molded after His likeness.
The verse is motivated by remembering what Christ endured to give eternal life, passing through terrible trial in Gethsemane and giving His love on Calvary. As He laid down His life believers ought to lay down their lives for the brethren. The great love and care shown by the Redeemer and all the heavenly host for the redemption of the soul in tireless ministry to save the lost should arouse believers to love and good works in behalf of their fellow men. Those who partake of the riches of the grace of Christ must not withdraw interest and sympathy from fellow men, must not indulge pride of rank or caste, and must not despise the unfortunate and the poor. Being stirred to love and good works comes from seeing Calvary with hearts made sensible to the love of Jesus given there, with self abased and Jesus exalted, the whole heart and undivided affection given to God, rising to a noble, elevated, sanctified standard with no moment unemployed, and because the time is the great day of atonement doing work carefully to God's glory.
Unity Self-Denial and Love
To provoke one another to love and to good works requires losing sight of self and laying aside the desire to command instead of serving and to work at cross purposes. It requires putting away variance and strife and dissension and alienation and every evil trait of character, including peculiar hereditary and cultivated traits, sweeping them away through humiliation and repentance. Setting aside discord and self-interest in this way belongs to thoughtful attention to one another that stirs toward love and good works.
A sour, gloomy, depressed, surly and unreasonable spirit is forbidden, because such a spirit misrepresents the Christian faith. Working in disharmony and at cross purposes dishonors God, and self-confidence with an unchristlike, fitful, hasty spirit must be confessed and turned from to Christ. Wearing His yoke and learning of Him gives His strength and makes believers sons of God.
The verse requires cultivating brotherly love and tenderness of heart and compassion, working in harmony and unity and Christian fellowship with eyes fixed on the Redeemer. Pressing together in this unity replaces dissension, alienation and working at cross purposes. Love and reverence for God, together with respect for all His commandments, move people to encourage one another to love and good works. This influence is expressed in guarded thoughts, speech, tone, expressions and conduct that reflect Christ's character, with careful regard for one another's needs and kindly words of sympathy and thoughtful assistance.
Shared service in such unity can benefit others, and mutual encouragement supports wholesome church life and helps workers serve by helping and strengthening fellow workers, encouraging each one to use God-given abilities and never weakening another's efforts. Souls will not be convicted and converted until believers come into such unity.
Stirring by Word and Example
Believers stir one another to love and to good works by thoughtful, unselfish care, showing compassion and tender personal interest that encourages both love and right action. Following Christ's example of drawing near to the needy and hopeless kindles this spirit, while envy, suspicion, and evil surmising work against it. Such care bears fruit to God's glory.
Stirring one another is done by conscientious, consistent conduct that gives thoughtful attention to one another in dealings together. It means caring for one another's needs, speaking kindly and sympathetically, offering thoughtful practical assistance, and helping and strengthening fellow workers in their work. It includes encouraging each person to use the abilities God has given and never weakening another worker's efforts. This mutual encouragement strengthens both those who receive it and those who give it, making them laborers together with God and supporting wholesome church life that helps workers serve others.
Earnest personal example that goes first stirs others to zeal and good works, for when one works earnestly and heartily others catch fresh zeal and work with a will, rejoicing in the privilege of sharing the labor and even eagerly striving not to be left behind in doing the good deed first. This applies to practical physical work such as cultivating land and planting trees and crops until others join in. It is obeyed when a wife takes up light hoes and does planting and hoeing of berries and vegetables herself, even blistering her hands, to draw her sick husband outdoors to do very little, so his once active mind is occupied with something besides himself and he is led to exercise and forget himself toward recovery. It also moves by generosity and self-denial, as when one goes first by offering to pay the pledges of those who cannot pay in order to move the whole church to give, and this deliberate provoking brings advancement and marked spiritual breakthrough where instruction is greatly needed, since one person's self-denial can encourage others to benevolence and mercy.
Longing to stir others belongs to doing the will of God with burning gratitude for His mercy and lovingkindness, seeking opportunities to show forth the praises of Him who called out of darkness into marvelous light with gladness in a compassionate Saviour and rejoicing in His love as hope and crown of rejoicing with no doleful story to tell. Those who keep the love of Christ glowing in the heart provoke others to good works, and when His light and love and grace are seen, souls take the impress of Christ's image. When the soul is flooded with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness it reflects light to others, and by personal example, fervent charity, brotherly love, unswerving fidelity, humility, fairness, respect, and kindness invites others to love and good works. Love and humility melt the way into hearts that seem barricaded, and this provoking returns a hundredfold to God in praise and gratitude shown in willing, cheerful obedience, with hearts full of thanksgiving to Him who gave His life for the life of the world.
All speech to one another must stir toward love and right doing and show honor and respect, including speech between husband and wife united in sacred work of grave responsibility when in the presence of others. Tantalizing, unwise teasing, irritating, discouraging, or strife-stirring words fail this standard even when no harm is meant, because hearers may misunderstand, and provoking to anger is contrary to provoking to love and good works. The habit of such words must be broken off for always speaking respectfully, revealing mutual honor and respect in all words, glorifying God by words and works, and maintaining true moral dignity as in the presence of Christ so that associates see mutual respect and appreciation and God gives approval and blessing. Refusing to join sinful, vain, or wicked talk belongs to this considering, and when such talk cannot be stopped, leaving rather than answering can help turn people toward love and good works, following Christ's example of answering discouraging words with a psalm that helps others adopt a better spirit.
Considering one another includes watching for souls under stress of temptation, recognizing that Satan may be wrestling severely with them in unseen ways, and taking care not to discourage them and thereby give the tempter advantage. It means Christians of the same faith associated together, in institutions and in missionary Bible readings, must guard one another and give all possible strength to help each one perfect Christian character by not only explaining Scripture but practicing it in association with those of like precious faith. As the end is seen nigh, believers are to admonish one another more carefully and faithfully, watching for souls as those who must give account, which leads to faithfulness and earnest prayer for one another and to the practical work of warning, exhorting, entreating, and reproving. Reproof is to be given in love, generously mingled with grace and the softening influence of Christ, wounding only that it may heal, and when these faithful offices enter practical life, fellowship becomes the practical blessing God designs through association, without which the highest benefit of friendship and brotherhood is lost.
Urging others toward greater zeal and good works must be done with tender love and kindness, for stern duty separated from kindness does harm. Severity and harsh words do not spur to greater zeal but provoke resistance and combativeness instead of encouraging good works. Church dealings that encourage fault-finding, accusations, jealousy, and hatred oppose considering one another for love and good works, since correction without love and compassion harms the church rather than strengthening it.
Gathering and Fellowship Practice
Christians are to thoughtfully consider one another and associate together because fellowship cultivates sympathy, keeps the truths of God's Word vivid and spiritually effective, and develops strength for service. This answers the social nature God gave, since all are children of one Father dependent upon one another for happiness and under the claims of God and of humanity. Shutting oneself away and shutting oneself up to oneself neglects that designed position and brings loss, for without mutual sympathy the truths of the Word lose vividness and importance, hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by sanctifying influence, and spirituality declines. Cultivating the social elements of human nature instead brings sympathy with brethren and gives happiness in blessing others.
God appointed earthly assemblies to lead His children into unity so that in Christian love and fellowship they help, strengthen, and encourage one another. Coming together for prayer, confession, study of the Word, and communion with one another and with God refreshes believers and gathers all possible help to urge faithfulness to the end as the day of God approaches. This mutual thoughtful personal interest in one another, knowing one another in Christ Jesus and not merely outwardly, is the keynote of the gospel, while self is the keynote of the world. Such gatherings prepare believers to receive the fulfillment of the inheritance in the heavenly assemblies, with Christ Himself present as Master of every assembly. Believers must therefore not neglect coming together for religious worship but put spiritual and eternal interests above selfish, worldly interests. Regular gathering for worship, prayer, singing, exhortation, confession, study of the Word, and communion with one another and with God gives opportunity to encourage one another and strengthen active religious life.
The same considering of one another is put into practice by visiting smaller churches to cheer and strengthen the faithful who stand firmly for the truth, sharing the testimony of fellow believers. Churches are also to visit one another with Christlike concern for spiritual welfare, and such caring ministry strengthens those visited and revives those who serve. In meetings each person is to contribute to the life of the meeting instead of engaging in idle talk that kills time. Where no minister is present one person should lead briefly without long sermonizing, speaking in the Spirit and love of Jesus to set the example, and every person has the duty to share personal soul experience, soul struggles and victories won, and above all praise from a thankful heart that Jesus died for them, and this mutual participation brings the blessing of God in large measure.
Workers for God in the cities are to read carefully and apply to themselves the instruction in Hebrews 10 and 11. They are to go forward in faith doing their very best. As they watch and work and pray God will hear and answer their petitions and give them an experience invaluable for their after work.
Fruit for Mission and Life
Keeping the verse straightens tangled and knotted threads in the work in a healthful and wholesome manner and untangles difficulties, turning people from self-confidence and an unchristlike spirit to trust in Jesus and to draw nigh to God. It forbids being sour, gloomy, depressed, surly, and unreasonable in spirit, since such a spirit misrepresents the faith, and it is kept by conscientious, consistent behavior, by occasionally pausing to sum up results to see if the course is wisest, and by careful regard for one another's needs, kindly words of sympathy, and thoughtful assistance in helping others in their work. This encourages both others and oneself and makes believers laborers together with God, calling church members in Greater New York to draw nigh to God and leading those perplexed by self-confidence to confess a fitful, hasty spirit, to turn to Christ, to wear His yoke and learn of Him, to receive His strength, and to become sons of God.
Mutual encouragement joined with earnest zeal and harmonious work under Christ can stir lukewarm members to spiritual zeal and encourage the desponding to trust in God. Believers are to awaken one another's consciences and stir one another to good works, and when that prompting arises through the Spirit of God working in a person it is not self-generated, so pledges made under that influence are sacred because they are fruit of the Spirit's work.
The verse prompts sacrificial gifts of benevolence and mercy, such as giving for the schools, for one person's self-denial and generosity can encourage others to acts of benevolence and mercy. Deliberate provoking by going first in generosity, such as offering to pay the pledges of those who cannot pay in order to move the whole church to give, brings advancement and a still more marked spiritual breakthrough in church meetings where the people greatly need instruction.
The verse applies to Christians of the same faith associated together in institutions, who must consider one another and watch for souls, guarding one another and giving all possible strength to help each one perfect Christian character. It applies to missionaries who give Bible readings, who must not only explain Scripture but practice it in association with those of like precious faith, for failure brings demoralizing influences and a worldly mold, while keeping it means following the words of Christ to the letter and aiming at the standard of Christian perfection. The love of Christ expressed in daily life can move fellow workers to love and good works, so managers and directors are to obey Christ, treat coworkers with respect and kindness, and deal fairly with them, since position alone does not make a person worthy of respect.
Young people can encourage older, more experienced believers to love and good works by making determined efforts to be true and righteous and by building their lives securely on faith. All believers are to strengthen one another in the faith and to put Christ's kindness, tenderness, mercy, and love into practice, with Christ's mercy to the repentant thief showing how love is to be expressed, while the call to self-denial and service gives practical shape to a life of good works.
Being stirred to love and to good works comes from seeing Calvary and the love of Jesus given there, requiring hearts made sensible to that love, with self abased and Jesus exalted and the whole heart and undivided affection given to God. It rises to a noble, elevated, sanctified standard with no moment unemployed, and, because the time is the great day of atonement, does work carefully to God's glory.