Biblical Fellowship: Live Together or Die Alone (5)
Hebrews: A Model of Gospel Centered Correction
As stated earlier, the book of Hebrews is both a call to warning and exhorting fellowship, and an example of it. It calls us to warn each other and it is itself an extended warning. So it models what it commands.
If space allowed we could unpack various aspects of such ministry that the author utilizes in this letter.* We would see that he uses a variety of tools in his exhortation appeal to his readers: fear, hope, the love of God our Father, promises, historical examples of what happens to people who do not persevere in faith, and then examples of what God does for those who do.
More than anything, the author proclaims the surpassing worth of Christ (Hebrews 1-4) and the surpassing work of Christ (Hebrews 5-10) as the chief means to inspire his readers to keep on keeping on in the faith of Christ. This is another reminder that all ministry—even warning and exhortation ministry—must always remain gospel ministry. All one anothering in the body of Christ must always be thoroughly Christ and cross centered, or it will not be effective ministry at all.
This is truth for life. I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 where the ongoing process of being saved (i.e.-the process of perseverance in faith) is maintained through a never ending commitment to the gospel of a crucified and risen Savior. Hebrews models this wonderfully.
All ministry, all fellowship, all correction and wounding grace must be lived out in an atmosphere saturated with an everyday focus on the Person and Work of Christ. Never correct anyone without giving them Christ. Never receive correction without receiving Christ in a fresh way along with that correction.
Correction, the harder work of fellowship, will do only harm unless it is accompanied by reminders of the free justifying, adopting, preserving, and forgiving promises of the gospel—all guaranteed for us through the redeeming work of the Savior.
The writer of Hebrews knew that; so should we.
* For a more complete understanding of the Hebrews’ call to radical fellowship you may obtain a spring, 2008 series of messages presented by TFC, entitled, Live Together or Die Alone. Visit our website to order or download this series.
** For more on cross centered living see our Cardiphonia entitled, Gospel Centered Living from A-Z as well as C.J. Mahaney’s Living the Cross Centered Life and Jerry Bridges’ The Gospel for Real Life.
As stated earlier, the book of Hebrews is both a call to warning and exhorting fellowship, and an example of it. It calls us to warn each other and it is itself an extended warning. So it models what it commands.
If space allowed we could unpack various aspects of such ministry that the author utilizes in this letter.* We would see that he uses a variety of tools in his exhortation appeal to his readers: fear, hope, the love of God our Father, promises, historical examples of what happens to people who do not persevere in faith, and then examples of what God does for those who do.
More than anything, the author proclaims the surpassing worth of Christ (Hebrews 1-4) and the surpassing work of Christ (Hebrews 5-10) as the chief means to inspire his readers to keep on keeping on in the faith of Christ. This is another reminder that all ministry—even warning and exhortation ministry—must always remain gospel ministry. All one anothering in the body of Christ must always be thoroughly Christ and cross centered, or it will not be effective ministry at all.
This is truth for life. I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 where the ongoing process of being saved (i.e.-the process of perseverance in faith) is maintained through a never ending commitment to the gospel of a crucified and risen Savior. Hebrews models this wonderfully.
All ministry, all fellowship, all correction and wounding grace must be lived out in an atmosphere saturated with an everyday focus on the Person and Work of Christ. Never correct anyone without giving them Christ. Never receive correction without receiving Christ in a fresh way along with that correction.
Correction, the harder work of fellowship, will do only harm unless it is accompanied by reminders of the free justifying, adopting, preserving, and forgiving promises of the gospel—all guaranteed for us through the redeeming work of the Savior.
The writer of Hebrews knew that; so should we.
* For a more complete understanding of the Hebrews’ call to radical fellowship you may obtain a spring, 2008 series of messages presented by TFC, entitled, Live Together or Die Alone. Visit our website to order or download this series.
** For more on cross centered living see our Cardiphonia entitled, Gospel Centered Living from A-Z as well as C.J. Mahaney’s Living the Cross Centered Life and Jerry Bridges’ The Gospel for Real Life.
Labels: christian life, Church, Fellowship, Spiritual disciplines
posted by Tim Shorey at
11:00 AM
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