Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
One way to overcome the problem of sin in our heart is through the help of others. After giving the problem in verse 13, the author now gives the solution to this problem. It comes by helping one another move to the promises of God. We must “encourage one another daily.” This is our opportunity. We may not have a “tomorrow,” but we have a “today.” Paul told the Corinthians, “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). The time for decision is today, not tomorrow or next week. Those may never come for us. We need each other on this journey of faith. There are too many obstacles and challenges to make it by ourselves. People say that believe in God but don’t go to church. This is a dangerous idea, even contradictory. We cannot experience the promise of salvation by ourselves. We need the encouragement of others to find true victory over sin and temptation. The author makes clear the problem again: sin’s deceitfulness. Sin gives false promises of happiness, fulfillment, safety, peace, and everything else we deeply long for. These are actually the promises that God has given us. These are actually the result of following through in faith to move towards God’s promises. Following the way of sin will eventually lead to a hardened heart, which will make it more difficult to hear God’s voice. We will become blinded by the world’s desires and not able to see the path of righteousness. We will turn from the light and walk in darkness, which then causes us to stumble and fall. We may need to hold each other’s hand (even literally), carry one another through the dangerous spots, or offer other forms of encouragement so that we can move to the promise of full salvation in Jesus.
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