United Church of God

Letter From Nathan Ekama - June 26, 2020

Letter From Nathan Ekama

June 26, 2020

Through the Covid-19 quarantine process, I have heard Hebrews 10:25 referenced numerous times: "...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

As we come together after spending nearly four months apart, I thought that this scripture would be a good one to consider.

While on one hand we can use this verse to justify our desire and even need for getting together, there is more to this than just a call for assembling as we anxiously await the return of our Savior.

Going back one verse gives us a little more context. Hebrews 10:24 tells us that we should be considering one another "in order to stir up love and good works..." That's why we're told to avoid isolating ourselves and to instead come together. If we go back even further in this section to Hebrews 10:19-23, we are given even more context: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

Hebrews 10:19-13 explains the rationale as to why we should have the mindset of inciting positive, loving actions in one another as we assemble: because Jesus Christ did the same for us.

In short, we are to come together in order to build one another up and to incite love and good works in the lives of our brethren - not merely because it's unhealthy to isolate ourselves, but because we need to be doing the same sort of things for others that our Savior did for us.

As we prepare our minds for the Sabbath messages that God has made ready for us, let's also be preparing to stir up love and good works in each other!
 

Your brother-in-Christ,
Nathan Ekama