Encouragement Page
13 Nov 2005

The church is a big family of our Lord’s household. It is also the house of God. We have a high priest over this house and He is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also the builder of this house. We believers are honoured and highly privileged to be members of this household which Christ has purchased with His own precious blood. Too often, we treat this house as only a house of religious gatherings or a place for theological debates. While it is always good for us believers to study and search deep into the scripture, we must not lose sight that this is a house of prayer and worship. It is a place where we come right to His holy presence. How then must we approach this house of God?

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith”.  How can sinners like us come close to the all holy God except by the grace of our Lord and the assurance that we have a great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, rose from His death and is now our Advocate  before the almighty God our Father in heaven. Those who come near to Him must have a true heart in full assurance of this faith. Sometimes our hearts are so encumbered by doctrines and theology that we forget that we are saved not by works, or doctrines, but by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We argue and boast to each other about matters which we regard as vitally important for our salvation, and forget that it is only “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8–9).

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering”.  We have a high priest over the house of God, even this blessed Jesus, whom we confess to be our Saviour and Lord, who presides over all the affairs of the whole church. Do we therefore hold fast to this profession of our faith without wavering or do we allow matters of controversies to come and disrupt the peace of our church and destroy the precious faith that we have in Him, which we have held so dear to our hearts all these years?  May God be merciful to us and to His church. For those of us who are tempted to give up, or are discouraged, let us be assured that “He is faithful that promised”. Let us therefore hold fast to His promise and not follow the ways of men. Our ultimate goal must be to trust Him and serve Him without wavering, till He comes. Our faith should be in Jesus and not men.

“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works”.  The outward manifestation of our faith must be our love for one another. “For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 Jn 4:20). Believers ought to have a tender consideration and concern for fellow believers and be sensitive to their weaknesses and needs. We should provoke one another unto love and good works rather than unto wrath, strife and contention. Consider others’ point of view and “not to think of himself (ourselves) more highly than he (we) ought to think” (Rom 12:3). Let our love for one another and love of our Lord’s church override all our differences. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2).  Dear brethren, let us put away our differences and rather provoke one another unto love and good works.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”.  The worst thing that can happen to a church, which is overtaken by strife and contention, is that some will leave the church and forsake their assembling with God’s people. Instead of leaving, let us bring all our problems to the Lord in prayer. He has promised to hear all our prayers (Jn 14:13, 15:16). Remember, “We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15–16).  Amen.

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