What keeps us going as believers?  What keeps us going through trials, through persecution, through just the every day toil and grind of life?  What keeps us believing, keeps us trusting? Last night as we continued our studies in Hebrews.  The writer of Hebrews in 10:19-25  gives us three encouragements to how to keep going.

Firstly we are to continue to draw near to God.  As believers in Jesus we can keep on drawing near, not because we deserve to, not because we earned it but because of Jesus’ once for all sacrifice. His sacrifice has opened the way for us to enter the Most Holy Place. Not the earthly most holy of holies but the heavenly most Holy of Holies, the very throne-room of God.  As such the writer says because we can confidently enter the very presence of God without fear of death. We are to draw near to God and we are to continually draw near. We do this predominately through prayer but also by spending time with God, enjoying intimacy with Him, reading his word, praising Him, revelling in His grace, deepening our love and understanding of Him. So the first way we are to keep going is to draw near to God.

The second way is to continue to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. We are to cling onto the hope of Heaven. It is this hope that will stop us from swerving to avoid persecution or giving up because of the monotony of life. We need to keep reminding ourselves of the great hope in order to keep going.

Thirdly we keep going by considering others, by spending time with other believers. In other words we need to be those who are committed to our church families.  This will mean attending regularly at church meetings on a Sunday and midweek.  The writer says we are to keep on meeting together because we need one another, to spur one another on, particularly in light of the fact that judgment is coming. I take it he tells us to do this so that we will all be standing firm on that day, safe and secure in Jesus. If you want to keep going then follow the clear commands of the writer to the Hebrews .

To listen to Mark Ventham preaching from Hebrews 10:19-25 at Christ Church on Sunday evening 16th October 2011 use the player above..

Series: Hebrews (2011)