The wisdom of mutual encouragement
The exhortation to mutual encouragement was wise: in isolation from fellow-believers each individual among them was more liable to succumb to the subtle temptations which pressed in from so many sides, but if they came together regularly for mutual encouragement the devotion of all would be kept warm and their common hope would be in less danger of flickering and dying. In isolation each was prone to be impressed by the specious arguments which underlined the worldly wisdom of a certain measure of compromise of their Christian faith and witness; in the healthy atmosphere of the Christian fellowship these arguments would be the more readily appraised at their true worth, and recognized as being so many manifestations of “the deceitfulness of sinâ€â€¦ [I]n a fellowship which exercised a watchful and unremitting care of its members the temptation to prefer the easy course to the right one would be greatly weakened, and the united resolution to stand firm would be correspondingly strengthened. (F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews. NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991100–101)
Dude this is so lovely, I don’t know what to say and so true. Whenever I am isolated, the pressures of the world began to squeeze me, the constant pullings begin to tear me apart and also the weight of my own sin begins to push me towards self-pity but when I am with others the sheer company helps bear my burden and I know why I have committed my life to Jesus and why it is important for me to stay the course, we not only should desire fellowship, I think we are incomplete without it and cannot withstand they fiery dart of the adversary
Lionel,
It is lovely… in concept and in practice.
-Alan