One of the many graces of being part of the family of God is that because we are adopted by our Heavenly Father, we have brothers and sisters across the world who are walking with us in pursuit of our Savior. It is a blessing to know that there are others that are running hard after Jesus, who are experiencing and resisting temptation, and who are committed to live sacrificially in service to God and man. Along with the comfort of knowing that we are not alone in running the race of sanctification, there are additional benefits of being a part of the community of the redeemed. One of them is that other Christians are tasked with spurring us on to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24). We have a group of people in our lives who are exhorting us; striving to help us more closely follow our Savior. And we have the joy and the privilege of doing the same for them.
It is important to remember, however, that this exhortation doesn’t always look the same. We love to be the person who is cheering someone on, or the person who is getting cheered. And while speaking words of encouragement and grace are certainly an important part of the exhortation endeavor, that is not all that is involved in following this command. As one book reminds us, “Depending on the situation, it [exhortation] may manifest itself by admonishing those caught in sin, correcting those tempted by error, comforting the hurting, or straightening the weak.”[1] Each of these is, at times, required to help someone more fully pursue Christlikeness. We need each of them in our lives to spur us on to love and good deeds.
One challenge is that most of us have a specific type of exhortation that we prefer – on both the giving and receiving end. Maybe we are quick to point out someone’s sin, but slow to strengthen the weak. Maybe we resist when others correct our errant, unbiblical thinking, but love to receive comfort and grace. Our exhortation – both the kind we give and the kind we are inclined to receive – may be one-dimensional, but biblical exhortation is multifaceted. It builds in a variety of ways – by removing the debris, and by providing what is sturdy; it strengthens our faith by turning us from sin and by pointing us to Jesus.
Beloved child of God – let us embrace each aspect of exhortation. Let us be willing to give and receive whatever type is needed, depending on the situation. And as we do so, let our response and our delivery be motivated by love, knowing that as we exhort one another well, the family of God more closely resembles Jesus and shines His light brightly amidst a dark and desperate world.
1] Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Biblical Truth by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue
