Hebrews 3:12-19: a reflection

12Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; 13but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm to the end, 15while it is said, “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” 16For who, when they heard, rebelled? Wasn’t it all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19We see that they weren’t able to enter in because of unbelief.

The writer of Hebrews warns against a heart hardened by sin, and gives a striking remedy: not solitary vigilance alone, but daily mutual encouragement. Exhort one another day by day, he says, so long as it is called today, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is deceitful, and it can harden the heart little by little, unnoticed; and the safeguard the writer gives is that we encourage one another daily, keeping each other's hearts soft and faithful. We are not meant to stand alone against sin's hardening; we are to encourage one another day by day. This shows the value of daily mutual encouragement in guarding against the hardening of our hearts. Encourage one another daily, lest sin harden the heart. Daily mutual encouragement guards against sin's hardening. We keep each other's hearts soft by daily encouragement. Sin's hardening is resisted together, by daily encouragement.

Notice the remedy the writer prescribes against sin's hardening: exhort one another day by day. He knows how deceitful sin is, how it can harden the heart gradually, imperceptibly, so that we drift from God without realizing it. And his safeguard is not merely individual watchfulness, but mutual, daily encouragement: believers exhorting, encouraging, strengthening one another, every day, so that no one is hardened unawares. This tells us something important about how we are kept faithful. We are not meant to stand alone against the slow hardening of sin; we need one another. The daily encouragement of others helps keep our hearts soft, helps us notice the drift before it sets, holds us to the faith. And we are to give this encouragement to others as well, watching out for one another's hearts. To encourage one another daily is a real safeguard against the deceitfulness of sin. We keep each other faithful by mutual, daily encouragement. Do not try to stand alone; encourage and be encouraged daily. Daily encouragement of one another guards against drifting from God.

That is worth taking to heart, for daily mutual encouragement is a real safeguard against the deceitfulness of sin and the hardening of our hearts. We can try to stand alone against sin's slow hardening, relying on our own watchfulness; but the writer of Hebrews calls us to exhort one another day by day, lest any be hardened unawares. We need one another. Do not try to stand alone against sin; give and receive daily encouragement, keeping one another's hearts soft and faithful. Encourage one another day by day as a safeguard against the deceitfulness of sin, as Hebrews warns against an evil heart of unbelief and hardening, and prescribes not solitary vigilance alone but mutual daily encouragement, that no one be hardened by sin's deceitfulness; for sin is deceitful and can harden the heart gradually and imperceptibly, so that we drift from God without realizing it, and we are not meant to stand alone against this slow hardening but to encourage, exhort, and strengthen one another every day, keeping each other's hearts soft and noticing the drift before it sets, so that we keep each other faithful by daily mutual encouragement, both giving it to others and receiving it ourselves, rather than trying to stand alone.

Lord, the writer of Hebrews warns against a heart hardened by sin, and gives a striking remedy: not solitary vigilance alone, but daily mutual encouragement. Exhort one another day by day, he says, so long as it is called today, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is deceitful, and it can harden the heart little by little, unnoticed; and the safeguard the writer gives is that we encourage one another daily, keeping each other's hearts soft and faithful. I am not meant to stand alone against sin's hardening; I am to encourage and be encouraged day by day. Show me the remedy the writer prescribes against sin's hardening: exhort one another day by day. He knows how deceitful sin is, how it can harden the heart gradually, imperceptibly, so that I drift from you without realizing it. And his safeguard is not merely individual watchfulness, but mutual, daily encouragement, so that no one is hardened unawares. This tells me something important about how I am kept faithful. I am not meant to stand alone against the slow hardening of sin; I need others. The daily encouragement of others helps keep my heart soft, helps me notice the drift before it sets, holds me to the faith. And I am to give this encouragement to others as well, watching out for their hearts. Take that to my heart, for daily mutual encouragement is a real safeguard against the deceitfulness of sin. Keep me from trying to stand alone against sin's slow hardening, relying only on my own watchfulness; help me give and receive daily encouragement, Lord, keeping one another's hearts soft and faithful, that I and my brothers and sisters may not be hardened by sin's deceitfulness but held to you together.