Hebrews 3:12-13 - The Power of Fellowship

Fellowshipping Together
April 2024
Howard Bennett

Heb 3:12-13 speaks about the real power of fellowship.  It tells us to “encourage one another day after day…”  For many, this is an essential part of our spiritual walk.  We are encouraged in our faith – that we should press on toward the mark and that we should not lose heart in doing good.  Those are important aspects of true fellowship and it’s by those things that we are encouraged to continue striving for the faith even during a difficult situation.

However, there’s another benefit to encouraging one another that we see here.  For it says, “so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”  In many ways, the things we say to one another are helpful in keeping us from deceiving ourselves.  So, how does this work?
 
First, the simple knowledge that we are interacting with each other helps keep us accountable.  If we know that we are going to be asked things like, “What are you reading lately?” or “What is God teaching you?” or “How are you doing in your struggles with anger?”, we have a greater desire to be in the scripture – as we ought – because we know being in the word is an important element of our worship (1 John 1:3).

Second, the closer we get to each other, the more difficult it is to hide our sin.  And, in this way, fellowship helps us be more aware of the sin that resides within us.  In some way, the fellowship we have with each other is a hindrance to fulfilling our fleshly desires.

The closer we become to each other, the harder it is for us to deceive each other.  Not only from the perspective of the love we share and the closeness we have, but also from the ease with which we can see the effects of sin in those with which we have true fellowship.

If we have a relationship where we are – frequently – sharing our hearts, it will become easier for us to see when each of us is in sin.  Just by the way we act, look, and interact with each other.

Our fellowship is fundamental to our spiritual growth.  When we isolate ourselves, we are left with our own – deceiving – hearts (Eph 4:22) to alert us to our sin.  As we all know, that’s playing with fire!  We have an endless supply of rationalization when it comes to justifying our own sin.

Without true fellowship, we are on our own for the encouragement to press on and for the accountability that comes along with sincere fellowship.  So, please look for ways to deepen the relationships we have with each other – so that – we may encourage one another as a way to prevent us from being self-deceived.

Matthew Henry says this: ”There is a great deal of deceitfulness in sin; it appears fair, but is filthy; it appears pleasant, but is pernicious; it promises much, but performs nothing…therefore it should be the great concern of every one to exhort himself and others to beware of sin.”  Let’s be that encouragement to each other as we strive to be men and women who live lives worthy of our calling.