The godly men of old through whom the Scriptures came to us were faithful in their exhortations to personal faith and godliness, characteristic of the Early Church. The apostolic method of teaching, instructing, and encouraging was based on solid and fundamental Christian doctrine. This was Paul’s method in his New Testament letters. First, he gives his readers the scriptural reasons for certain Christian actions and attributes. He provides the basis and reason, then he exhorts the readers to respond appropriately. We do not know if Paul was the human writer to the Hebrews, but the method of exhortation is like Paul’s. We are assured that Christ is greater than Moses and the angels and that He purchased mankind’s salvation. Then the exhortation—if all of these things are true, then we should continue to love one another; keep on praying for one another. It is a good and gracious argument, because we have reasons for doing something, we ought to do it without delay and without reservation!
Verse
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . teaching and admonishing one another. Colossians 3:16
Thought
If all of these things are true, then we should continue to love one another, keep on praying for one another.
Prayer
Lord, I ask You for the wisdom to pray as I ought to for my brethren. I pray for the will to love them, as I try to encourage and help them to grow. Make me personally effective to those I know.