Ah, but we humans forget so easily, don’t we? Constant struggles can wear away that wonderful feeling of winning. We still trust the Good News, but weariness makes it seem less “new” and fresh. The path is uphill, and seems long.
God knows the need for our faith to be reminded and encouraged. As our Father, He planned a family for the care of His children. By God’s design, each baby should be born into a family. Father, mother, sisters and brothers all do their part in caring for the child. In the same way, God’s way of caring for each spiritual child is through His spiritual family.
…if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).
“The household of God,” according to 1 Timothy 3:15, is “the church of the living God.” Here the word “church” does not mean just any religious group. Nor does it mean a building. In Scripture, the word for “church” means an assembled group, especially the group “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 5:23-27). They have been called and gathered in a spiritual sense (Hebrews 12:22-23; John 10:16; 11:52). They also gather in local meetings wherever possible. In each place, they come together regularly to honor the Lord and to encourage each other.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Christ’s family is a dynamic army, always pressing forward despite constant attacks (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4). In this spiritual war we need each other. We need teamwork and team spirit. We need spiritual food and supplies. We need refreshed strength and renewed focus on our mission. That is why Hebrews 10:25 warns us against “neglecting to meet together.”
The command to “meet” poses problems today, for there are many different, even competing groups or denominations that call themselves “churches.” We would like to think that they all agree. Sadly, their separations often go back to differences in beliefs. Some reject Jesus’ deity and resurrection. Others seldom call for genuine repentance or baptism. This should not surprise us in view of New Testament warnings (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1-3).
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (2 Timothy 4:3).
As Peter foretold, these different teachings give Christianity a bad name (2 Peter 2:1-2). Divisions are a problem with human nature, not with Jesus and His purpose. You might have heard someone say, “Go to the church of your choice.“ If Christ is really our Lord, shouldn’t we be more interested in the church of Christ’s choice? Yet, what is Christ’s church-family?