Can You Stand Alone Provoke One Another To Good Works Do we thank God for each other every day? Do Christians consider one another only on the Sabbath, or does our Godly care for one another continue throughout the week as well? The world’s religions “do their duty” for about an hour on Sunday, but our faith is not like that – we are Christians 24/7. We are to always be considering one another and provoking each other unto love and to good works. When this verse says, “consider” [‘katanoeo’], it means to observe fully, to perceive, to behold, to discover, to know them. “Consider,” means to get into the lives of others, to be caring and giving of ourselves in heart-to-heart encounters. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” That is what God expects of Christians. We do not just put in our time – just make a show for appearance. Our faith is not ritualistic; it must have substance. Our faith is not about the place of church meetings, or with which organization we meet; it’s about experiencing true Christian fellowship. When we get together, are we truly considering one another to provoke unto love and good works? We must ask ourselves, “Is the group where we attend aspiring to Godly practices, is their performance Godly, and are they frequently and regularly provoking one another unto love and good works?” That is why we are to assemble. That is why we pull together with like-minded brethren – the ekklesia. We are not to meet with those whose conduct is unbecoming of God’s people (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). We interact with brethren who trust and forgive each other, and who share the same hope of eternal life. We are to congregate with those who put their Christianity into practice in the things that they say, and in the things that they do, and in the way that they look out for each other. Is iron sharpening iron? Are they a true Christian congregation? Do they cry together, laugh together and pray together? We interact with each other in a real way and a substantive way when we consider one another’s spiritual and physical needs. We do not go to church to fulfill a role call, to pay our dues, or to be seen by the minister and somehow stay in his good graces. Neither do we go to church to stay in some far off headquarters’ good graces. It is ungodly to fear being disfellowshipped for not being faithful to some earthly corporation. Rather, we must make sure that we are in good stead with God, and with His saints. We are to be faithful to the Body of Christ, the Church of God, the called out ones. That is the only organization that Jesus recognizes. We must put all the scriptures together to understand what God is saying. We do not go to services only for social fellowship, but to love one another by actions and in reality. That’s provoking one another as we should. John sums up what we must be doing. “Whosoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18) |
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