Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Holding Fast The Profession Of Our Faith

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith 
without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 
and let us consider one another to provoke unto 
love and to good works: not forsaking the 
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner 
of some is; but exhorting one another: 
and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.
 For if we sin willfully after that we have
 received the knowledge of the truth, 
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment 
and fiery indignation, which shall 
devour the adversaries.
Hebrews 10: 23-27

     Hebrews 10:25 is probably one of the most known and quoted verses in the Bible. Yet, to often that is the only verse known or quoted: this in to not be reminded of what the context states. Yes, we are to meet together and from the earliest time of Christianity it was on the first day of the week: Sunday. To force another doctrine that will not admit this fact is to force a false understanding of the history and facts of Christianity. It is true that any day used as a Sabbath is not wrong, but to state that only a day, Saturday, as some teach, is to hold to wrong thinking.    
     One would think that setting aside one day for the purposes shown in Scripture would not be problematic. The problem is that it is not properly understood. The Sabbath is a great blessing for those who attend the Sabbath and worship with others in worship that is pleasing to God and and not to man. Some people attending the Sabbath at their place of worship are worshiping practices that are not Scriptural even though they claim that the are Scriptural. The Sabbath day is a time and opportunity to reflect and to adjust, a day to correct errors that have crept in during the week, a day of joy, of love and harmony. Many abuse the Sabbath through a sense of obligation, or they just ignore the Sabbath filling the day with other pleasures or desires. Some attend Church and there needs be a person with a hole punch to punch their attendant cards so that they can prove that they did attend Church, or to have some form of merit for attending Church. Some find Sunday to be a day to finish work that they begun during the week rather than plan to either finish them before Sunday, or to finish after Sunday. People will find ways, excuses, to do tasks that are really not all that important. I have done this: have you? Not any longer, for my studies have shown me that only that which is necessary should be done on Sunday: i.e., travel that can be changed to another day, or emergency needs such as home repairs that are causing or will cause a major repair, etc. so there are things that must be done, but the priority is to plan, to attend Church for the right reason. Sunday is a day to have thought, a special thinking time for God. If you know this cultural thinking has crept into your life it is time to make the change so that you are a "faithful and discreet servant of God." 
     Authentic Christians seek the virtues of Christian living, to strive to please God and not to fulfill self-centeredness. There are those in your Church that need you. There are those who fill left out of the conversation, or are timid to join in, who need fellowship, who need love, and kindness. Authentic Christians take the time to be that loving person, who is manifesting agape, God's principled love, towards others, to not get caught up in a "click," or to only speak to your inner-circle. Take someone home and make lunch for them, spend time with others, show the love that God has shown to you by dying on the cross so that you can have His blessing of eternal life. Do you want to be blessed? Well, there is the metric to be blessed. All you have to do is follow the metric, the rubric of God's desire for His children. 

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart
    is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery
    and harp: I myself will awake early.
I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the
    people: I will sing unto Thee among 
the nations.
                        Psalm 57: 7-9

  Be blessed: serve others

Richard L. Crumb

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