Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. --Hebrews 10: 19-25

Focusing on Fellowship:

Last year, I posted about several New Year's goals I wanted to set based on Philippians 4. As 2025 sweeps in, I find myself looking at another passage of Scripture as a focal point to start the year off right. Reading through Hebrews 10, I was struck by the importance of fellowship in our lives. Christ came so that we can have a relationship with God the Father, and that relationship then brings us into fellowship with other believers. By growing closer to the Lord, we ready ourselves to build better communities. And by spending time with other believers, we stay encouraged in our walks with Christ.

Hebrews 10 gives us several simple but profound reminders of how we should prioritize our fellowship.

Digging into Hebrews 10:

At the beginning of the chapter, the author of Hebrews discusses the sacrifice Christ made to usher in a new covenant. He reminds his readers yet again of the insufficiency of the old covenant. The law required sacrifices to be made repeatedly, but those sacrifices of lambs and bulls never fully cleansed God's people. No priest could take away their sin. Only Jesus, who sacrificed Himself, could cleanse us from sin once and for all. Jesus gave complete forgiveness and made His people whole.

The completeness of Christ's work, the perfection of His priesthood, gives us confidence to go boldly to the throne of God. Before, our sin prevented us from drawing near to the Lord. Now, we have access to our Creator and Savior. The author of Hebrews encourages believers to step deeper into fellowship with the Lord. In doing so, he urges his audience to four important actions:

1. "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith." (vs. 22)

If we have faith that Jesus truly is Lord, that He has loved us and has saved us, then nothing can hinder us from coming close to Him. No doubt, no past mistake, no sin, no struggle we face holds more power than the love and grace of God. Even in the moments when we feel far from the Lord, He is near to us. As we grow in our walks, we should cling to that truth and seek after the Lord every day. The more we practice turning to God, even in times of struggle, even when we don't feel like calling out to Him, the more comfort and hope we'll find.

2. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." (vs. 23)

Part of walking in faith requires walking in hope. When we believe in Jesus, we must also believe in His promise and His faithfulness. Jesus came and gave us complete redemption in the past. He promises to come again in the future. He promises to bring good out struggle, to produce perseverance from our trials. How can we trust in the power of what Jesus already accomplished, and yet not believe that He will continue to be faithful in the future? As we draw close to the Lord, we should also be living in hope, trusting in His plans.

3. "And let us consider how we may spur each other on to love and good deeds." (vs. 24)

Faith is not a solitary journey. When we enter into fellowship with the Lord, we enter into fellowship with all of His people. Our fellow believers walk alongside us, and we should be intentional about building each other up. The author of Hebrews tells his audience to spend time finding ways to encourage each other. To help each other grow in love, and to motivate each other to do good. Our fellowship with other believers should inspire us to be active in our faith, and we should encourage others to grow in love as well.

4. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another."

Finally the author of Hebrews urges believers to meet together. How can we have fellowship with those we don't spend time with? How can we encourage people we never see? Seeking each other's good and helping each other grow starts by simply being in community. Talking together, praying together, singing together. Staying consistent in spending time with other believers helps to keep our faith strong and growing.

Final Thoughts:

Often we focus on our fellowship with other believers in the church, but I'm grateful for communities like Write2Ignite as well. While many of us recognize the need for community as believers, we also need community with other writers as well. Often writing requires us to be alone, to have quiet with our thoughts. Yet, we also desperately need to have other writers to talk to, to learn from and get feedback on our work. When we can find other writers who are also fellow believers, we're able to see even more connections between our faith and our work, and we can grow in each.

As we enter the new year, I pray that the Lord continues to bless this community of writers. I pray that we'll spend time seeking Him and growing in faith. I pray that we won't lose sight of the hope we profess, but that we'll be consistently reminded of His faithfulness. Finally, I pray that we'll encourage each other to love and good deeds, to help each other be active in our faith and loving in our words.

Happy 2025 to you all!

Karley Conklin

Karley Conklin is a librarian by day, writer by night, and bookworm 24/7. You can find more of her writing on litwyrm.com