Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus …
Having completed the lengthy doctrinal discourse on the greater high priesthood of Jesus Christ, which constitutes the main section of the epistle, the author goes on to fittingly exhort his audience. If we have understood this discourse, particularly the person and redeeming work of Christ and the absolute forgiveness received in the New Covenant, we who profess to believe these truths ought to live in a manner befitting them. So, like the apostle Paul does in his letters, the author of Hebrews reserves the final section of his epistle for exhortations for the Christian life.
In verses 19-21 of chapter 10, the author lays out a series of motivating factors – things that we have in Christ because His body and blood have opened the way to the presence of God – that stir up God’s people to carry out the three-fold imperative in verses 22-25 – let us draw near (22), let us hold fast (23), and let us consider one another (24).These exhortations prepare us for the remaining chapters of the letter, which discuss what a life lived by faith looks like. As we obey and carry out these duties, we become a church that is living by faith. In contrast, in verses 26-31 (which we will examine next time), the author describes the wrong way to live.
The three duties in verses 22-25 summarize the basics of the Christian faith. 1) Let us draw near … exhorts us to a genuine desire to be close to God by living “Coram Deo,” in the presence of God, under the authority of God, for the glory of God. 2) Let us hold fast … is an exhortation to remain faithful and steadfast, even in the face of an adversity that is leading others to fall away from the faith. 3) Let us consider one another … is a call to every member of the church of Jesus Christ to regard one another attentively, that we might love and serve and spend significant time together. As we carefully attend to one another, it will stir up the urge to love, serve, spend time with, and comfort and encourage one another in our church body. This is how the church militant, that is, the church on earth in this age, is to live, all the more as we approach the Day of Christ’s return.