The one another commands

Spur One Another On

A command of Christ for his church · Hebrews 10:24

Spur one another on is the call to stir each other up toward love and good works. The writer of Hebrews says, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. We are to give thought to how we can move each other forward in the faith, prodding, inspiring, and stirring one another to press on rather than drift.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:Hebrews 10:24 (KJV)

What this command means

The command has two parts. First, consider one another, that is, give careful thought to each other, pay attention, notice where a brother is and what would help him. Second, provoke unto love and to good works, stir each other up, spur each other on, in a good sense of that word. It is deliberate, thoughtful, active encouragement toward growth.

The very next verse ties this to not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. We cannot spur each other on from a distance. Regular gathering is where this stirring happens, as we exhort one another, and so much the more as we see the day approaching. It is a call to intentional, forward-moving fellowship.

Why it matters for the church

Left to ourselves, we drift. The Christian life has a spiritual gravity that pulls toward coldness, complacency, and hardness of heart, which Hebrews warns against repeatedly. We need each other to keep moving. A brother's stirring word, a friend's godly example, a community's shared pursuit, all these keep us pressing on when we would otherwise coast.

This mutual spurring is how the church keeps its fire. Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. When believers deliberately provoke each other to love and good works, the whole body stays warm, active, and fruitful, ready and watchful as the day of Christ approaches.

This stirring is meant to intensify, not fade, as time goes on. The very command to provoke one another to love and good works is followed by so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. The nearer the return of Christ, the more we need each other's urging to stay awake, warm, and faithful. A church that keeps spurring one another on is a church kept ready for its Lord.

How we fail at it

We fail by leaving each other alone. We do not consider one another, do not notice who is drifting or growing cold, and do not bother to stir anyone up. We settle for coasting ourselves and expect nothing more of others. We forsake the very gathering where this stirring is meant to happen.

We also fail by provoking each other in the wrong direction, to irritation, discouragement, or rivalry, rather than to love and good works. Our influence on each other is never neutral; we are always stirring something. The question is whether we are spurring others toward Christ or away from him.

How Christ enables it

Christ is the one who keeps us moving toward the finish. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and Hebrews bids us look to him and run with patience the race set before us. He endured the cross for the joy set before him, and he leads us on, promising never to leave us as we press toward the day.

Because Christ himself is spurring us on and holding us fast, our efforts to stir each other are not in vain. We provoke one another to love and good works in his strength and toward his day. His faithfulness to finish what he began in us is why we can keep calling each other forward with hope.

Christ is the one who keeps us moving toward the finish, for he is the author and finisher of our faith, and Hebrews bids us look to him and run with patience the race set before us. He endured the cross for the joy set before him, and he leads us on, promising never to leave us as we press toward the day. Because he himself is spurring us forward and holding us fast, our efforts to stir one another are not in vain. We provoke each other to love and good works in his strength and toward his day, confident that he who began a good work in us will finish it.

How to live it

Consider one another deliberately. Pay attention to where people are in their walk, and think about what would actually help them grow. Do not leave your encouragement to chance; plan it.

Spur people toward love and good works by your words and your example. Challenge a friend to a next step, invite someone to serve alongside you, celebrate growth when you see it. Keep gathering faithfully with God's people, for that is where the stirring happens, and let no one you know drift alone toward coldness while the day approaches.

Consider one another deliberately, paying attention to where people actually are in their walk and thinking about what would truly help them grow, rather than leaving your encouragement to chance. Spur people toward love and good works by both your words and your example: challenge a friend to a next step, invite someone to serve alongside you, and celebrate growth wherever you see it. Keep gathering faithfully with God's people, for that is the setting in which this stirring happens, and it grows more urgent, not less, as the day of Christ draws near. Let no one you know drift alone toward coldness and hardness while you look on. A church that keeps calling one another forward, warmly and persistently, is a church kept awake and ready for its returning Lord.

Related commands: Encourage one another · Build up one another · Instruct one another · All the one another commands