– 16 Min Read
Hebrews has become one of my favorite New Testament books. The author has a great systematic theology and ties it together with his great understanding of biblical theology. He builds his case for the superiority of Christ in his early chapters like a seasoned lawyer working in a courtroom. He quotes from the Old Testament often to help make the points he wishes to drive into the hearts of his readers. I cannot wait to meet the author in glory. In Chapter 10, he explains the sufficiency of Christ’s death to provide a final atonement and cleansing of all of our sins. In verses 10-12 he says;
“By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God”
– Hebrews 10:10-12
Then, in light of that truth, the author encourages the reader to a proper behavior that corresponds to that reality.
“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
– Hebrews 10:19-25
According to the author of Hebrews, the visible sign of the believer who is keeping the assembly and encouraging the saints is someone who is “confident”, has a “sincere heart” along with “full assurance”, enjoys a “clear conscience”, and is holding fast to the “hope”. This is logically how a Christian lives his or her life in light of these things: they go to church. In John Owens’s Commentary on Hebrews he notes that there are three reasons for forsaking the assembly and the roots it stems from:
- From fear of suffering.
- Spiritual slothfulness.
- Unbelief working gradually towards the forsaking of all profession. [1]
John Owen also says that there are only two kinds of forsaking, total and partial [2]. Total, being complete abandonment of the faith and therefore the church also. Partial, being one of the three reasons listed above. These three reasons given above will show where the believer is on that spectrum between apostasy and neglect towards keeping the Lord’s Day. John Owen does say that the total forsaking is not what the writer of Hebrews has in mind, though it is the danger he is pressing his readers to ultimately avoid.
Is “fear of suffering” a legitimate reason for forsaking the assembly in America? If someone thinks so and gives that as their reason, that is hard to buy. We haven’t even begun to experience any kind of real suffering in our country for the faith we profess. At the moment in our current state, we can scratch “fear of suffering” off the list of excuses we need to deal with.
The remaining two that Owen mentions are the real ones to address in the church. We have far too many people who are “spiritually slothful” and “working gradually towards forsaking the faith.” These are the big two. Scripture gives us the tools to deal with both of them. We spur, train, rebuke, and discipline the slothful one and we do the same for the one who is on the fence of apostasy. The one who is genuine but lazy will eventually repent and the one who is not genuine will eventually give up the act.
The heart of the motive behind the call to keep the assembly is seen at the end of v.25, “as you see the day drawing new.” The question to ask someone who does not treat the assembly of God and the Lord’s Day with seriousness is, “Are you looking forward to the return of Christ? Or are you content with this life and its temporal pleasures?” For someone who is looking onward to the day that is drawing near will not forsake the assembly, but keep it. Because on that day, which is approaching us at a speed we do not know, is the day we “enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus.”(Hebrews 10:19)
How can one stimulate the saints to love and good deeds if they do not attend the assembly? They cannot. How can you encourage the brethren if you abandon the assembly of God’s people? You cannot. It is quite simple. The sin of forsaking the assembly does not just damage the individual, it damages the whole church. Everyone suffers. For they cannot stimulate you to love and good deeds if you are not there. They cannot encourage you in the faith if you do not attend. The Westminster Larger Catechism answers;
Q: “Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment?
A: The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it; we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandment, and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for it, and yet it restrained our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.”
– The Westminster Larger Catechism (Question: 121) [3]
Alexander Whyte said in his commentary on the Westminster Shorter Catechism;
“There is perhaps no surer sign of a falling Christian than a growing neglect of Sabbath day ordinances, and an indolent and profane abuse of its sacred and priceless hours. There is no bulwark that parents can build up around their children’s religion and morality like a well-kept Sabbath day; and there is no surer sign that a young man is declining from faith and personal religion than when he begins to find his own pleasure and do his own way on the Lord’s holy day.”
– Alexander Whyte [4]
This is an excellent observation though it is certainly not one I ever wish to see. When people who profess to be brothers and sisters in Christ borderline treat the Lord’s Day with contempt because it “takes away” from them their freedom and joy, we as a church need to pour more time into their discipleship; and possibly even discipline them. You may think that there is no such person like this in the church, asking yourself, “Who claims to be a Christian yet has contempt towards the Lord’s Day and the Lord’s people?” And you would be correct, there is no one like that in the church. It is because they didn’t show up! They forsook the assembly in exchange for keeping their worldly recreations. In that decision, they cared very little about the Lord’s day or His people.
I have had the privilege of teaching through the Gospel of Luke to a youth group on Wednesday nights. Luke’s gospel mentions the Sabbath a lot and contains several of Jesus’ teachings on the Sabbath. More than all the other accounts of Jesus on the Sabbath, this one is probably my favorite.
“And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13 And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. 14 But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? 16 And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.”
– Luke 13:10-17
Here we have a woman who had been suffering in pain, yet nothing was going to keep her from assembling on the Sabbath, hearing the scriptures read, or participating in corporate prayer and worship of YAHWEH. For eighteen years she had been under the oppression of Satan to where she could not stand up straight. She could not walk properly. No matter her stance or position she was always in constant pain. But that did not stop her from remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. That would not stop her from her duty to assemble. Her pain would not prevent her from hearing the words of Jesus. Bless this woman, she would come to Sabbath to find rest and she certainly would. She came to the synagogue in sorrow but went home rejoicing. J.C. Ryle comments on this text;
“Now what is the explanation of all this? What is the reason why so few are like the woman of whom we read this day? The answer to these questions is short and simple. The most have not heart for God’s service. They have no delight in God’s presence or God’s day. ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God.’ The moment a man’s heart is converted, these pretended difficulties about attending public worship vanish away. The new heart finds no trouble in keeping the sabbath holy. Where there is a will there is always a way. Let us never forget that our feelings about Sundays are sure tests of the state of our souls. The man who can find no pleasure in giving God one day in the week, is manifestly unfit for heaven. Heaven itself is nothing but an eternal sabbath. If we cannot enjoy a few hours in God’s service once a week in this world, it is plain that we could not enjoy an eternity in his service in the world to come.”
– J. C. Ryle [5]
What is the excuse you use to forsake God’s people? Do you believe that you are truly benefiting yourself more greatly by doing something other than participating in the assembly on the Lord’s Day? What sin has enticed you away from God’s day and God’s people? Why do you forsake the assembly? If you are someone who struggles with obeying Hebrews 10:25, then these are questions you should ask yourself.
The word used in Hebrews 10:25, egkataleipo, is the same word used by Jesus on the cross.
“At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken (egkataleipo) Me?””
– Mark 15:34 (parentheses added)
The word forsaken means “abandon, desert, to leave helpless.” This is what the writer of Hebrews says some Christians are doing. They are abandoning the church. They are deserting it. By their desertion of the assembly, the fellow saints are left helpless. Fellowship, discipleship, corporate worship, and prayer are being abandoned by those who profess to be followers of Jesus. Christians are being forsaken, as our Lord was, by their own brothers and sisters.
This forsaking that the writer of Hebrews is talking about is a sin that Christians commit against God and each other. This is a controversial point to touch on but, yes, forsaking the assembly is a sin. Truly, when this sin is committed in the church there should be a call for much discipleship for the person and even church discipline if no repentance is seen. The Westminster Larger Catechism answers the question of responsibility for the leadership in the church in regards to keeping the Sabbath.
A: “The charge of keeping the Sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own.”
– The Westminster Larger Catechism (Question: 118) [6]
This is seen all over the place.
“but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.”
– Exodus 20:10
“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.”
– Exodus 23:12
“In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16 Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.””
– Nehemiah 13:15-18
Nehemiah also enforces Sabbatical consequences on not just Israelites but on every kind of ethnic people.
“It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 Then I warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day.”
– Nehemiah 13:19-22
It is the elders and heads of households who are responsible for the absence of the people on Sunday morning. They are held responsible because it is their duty to correct them and adequately teach what God commands, to not forsake the assembly, and to remember the day. Fathers are responsible for their children, guests, and slaves on the Sabbath according to Exodus. If a congregate member is constantly absent without any repentance then church discipline is in order. This is because it is a sin to forsake the Lord’s Day and forsake His people. But it’s not just forsaking God and His people, it is neglecting other things as well. For how can you obey what is commanded in the New Testament teachings of brotherly love if you forsake the brethren? You can’t. The sin of forsaking the assembly runs deep and flows like a destructive wave to all other areas of godly living.
If you are a member of a church then you have entered into a covenant with your fellow members of that church. You vowed to love them as Christ has commanded you and to express that love in the many ways taught in the Scriptures. You have also vowed to be held accountable by the local church in good faith that Christ will be honored and the church’s testimony be protected. This means if you forsake the assembly and are unrepentant of it, you should be removed from membership of that church. How can you properly hold others accountable, vote in meetings, serve in ministries, and participate in requested prayers of need, if you do not attend the assembly? You can’t.
And if you are not a member of a church then I encourage you to become one and until then, keep assembling on the Lord’s Day because this command is for all. If you are in Christ then you belong to His body, the church.
Read Next: The Christians Sabbath Part 9: Jonathan Edwards on Neglecting the Assembly
Works Cited
[1-2] John Owen, An Exposition of the Epistle to The Hebrews. vol. 4, (The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991. 7 vols.) 522-523.
[3] The Westminster Larger Catechism, Creeds, Confessions, & Catechisms, (Wheaton, IL, Crossway 2022). Question 121.
[4] Alexander Whyte. An Exposition on the Shorter Catechism. (Fearn, Scotland, Christian Focus, 2004), 135.
[5] J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke. vol. 2, (The Banner of Truth Trust, 1858. 2 vols.), 90.
[6] The Westminster Larger Catechism, Creeds, Confessions, & Catechisms, (Wheaton, IL, Crossway 2022). Question 121.