And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Chapter 10 of the book of Hebrews has a lot packed into it. This text explains the significance of the crucifixion of Christ and how that event brings about the forgiveness of sins. It’s also a call for love and encouragement. Rather than being used to encourage others, it has been used by church leaders to hold people “accountable” for their perceived sins.

This text tells us to encourage each other, toward love and good deeds, and to not give up meeting together. This can be used as an encouragement, but in my experience it’s been used more as a means of guilt. The bit about encouraging each other to love and good deeds is the part that gets turned into “accountability”. There’s a lot of focus on sin among Christians—mostly other people’s sin.

It’s not healthy to put everyone’s actions under our microscope for analysis. This causes us to miss the point. This chapter is leading up to the point, “let us hold fast to the confession of our hope . . . for he who has promised is faithful”.

A Power Play

In reality when Christians push “accountability” it really means the most power-hungry people control the most dutiful people. If someone stops attending church the rumor mill wonders if they’re even still a believer. If someone is uncomfortable with being held “accountable” for potential future sins, they are surely hiding something.

In writing this I did a fact check on my own assumptions with a search on the phrase “Christian accountability”. I opened seven pages from the page one of results. Five of those seven referenced this text and focused on addressing sin in each other’s life. One article insisted that nothing, even thoughts, should be kept from an accountability partner. The abuse dished out in the name of Hebrews 10  could be its own article.

Joy and Liberty

No! Following these instructions should be just like it reads on the surface. As I wrote about in Rules Much?, approaching spiritual growth as a checklist misses the mark. We should approach each other looking for the good, the grace. If there’s a setback in your sister’s life, that’s an occasion to sit with her through that hard time, rather than lecture. If there’s wrongdoing that affects you, that is what needs to be confronted. Although, the sin police will often switch over to verses on forgiveness if it’s their wrongdoing that’s brought to light.

Supportive Community

If churches were a place where I could meet people who were my biggest encourager, a non-judgmental shoulder to cry on, or people with whom I could celebrate, nobody would have to tell me to keep meeting together. Maybe this instruction exists because as far back as the early church, Christians were already experiencing the need to distance themselves from controlling and abusive Christians.

The author reminds the original readers that we don’t have to keep atoning for our sin, Christ did that. Instead, we should love and encourage each other. I find it sad that these verses are used to guilt people when that’s the social condition that this text is addressing.

What creative ideas come up for you when you “consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds?” Have you spent time considering for yourself how you might encourage people—truly encourage them? Has someone used these verses to shame you?

Let us hold on to our hope, for Jesus is faithful!

Three people photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Chalk drawing photo credit: by sydney Rae on Unsplash

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 1:1-4

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are humans that you are mindful of them
    or mortals that you care for them?
 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
    you have crowned them with glory and honor,
     subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,

‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

Hebrews 2:5-12

Think of your own pain, your successes, your joys, and anything you overcame to get there. Experiences are intertwined and can be hard to describe. Soldiers who’ve just met can connect immediately if they’ve had similar deployments, because they know the other one “gets” something that most people don’t. We feel “at home” around others who are like us, especially in the areas where we’re rejected or marginalized.

So when advertisers, politicians, or anyone that holds power, tries to use a person’s experience of marginalization as their platform, it can feel mixed. At this point in history, it seems like this is happening with every issue or group, either positively or negatively. Are the people with the microphone raising awareness because they care? Does this issue simply correlate with something they already wanted to do? Am I being used to further this person’s career? These are all valid questions. It’s hard to know who’s an ally and who’s making a name for themselves.

Reconciliation is More than Listening

God knew reconciling us would mean more than listening, it would mean becoming one of us. Jesus left his place of power and became powerless. He wasn’t powerless just because he was a baby–he was a baby that the king wanted dead. Jesus left his place of privilege and was born into a family that carried no importance in their society. People reminded him of that even as an adult when he started to teach,

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?

Mark 6:3 NIV

Jesus left the place where he experienced constant communal love within the trinity, and came to earth where he would have to sneak away to pray to connect with God. In addition to that, Jesus experienced rejection and betrayal.

Jesus took up our cause and invites us into his family. He doesn’t just send a list of detailed instructions on how to be like God. He isn’t content to shrug and conclude that we must not really want salvation if we’re not willing to be perfect. Jesus takes the first step by becoming one of us and living out God’s law, summed up by him as,

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:29-31 NIV

Jesus isn’t using your issues to get your votes, he didn’t listen to your problems to give you better advice. You’re not God’s poster child. Jesus lived your problems. Jesus calls you family, and now advocates on your behalf from a place of power.

Photo credit: by Cody Board on Unsplash