This devotion has been taken from “The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings” by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth. 

 March 27

Sound in Body

Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  Hebrews 3:13

As Christians, we have not been left alone to deal with our sin.  God has graciously put us within a group of believers who are called to look out for one another and to stand together against the enemies that would threaten our spiritual strength and stamina.  This family, the body of Christ, is another wonderful provision, a vital means of grace that God has given to help us in our pursuit of holiness.

This is why it is so essential for every believer to be in a committed relationship with a Christ-centered local church.  Because while each of us is accountable to God for our personal holiness, He never intended that we should wage our battle single-handedly.

Is this an admission that we are weak and vulnerable?  Yes, it is.  I am weak.  So are you.  And the prideful independence that keeps us from taking off our mask and getting real before others is the same pride that inevitably causes us to fall into sin.  Humbling ourselves by letting others into our lives and allowing them to help us and hold us accountable will release the sanctifying, transforming grace of God in our hearts.  We need this kind of help from others; they need it from us, as well. 

And not just on Sundays.  For as the above verse from Hebrews 3 suggests, it takes less than twenty four hours for our hearts, any of us, to become hardened or deceived by sin.  None of us can afford to be without consistent, day-in and day-out accountability of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

You and I need the support of our Christian family every day of the week, if we are to make it spiritually.  How could you tap into this necessary resource in the next twenty four hours?