Hebrews 10:19-39
Hold Fast Your Confession
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 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. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 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.
The Just Live by Faith
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 “For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
We who are in Christ hold fast to the faith bequeathed to us and the word of the Law imprinted on our hearts as if written there by the same finger of God who etched the words on Mount Sinai to give Moses. We have this assurance and confidence (Ephesians 3:11-12) to enter into the presence of God, the Holiest Place behind the veil removed for us by the sacrifice of His lifeblood that gives us access to Him. This veil of His flesh we remember as we take communion along with the blood of His sacrifice making it possible to be reconciled and redeemed by His work on the cross and subsequent resurrection from death to life to give us proof of life and eternal forgiveness from our sins. We approach His throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) with a true heart that accepts Him as our Lord who is Savior and the work He did to give us this full acceptance and access by grace alone. Our consciences have been washed clean (Titus 3:5-6) from their rule of evil by the indwelling sin with which we are all born as we hold unwaveringly fast to the certainty of the promise of eternal life because His promises never fail. Because of these things, we are to live to love Him and our neighbors as we do the good works prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10) and not as a requisite to enter heaven. Yes, we know we are called together as a body, the universal church of all true believers, that we may demonstrate His love to one another in service to encourage and challenge one another to follow Him well and do what we are commanded out of a willing heart saved by grace and love. How could we ever neglect or even refuse to meet together with eagerness and commitment to one another until His return by not meeting as often as possible? Some indeed forsake this meeting together with all manner of unbiblical excuses, but we who know the Lord and His word have no excuse except a heart needing spiritual attention if we reject meeting as the church as if we ourselves are alone a body (1 Corinthians 12:12, 18-19, 25-26) unto ourselves. There are no Lone Ranger Christians as it has been said quite often, only disobedient ones who displease the Lord by refusing His rule as head over us all in unity and union in Christ. For those who hear the gospel and reject it, however, there is no recourse. We read here how such will only face a fearful judgment who trample the gospel and the Son of God under their rebellious feet and insult the Spirit of grace and the covenant of the sacrificial blood of Christ; for He says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” and, “The LORD will judge His people.” It is truly a fearful and dreadful thing to fall into those hands of judgment! We who have not rejected the gospel message but who have believed and received it and the Son find suffering and wrestling with these truths eventually lead to our understanding and wisdom to follow at all costs and with full assurance of a confidence of conviction given us. We do His will in the face of doubt and opposition in fellowship with one another and endurance to the end with the spiritual mettle of confidence. We know Jesus is coming back to judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 9:8, Acts 17:31) and therefore do not shirk back from Him and His word of hope that we may please God by our good works prepared for us as we journey forward to the saving of our souls already provided by promise, unlike the ones who run away back into the darkness (Acts 26:18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 Peter 2:9). We who know Him hold fast to the faith given us (Ephesians 2:8-9) as the most precious gift ever and hold out (Philippians 2:15-16) this hope to the world.
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