Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 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 10:23-25
When a person is discouraged, sin can deceive and harden his heart to the point that it becomes sinful and unbelieving, leading the person to turn his back on God. Someone wrote, “People live by encouragement. Without it they die. Slowly... Sadly... Bitterly.”
He Who Promised is Faithful
Hebrews 10:23 says. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” We must never loosen our grip on what we believe. The Confession of Jesus Christ is the confession that any and all need to make if they would have eternal hope. Do you lack hope and expectancy? If so, you need to make a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ.
Profess publically that you believe Jesus is God’s unique Son; that He died on the Cross for your sin; that He received the punishment we deserved and purchased our pardon from sin and hell by His shed blood; that He rose again conquering sin, death and the grave, and that He ascended back into Heaven and that He is coming again for His own.
Cynical voices try to erode our faith. Materialistic voices get us too busy for God. The events of life seem to conspire to shake our faith. But we who confess Christ are to persevere in and by giving a constant confession.
Perseverance in confessing Christ is the evidence that we have received the promise of God. It is believing what you are confessing. It is putting your money where your mouth is so to speak. If our hope is based on the unfailing promise of God, we should confess it confidently and boldly. Then we should believe it, cling to it and our actions should show it. Has God ever failed us? Is God not faithful to His people and to His promises for all who draw near in faith?
“Let us hold fast the confession.” The Greek verb translated “hold fast” has the sense of holding firm, securing or tightening down our confession of hope. This we must do without wavering. The base meaning of this Greek word means “to lean, to slope, or to be off-balance”. We must not go off-balance or become unleveled as does a faulty foundation.
There is reason to hold firm even though the circumstances of life appear to be harming us. Even if things have become difficult and at the moment we feel there is little reason for keeping on, the One who made the promise “is faithful” and will not let us down. He does not count time in the short segments by which we count it; therefore, we should not let momentary discouragement cause us to turn away.
Hang on; God is on His way with resources for endurance even though things might become even more difficult. God uses the very process of enduring, to discipline and strengthen us to grow His rich fruit in our lives. The tragedies of today will become the triumphs of tomorrow. God is faithful, and He is faithful to His promises.
And we know that God causes all things to
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according
to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many
brethren…Romans 8:28-29
