Confidence in the Promises

I have been expounding Hebrews to myself for the better part of a year now. I am now on chapter 10, which happens to be very pertinent so I include you in a few verses of the work.

Heb. 10:32 – 39

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.  For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.  Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.  For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and reach their souls possession.

The Hebrew Christians were facing a torrid time. Faith, attendance and passion for Jesus were for them at an all time low. They were being tempted to believe that Jesus had abandoned them and they had believed in vain.

The writer reminds them of their former confidence in the promises of Jesus to them. Jesus would reward them when it was all over. This is what they were to be living for, the thing they wanted more than anything else, but they lost sight of it.

I guarantee you friends, what we should want more than anything is to be rewarded by Jesus now and at His judgement seat. To get this, it requires faith. This is why the writer then spends almost two chapters talking on what this faith is like that gets the reward.  Let us not throw away our confidence – Jesus did not lie, we have heard Him speak to us, we can expect Him to fulfill His word when time is right. This is faith: believing that God is serious, confident that we will get what He said He will give us, even if we wait a little while for it.

This is why I encourage us. Let us remind each other, spur each other on.  We are confident of what we expect to happen, even though we don’t see it all now!