Hebrews 10:32 – 39
“Recall the former days in which,
after you were illuminated,
you endured a great struggle with sufferings:”
(Hebrews 10:32)
Paul is talking to the early Christians
“Illuminated” ones are those who have
Seen the light – have met Jesus and
Are now born again believers.
Enduring a great struggle with sufferings
Is NOT something most of us are
Familiar with today.
“partly while you were made a spectacle
both by reproaches and tribulations,
and partly while you became companions
of those who were so treated;
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.”
(Hebrews 10:33 – 34)
These early Christians identified with
Paul in his sufferings, both physical
And financial – losing their goods.
This is a far cry from the treatment
We receive today when we come to faith
How many of us would gladly bear rejection
And possible financial ruin if that were the
Likely outcome of turning to Christ
In faith?
Would we be assured, like them, of
Knowing that we would have “a better
And an enduring possession for
Ourselves in heaven.”
(Verse 34)
Hopefully we would
Hopefully our faith in Him would be
Strong enough and real enough
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence,
which has great reward.”
(Hebrews 10:35)
What is this “confidence” that this verse
Talks about?
It is simply our FAITH in His GRACE
How many of us are naturally “confident”?
Not very many
We are only too aware of our failings
And LACK of self-confidence
This confidence, then is His confidence
A confidence we HAVE
Through FAITH in Him
As we believe in Him
And rely on Him and His confidence
Which truly has great reward.
“For you have need of endurance,
so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise:”
(Hebrews 10:36)
Being SAVED is not just about going to heaven
Since Jesus is Lord we obey Him
And do His will.
In so doing, we will receive the promise:
“For yet a little while,
And He who is coming
will come and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
(Hebrews 10:37 – 38)
And here we come to the main point
Paul started by commending the believers
In their faith by what they had suffered
For the sake of Christ
Their confidence was not self-confidence
But reliance, by faith, in His confidence
They followed and fulfilled the will of God
So that they may receive the promise
Of life with Him in heaven
“BUT…if anyone draws back
My soul has no pleasure in him”
(Verse 38)
Wow!
That doesn’t sound good
I thought we were:
“Once saved, always saved”
Is that not true?
Before I answer that
Look back at verse before
“Now the just shall live by faith;”
(Verse 37)
We know that one
We are familiar with it
So the just will live by faith
But – do not draw back
Jesus Himself spoke about this
“And another also said,
‘Lord, I will follow You,
but let me first go and
bid them farewell who are at my house.’
But Jesus said to him,
‘No one, having put his hand to the plow,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ “
(Luke9:61 – 62)
And remember Lot’s wife
She was told, by the angel, not to look back
She did – and was turned into a pillar of salt
Old Testament story
Words of Jesus
Paul in Hebrews
Live by FAITH – Yes
But do not draw back
Run and complete the race
Do not falter
Do not turn
But HOW?
Don’t draw back in your SPEAKING
Don’t draw back in your SERVING
Don’t draw back in your SOWING
(The fuller answer can be found here
In a Bible Study from Andrew Wommack
With Jeremy Pearsons – 14 April 2020)