CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP IN CONFIDENCE AND ASSURANCE

Hebrews 10:19-39 / Keywords 10:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

 

1. Now that we have been redeemed through Jesus' perfect sacrifice, we have confidence and assurance to enter the Most Holy Place. And with such hope, we, in Christian community, support and encourage one another to live by faith.

 

2. We should not take the grace of forgiveness we receive through Jesus lightly. As breaking the Mosaic law was punishable by death (28), we are to honor and respect the spirit of grace and live in reverence of God.

 

3. The author emphasizes the importance of Christian fellowship. He points out that some are falling into the habit of giving up meeting together (25). Some might have feared the foreseen persecution and preferred to keep a low profile. Some might have had personal issues with other believers that led them to stay away from the community. But having Christian fellowship is important in keeping our confidence in the spirit of love and grace of God. Not only can we come to God freely, but we also grow in our fellowship with one another. As we share in the fellowship in Jesus, we encourage one another to live according to God's will (24,25).

 

Prayer Father, thank you for the confidence we receive knowing your grace of forgiveness. Give us strength to love one another and to stand against the persecution of the world.

One Word We have confidence in Jesus