Heb 10:32-39 Endurance
Notes
Transcript
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 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. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
If you haven’t seen the movie The Sound of Freedom I would highly encourage you to watch it, but there is another movie that I want to bring to your attention as well, it’s called Unbroken which was released in 2014. It’s based on a book/biography of Louis Zamperini, who was an Olympian, and then while fighting during WWII, he had a near-fatal plane crash.
That in itself would have been traumatic, but then he survived 47 days in a raft in the ocean. As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, so after 47 days in a raft he was “rescued” by the Japanese navy, as you can imagine he had unspeakable sufferings as a prisoner of war. The movie does not depict some of the horrors that are described in the book, such as how several of his fellow prisoners were treated and how they were killed.
However, throughout all these horrors and great suffering Louis Zamperini survived. He endured unimaginable suffering until he was rescued at the end of the war and returned home to America. When he arrives, he kisses the ground. What is amazing in his life story is not the great suffering, but the fact that Louis endured through it all.
The text we are going to study today calls us to endure, to hold fast, to not throw away our confidence, for we have a need for endurance. With that in mind, let’s read this section again:
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 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. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
In the previous section, the author of Hebrews gave us a strong warning. If you despise Jesus in your heart your end will be eternal condemnation in hell. The warning is very serious and should shake us to the core so that we can test our hearts and see if any deceit is hiding in our hearts.
The warning also should cause all of us to tremble and repent because of God’s holiness and our unrighteousness. It is only by God’s grace that we might be able to see how holy God is and how doomed we are apart from Christ. I’m grateful that we were able to celebrate communion right after that sermon and remember the amazing grace of God to us through Jesus Christ. It is by the blood of Jesus that there is a way, there is forgiveness and redemption. Without Jesus' blood, there is only a fearful expectation of judgment. The more we contemplate these hard truthful realities the more we will appreciate, be thankful, and value Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
After the author of Hebrews contemplates such hard truth and such strong judgment, he brings hope because in Christ there is hope. The author brings encouragement to the readers in these verses that we will study today. In the same manner that when we study the previous warning it was fitting, refreshing, and encouraging to celebrate communion and be reminded of what Jesus did for us, so does the author encourages us in these verses.
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 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.
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 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.
These verses are a contrast to the previous paragraph, God now gives words of encouragement to us. The author is calling the readers to remember the former days, the time when they had heard the gospel and decided to follow Jesus, the genuineness of their faith was proven by their own attitude and actions in the face of persecution.
The call to remember is not to remember just one moment, but a period of time of enduring suffering for Christ’s sake. There is nothing wrong in remembering one moment in time of repenting and trusting in Christ. However, the focus here is a call to remember the readers’ firm reliance and perseverance throughout time. Faithfulness and perseverance are not things that happen overnight. The Christian walk is not a 100-yard dash, but a lifelong marathon.
This can be seen here in v32 when the author says “You endured a hard struggle with sufferings” it says you endured. When the author chooses the word “endure” it points out that the readers persisted in their faith over a period of time, a time of suffering. The confidence in our salvation should be our perseverance through time and endurance through suffering, not because we are able, but because we have Jesus holding us.
These verses describe to some extent what kind of suffering the readers of this letter had to endure. A commentator (Brown) says:
“Fierce persecution had hit their community some time past when their faith in Christ was young and immature, just after their conversion and baptism. Even their homes were invaded by vandals and robbers, determined to expose them to every possible discomfort and insult. Yet in all these cruel circumstances they had certainly held fast to their confession ‘without wavering’. Only good had come out of their troubles. What had been gained in the earlier persecution?
Their suffering had deepened their fellowship. Even if they had not suffered personally themselves, they had become partners with those so treated. Those who share by partnership with Christ in his sufferings also share inevitably and gladly in the sufferings of Christ’s people. Such people will also be partnersin Christ’s coming glory.
Their suffering had increased their compassion. During these troubles, some appear to have been thrust into prisons, but fellow Christians, as their partners, pitied and cared for them, though it may well have been dangerous to identify themselves so openly with the troublemakers. Prison visiting, as an act of practical Christian compassion, is mentioned later in this letter, once again in the context of partnership in suffering.
Thankfully we live in a time where we are not being thrown into prison for our faith, but we have other brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for righteousness' sake. Therefore, we cannot ignore those that are suffering for Christ’s sake.
One ministry that I support is the Voice of the Martyrs, which focuses on helping and supporting believers that suffer because of Jesus’ name. When you go through this kind of suffering it is so life-giving to know that other believers are praying for your country and your situation. We are the body of Christ, if one part suffers the whole body suffers.
But, back to the first readers of this letter and their suffering. Their suffering demonstrated their resilience. They joyfully accepted this plundering, looting, and violence. No unbeliever could possibly have responded in that way to such dire trouble. A non-Christian may tolerate his troubles, but he cannot rejoice in them. Only Christ can enable a believer to do that. Jesus taught his followers to rejoice when persecution comes: ‘Blessed are you when men revile you … rejoice and be glad.’
Their suffering had sharpened their priorities. When bands of looters broke into their homes, these persecuted Christians soon realized that the thieves could not steal the things which were of the greatest value to them. That is why they were joyful. They believed the word of Jesus that their reward was great in heaven. Such treasure was a great reward.
The first readers of this letter were greatly blessed because they endure by putting their trust completely in Christ throughout all the adversities, and in the end, they persevere because God was holding them. It is because of all of this that the author of Hebrews is reminding them to not throw away their confidence.
These are amazing truths, but if they stay only in our heads, it has no benefit for us. Therefore, when we suffer, we should seek God’s help and hold fast to Jesus, and as we do we will endure till the end, no matter what is ahead we will endure. In the end, God will bring good out of the worst situations in our lives.
Rom 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose”
We might see in this life how it turned out for good or we will see in eternity. What is important is that we need to remember who God is; He is All-Powerful, good, and wise in all of the details and how HE is orchestrating our lives. “God is infinitely able to know the best possible outcome of any situation... The one and only God is wise—gloriously wise, infinitely wise.” (Piper) We often won’t understand, we need to trust in who God is.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8
We will endure because Rom 5 1-4 says “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
James 1:2-4 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
However, while we are enduring while suffering there are other Bible passages that we will need to memorize so that we are encouraged in the midst of trials, such as these verses here in this slide. I encourage you to write them down, maybe in the back of your Bibles.
Isaiah 41:10; John 16:33; Phil 4:6-7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 121:1-2
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
John 16:33b In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
These are verses that we all should have on post-it notes placed everywhere, especially where we often are such as our car, workplace, kitchen, etc, especially when we are going through hard seasons. When our brothers and sisters are persecuted and suffering greatly, there is only one material possession they want to have, the Bible. Through the toughest time in my life, the only thing that I did that help me to endure was reading and studying the Bible. Never look down on the importance of spending time hearing and reading what God says.
As we hear God’s word over and over in the midst of suffering, we are holding on, not throwing away our confidence. That is what the author of Hebrews says in the next two verses.
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
V35 starts with “therefore” signaling that the author is drawing a conclusion from v32 to 34. The conclusion is that given all that the readers had endured already in the past God is challenging them not to throw away their confidence. They are to hold fast to their confession, which will be richly rewarded.
This commandment to hold fast is implied twice in v35 and v36. First through a prohibition, do not throw away your confidence, then in v36 in the positive, you have need of endurance. However, both not throwing away, and the need for endurance, both point to the same need to hold fast to the confession, to hold fast to our trust in God.
Holding fast, or enduring through suffering is not achieved by our own effort and strength. It is by the strength that Christ provides. It is accessing God, boldly approaching God through Jesus’ sacrifice, and living by faith, putting our lives at risk if necessary, trusting God and His promises because the one who promised is faithful. What He said will indeed come to pass. If we live by faith, trusting Jesus, we will receive the future reward of standing in the presence of our creator in His Kingdom.
Johnson says “Those who trust God’s promises take appropriate action in the present in light of his announcements concerning the future. Faith is not mere intellectual assent to God’s declarations; rather, it moves the believer to do the will of God. Christ came to do (The Fathers’) will… and the fruit of his costly commitment to do God’s will is the new covenant in which God writes his law on believers’ hearts so that they may willingly do his will.”
How are you on your faith walk? Sometimes we can get discouraged after years of faithfully following God. We might not see the results of all the hard work, or it seems like it is getting harder and harder. I believe it will get harder and harder to faithfully walk in obedience to God in everything we do. The world is getting darker and darker, there is no question about it. The opposition is growing, but we also have an enemy, the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Furthermore, we still have sin in our hearts, so the struggle is real, it is so easy for us to choose to respond in a sinful manner in all the little moments in life.
It is because of all of this that if we depend on ourselves, we will not endure. We need Christ’s help. We have to be praying and asking for His help in all the little things in life… all the time! We mess it up when we act independently without His help. We need God’s help not only in the bigger and more difficult moments but even in the most mundane things that we do. We need His help to be living by faith.
Living by faith, patiently waiting, and walking in obedience until we receive what is promised is the theme of chapter 11 and all the great examples of those that lived by faith. However, before we can start Chapter 11, we need to finish the last verses of Chapter 10.
37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
At first, it might seem like there is a detour in the author’s argument, but if you think of someone going through suffering and enduring, one of the main questions you will be asking is: how long? In the midst of suffering, you will be longing more and more for Christ’s return. So the author of Hebrews answers this question in these verses by saying: just in a little bit He will come back, He will not delay.
Here the author of Hebrews quotes Habakkuk 2 and Isaiah 26, intensifying the promise that the Coming One will not delay. Both prophetic texts advise sufferers to await patiently the coming of their God to deliver them and judge their enemies. The context of the words drawn from Habakkuk expresses the tension between eager expectancy and patient endurance demanded by the mysterious timing of God’s promise keeping.
As the author quotes here mainly Habakkuk 2:3-4 you will notice that it is different from the text in the Old Testament. First, the difference is due because he is quoting from a Latin translation of the Old Testament. Secondly, the author as inspired by the Holy Spirit is free to interpret that text as a reference to Jesus’ return.
We can endure because Jesus is certainly coming, He will not delay, yet a little while. We are fighting from the advantage that Jesus already won the war, and we have His help as we fight our battles, we don’t endure in our strength but rely on His strength.
Then the author concludes chapter 10 with v39, where he gives a balanced contrastive comment concerning two classes of people. Those that withdraw and those that walk by faith.
Which one are you? Are you trying to endure and survive in your own strength, or by faith and trust in Jesus alone?
The author of Hebrews is saying we will endure because we are holding on to Jesus and He is holding us. The main point in these verses is a call for endurance.
Remember the story of Louis portrayed in the Unbroken movie? Louis did endure unimaginable suffering on his own strength. The movie omits the fact that after the war was over and he returned home, he was destroying his life and his family as he dealt with intense PTSD and alcoholism. He endured the suffering but as a result, he was destroying himself. It was only after he came to faith in Jesus that he was able to truly endure the aftermath of the great suffering and be able to forgive those that inflicted the intense suffering he experienced.
It was only with Jesus’ strength that Louis was truly able to endure and have life, abundant life.
What about you? Are you enduring in your own strength and power? Or by faith in Jesus? Are you relying only on Him to be able to endure any suffering you have encountered or will encounter?