Hold Fast Your Confession, from faith to fruit

This morning, we will wrap up our series in Hebrews. Let me briefly share a 40,000ft perspective of the series leading up to this final message.

As we began, I shared that the writer of Hebrews had two primary goals. First, to elevate Jesus as superior to anyone or anything else in order to show that he is worthy of total trust and devotion. Second, the writer challenges the believers to remain faithful to Jesus even in persecution.

The cornerstone of this message is the understanding that Faith in Christ is not a gamble. It is an anchor that will hold through every season of your life.

The key to anchored faith is the development of our spiritual senses through the reading and application of God’s word in our lives. We must develop an ear to hear, and cultivate a heart that is ready to receive the seed of God’s word.

Hebrews 3:14–15 “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

The hardening of our hearts is the result of the deceitfulness of sin, therefore the word instructs us in James 1:21 says, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

The word reveals our spiritual condition by revealing the inner man including our motivations and intentions, but it also draws us closer to Jesus by removing the obstacles in our inward man.

Because we are called with a heavenly calling to know Christ and make Him known. We must lean into the word and allow it to bring us to the place of spiritual maturity, because we ALL have a part to play in the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Remember, spiritual maturity is not defined or limited by earthly age. Wisdom and spiritual fruit come through the application of the word. The only prerequisite being hunger and thirst.

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Submit:

As we conclude the series, I want to encourage you to hold fast your confession of hope in Christ without wavering. Your faith will produce both spiritual fruit and eternal rewards.

This morning, turn to Hebrews 6:10–12 “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Did you catch that?

God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name.

1 Corinthians 3:5–15 “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

The heavenly call of God invites us to serve His purposes, but in serving there is potential for reward. Those who receive reward didn’t build their own kingdoms, they built God’s kingdom.

The wood, hay, and straw represent the inferior. God has not called us to selfish ambition, superficial knowledge, or to fight to be seen by others. These ambitions may look good but they will lack in kingdom substance when judged by Christ.

The gold, silver, and precious stones represent the superior. Living by faith, gaining wisdom and understanding, acts of service, a life of compassion and obedience. These not only withstand the fire of judgement, but they increase in purity as a result of fire.

Our aim is to be diligent, steadfast, and faithful to the end. The writer instructs us not to become sluggish which means lazy or apathetic. How do we do that? Hebrews 6:12 “that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

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Apply:

Look at Hebrews 6:13–15.

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

Faith produces fruit when we patiently endure. Abraham received the promise of God in his seventies, but it was fulfilled when he turned 100. The passing of time didn’t change the promise of God. What is paramount in his journey is that he simply obeyed when God gave him instruction.

When God called him to go to a place he would show him. He didn’t question; he went. When God told him to sacrifice the son of promise, he didn’t question, he responded in obedience. The elapsing of time and instructions were tests intended to reveal what was in Abraham. Would he trust God? Would he attach his heart to the promise or God’s word?

Abrahams example to us is that through it all he remained faithful, and the result was fruit. God fulfilled the promise by giving him an heir in Isaac. God provided a ram in the thicket when he walked in obedience and prepared to sacrifice. He became exactly who God said He would be, the Father of many nations.

The encouragement of the writer of Hebrews to all of us is seen in Hebrews 10:19-25.

Hebrews 10:19–25 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Draw near to Jesus with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

Draw near through the word. There is no successful Christian life apart from it. Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”

Purify the inner man through the washing of the water of the word.

Ephesians 5:26 “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,”

Hold fast your confession of hope without wavering, because he who promised is faithful.

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.””

Jeremiah 1:12 “Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Don’t take the journey alone.

We are to consider one another to stir up love and good works. The word love here is Agape - the benevolent God kind of love.

No part of the body stands alone. In a culture of isolation, we must fight to come together. We are better together. We take more ground from the enemy when we come together. Even encouragement is better given in close proximity. 1 Corinthians 12:14 “For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

No one is the total package by themselves. We will need to draw from each-other in different seasons. If we choose isolation, long-term success diminishes.

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Closing:

I want to close with a few final thoughts.

Run with endurance.

Hebrews 12:1–2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Don’t despise discipline, it produces holiness.

Hebrews 12:3–6 “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

This race and assignment will be worth it in the end. We must fix our eyes on the prize and the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let’s Pray!

Holy Spirit would you cause us to become steadfast and immovable in our faith.

Salvation.