Righteousness That Endures

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

Hebrews 10:32–39 CSB

Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

Introduction

Opening Story

On July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the cold waters off Catalina Island, determined to swim the 26 miles to the California coast. She was already a world-class swimmer, the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. But that day, the conditions were brutal. The water was frigid, and a thick fog made it impossible to see the shoreline.

For 15 long hours she swam. Every muscle ached. Sharks had to be driven off with rifles from boats following her. At last, exhausted and discouraged, she begged to be pulled out. When she was hauled into the boat, she discovered she had quit less than a mile from the coast.

Later, she said, “If only I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Two months later, she tried again. Same cold water, same thick fog. But this time, she kept a clear picture in her mind of the shoreline. She swam the entire distance, finishing strong.

During August, we’ve been exploring the righteousness of God and how it shapes:

Our salvation

Our transformation

and our hunger for God.

We began in Romans 1:16-17 seeing how the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. Salvation is all about trusting God’s gift.

We then moved to 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and saw how this righteousness transforms us into a new creation and gives us a ministry of reconciliation.

And last week, we focused on Matthew 5:6 and reminded ourselves that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. God calls us to a deep, daily craving for His character.

Today

We want to consider another dimension of God’s rightousness: It is a righteousness that endures.

We don’t just start the race of faith, we have to finish it.

The book of Hebrews was written to Christians who were tired, pressured, and tempted to give up.

And the message from the Spirit was:

Don’t quit now.

God’s rigtheousness will give you the strength to endure.

And next week, we’ll wrap up the month of August by looking ahead to the day when Jesus comes back and we can stand at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

We’ll spend a little time in Revelation 19 and learn that those who endure will be clothed in fine linen - the righteous acts of the saints - and welcomed into the eternal joy of the King.

But first, let’s open Hebrews 10 and learn what it means to hold fast to the righteousness that endures.

You know, sometimes the hardest part of the Christian life isn’t the beginning — it’s the middle.

Starting is exciting!

There is joy in baptism, a sense of newness, a fresh commitment.

And finishing is glorious!

The hope of heaven

the crown of righteousness

the joy of seeing Jesus.

But in between lies the long road of faithfulness, where weariness sets in, pressure mounts, and temptation whispers, “just give up.”

This is where the Hebrew Christians found themselves.

They had been enduring suffering, but now discouragement was setting in.

And it’s often where we find ourselves too.

Hebrews 10 speaks to that very struggle.

It reminds us that God’s righteousness is not just what saves us — it’s what sustains us.

His faithfulness enables us to endure when our strength is gone.

Today, we’ll see how:

remembering God’s past work

recognizing our present need

and resting in His promises will help us press on until the end.

Let’s pray:

Father, we confess how easy it is to grow weary and lose heart.

Today, remind us that your righteousness is our strength.

Help us to endure, to live by faith, and to never shrink back.

Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Remember How you Endured Before (v. 32-34)

Hebrews 10:32 CSB

Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.

We must not forget what God has already carried us through.

The wording here is much more than just bringing something to mind.

It carries the sense of carefully calling back to memory for encouragement.

He is urging them to rehearse their own history of faith.

This, I think, is why building quiet time into our life is essential.

Let’s look back at 6:4 where the writer refers to the moment Christ broke into the darkness:

Hebrews 6:4 CSB

For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,

Think back to when you were saved:

You stepped from ignorance into truth

You turned from sin to salvation

You went from being completely alone to receiving the Spirit - God dwelling in you - the closest of fellowship.

From that moment, a new kind of struggle began. Look at the end of v. 32:

Hebrews 10:32 CSB

…, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.

Endured here — means to “remain under.”

It pictures someone being under a heavy weight.

It was a “hard struggle”

Grueling

Intense opposition.

Loyalty tested.

Note v. 33a, their sufferings weren’t hidden:

Hebrews 10:33 CSB

Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, …

It was like their lives were on display on a theater stage … humiliated in front of the watching world.

They were subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault and hardships.

Their faith was costing them.

And also notice:

Hebrews 10:33 CSB

… and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way.

There were times when they weren’t the ones directly attacked

But they were the companions of those who were.

“companions” carries the idea of fellowship-partnership.

They didn’t distance themselves from the persecuted.

They walked side by side with them — sharing in their reproach.

v. 34a:

Hebrews 10:34 CSB

For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, …

Around the time Hebrews was written, Christians in Rome literally experienced what this passage describes.

Nero blamed the Christians for the great fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64 AD. A new, fierce, wave of persecution began.

Tacitus, a Roman historian, records that Christians were mocked, beaten, and even used as human torches in Nero’s gardens.

Their possessions were seized, their reputations ruined, and their lives made a spectacle to the watching world.

And when persecution came to their own door, when their possessions were seized, when livelihoods were stripped away, they accepted it “with joy.”

There is something about that kind of joy.

It’s not natural. It’s not of this world. It’s spiritual, coming from the Spirit himself.

The church endured.

Accounts from that time describe Christians gathering in secret, singing hymns in the dark, and caring for those in prison.

Their property could be taken, but their faith could not be stolen.

How could they do this?

v. 34b:

Hebrews 10:34 CSB

… because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.

They had an eternal perspective.

They could lose everything on earth and still rejoice, because their treasure was an enduring possession: safe in heaven.

Matthew 6:19–21 CSB

“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

These aer not new principles here. He is reminding them of what they already knew.

Endurance is rooted in memory.

They had already endured faithfully when the fire was hottest.

The same God who sustained them before would sustain them now.

The call to “remember” is a call to fuel today’s perseverance with yesterday’s victories of faith.

Recognize the Need for Endurance (v. 35-36)

Now the emphasis shifts from memory to present need:

Hebrews 10:35 CSB

So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

“confidence” refers to boldness, courage, or freedom of speech.

It describes our assurance to approach God without fear. (the same wording is used in Hebrews 4:16).

But the danger here is that their discouragement or fear could lead them to throw it away.

“to discard something worthless.”

But note how the writer stresses their “confidence” has great reward.

To give up their faith would be to abandon the eternal inheritance God has promised.

When you think about it, quitting is not an option.

v. 36:

Hebrews 10:36 CSB

For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

“need” is emphatic: endurance is not optional — it is essential.

“endurance” is steadfast perseverance — a patient continuance under trial.

Notice the order:

First comes endurance in doing God’s will

Then comes receiving the promise.

The reward is not immediate — it lies on the far side of faithful perseverance.

The story of Abebe Biklia’s barefoot run in the 1960 Rome Olympics is one of the most iconic endurance stories in sports history.

Biklia had trained in Ehtopia wearing lightweight racing shoes, but when he arrived in Rome, the team-issued shoes didn’t fit properly. They have him painful blisters in practice. On the day of the marathon, rather than risk injury or slowed performance, he chose to run without shoes.

Growing up in rural Ethiopia, Biklia often ran barefoot as a boy and did parts of his military training without shoes. So, while unusual on the Olympic stage, it was natural for him.

Despite the cobblestone streets of Rome, he not only finished the marathon barefoot but one the gold medal - and set a world record.

His victory was not about the speed at the start, but about stead endurance mile after mile until he crossed the finish line.

Don’t throw away your confidence in Christ when life grows hard.

Treasure it as your lifeline to God’s reward.

Endurance is not glamorous, but it is necessary.

It is the daily choice to keep trusting, keep obeying, keep walking — even when the road is long.

Endurance is not fueled by willpower, but by remembering God’s faithfulness and looking forward to His promise.

Rest in God’s Promise (v. 37-38)

Here, the writer takes us back to Habakkuk:

Hebrews 10:37–38 CSB

For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.

Here, their present suffering is connected to a larger biblical story.

Habakkuk was a prophet wrestling with God’s plan as Judah faced judgment and exile.

God’s answer: “wait.”

His justice and salvation were certain, but they would come in His timing.

In the meantime, “the righteous one will live (or survive) by faith.”

Look at v. 37 up close:

Hebrews 10:37 CSB

For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.

The focus is on the certainty of God’s promise - not the immediacy of the timeline.

God may seem slow to act, but His coming is sure.

If you’re stuggling under the weight of trials - you need to hear this.

Just as God didn’t abandon Israel - He will not abandon you.

v. 38a:

Hebrews 10:38 CSB

But my righteous one will live by faith; …

“Faith” carries the sense of steady trust, loyalty, and confidence.

Righteousness is not proven in a moment — but over a lifetime of faithful reliance on God’s character.

Over and over again, the scriptures emphasize that life in Christ is rooted in faith from start to finish:

Romans 1:17 CSB

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Galatians 3:11 CSB

Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.

v. 38b:

Hebrews 10:38 CSB

…and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.

“Draws back” means to shrink away, retreating in fear.

God is not pleased with those who abandon their faith when trials come.

The contrast is sharp:

Either persevere in faith or fall away in unbelief.

Righteousness and faith cannot be separated: the righteous one lives by faith and faith clings to God’s promises even when life is hard.

Think of a farmer waiting for harvest:

James 5:7–8 CSB

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

A farmer can’t rush the process.

He trusts the seasons, the rains, and the God who gives the increase.

In the same way, Christians endure, not by controlling the outcomes, but by resting in the promise that the “coming one” will surely come.

So,

Will you trust God’s timing? Endurance is not about knowing when God will act, but believing He certainly will.

Will you allow your righteousnes to be defined by ongoing faith, not just past confession. True endurance is daily dependence.

Will you resist the temptation to shrink back? Every trial is a test of whether you will retreat in fear or rest in faith.

Resolve to Belong to Those who Endure (v. 39)

Note how this section closes:

Hebrews 10:39 CSB

But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

See the shift from warning to encouragement. There is a shift in tone.

We are not…

He includes himself with his readers, affirming their true identity.

So, this text is not just a warning against apostasy, it is a declaration of confidence in God’s people.

The contrast:

Hebrews 10:39 CSB

But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

“draw back” is to shrink back in fear or unbelief.

The result of that retreat is destruction. Eternal ruin. To abandon Christ is to embrace loss.

Now, look at the second part of the verse:

Hebrews 10:39 CSB

But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

Those who have faith are the ones who are saved.

“saved” means “to preserve the soul.”

God’s people are marked not by drawing back, but by pressing forward in faith that leads to eternal life.

All of this sets up the next chapter — the Hall of faith — a long line of witnesses who lived by faith and did not shrink back.

Endurance is not just about personal effort — it’s about your identity.

God’s people are the ones who keep believing.

They don’t retreat into destruction, they move forward into salvation.

The call here is to resolve: decide which group you belong to.

Near the end of his life, Paul wrote with this same resolve:

2 Timothy 4:7–8 CSB

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.

Note where Paul placed his confidence - it’s not on his personal strength or deeds

It was on the Righteous Judge who keeps his promises.

Endurance is a mark of belonging.

If you belong to Christ, your life will be marked by faith that keeps moving forward.

And we should be encouraging each other with this identity.

Hebrews 10:39 CSB

But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

Say it together

Live it together

Believe it together

As We Close…

Sometimes the hardest part of the Christian life isn’t starting the race—it’s finishing it.

That’s why Hebrews 10 calls us to endurance.

We’ve seen today that God’s righteousness is not just what saves us—it’s what sustains us.

It gives us strength to press on when life is hard, when faith is costly, when the road feels long.

We must remember how we endured before—looking back on God’s past faithfulness.

We must recognize the present need for endurance—not throwing away our confidence, but holding on to the reward that lies ahead.

We must rest in God’s promise—believing that the Coming One will surely come, and that the righteous will live by faith.

And we must resolve to belong to those who endure—the people who do not draw back and are destroyed, but who press forward in faith to eternal salvation.

This is not a call to grit your teeth and hang on by your own strength.

It is a call to lean more fully on the God who has already carried you through.

He is faithful.

His promises are certain.

His righteousness endures forever.

And if you will trust Him, His righteousness will sustain you too.

Where do you stand?

Will you be among those who shrink back, or among those who press forward?

Today, God invites you to choose—to trust His righteousness, to live by faith, and to endure to the end.