Perseverance Of The Saints
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32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
As we come to the conclusion of chapter 10 the apostle is encouraging perseverance. In this chapter we have been told of the sacrifice of Christ
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
the emphasis here is on the ONE sacrifice.
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
No more remembrance of sin! No more offering for sin! The greatest news ever the most wonderful sounding words we could ever hear. But that which is a savior of life unto life for some is a savior of death unto death for others. The same words that will be the best that some will ever hear will be the condemnation for others. There is no more offering for sin!
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
For us who have believed and accepted the sacrifice of Christ there remains no more sacrifice for sin because the sacrifice of Christ was sufficient and God remembers our sin no more. For those who reject, whether it was because they thought they had no sin or whether they expect to find some other solution for their sins either way, there remains no more sacrifice for sins only judgement and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God.
So then knowing this the apostle wants to encourage us to persevere. And he gives us three ways to persevere.
Remembrance
Remembrance
32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Former days - not the good old days when you got saved and you were blessed and joyful and everything was just wonderful.
After illumination
After your conversion. Christ is the Light in this world of darkness.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
A great fight of afflictions
While we remain blinded and in darkness, the god of this world will leave us alone. But as soon as God says let there be light in our hearts and we are illuminate, the scales fall from our eyes. Then Satan turns against us and afflictions come. The Christian life is not an easy life. Interesting though, isn’t it? that in order to encourage us to persevere he ask us to remember back when you first believed all the afflictions that came? We need to have our perspective altered when it come to how we view affliction. Far more people fall away during times of prosperity then fall away during affliction. In fact affliction has the opposite effect. History has taught us that the church grows and excels under persecution.
You were a gazingstock
by reproaches and afflictions
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
if you continue reading you will see the affliction that he refers to. But it’s this word spectacle that I find interesting because it is the same word translated gazingstock in our passage. This word “theatron” which is the orgin of the english word “theater” it is where they had shows and plays etc. it referred both to the place as well as the people that performed. In the context of our passage however, it is seems to be specifically referring to the the last show, which traditionally was where they would take criminals and make them fight with wild animals until they were eaten. So the passage then is saying that they are like those criminals that are ripped apart for the entertainment of the world they are a gazingstock in their afflictions. Some were at any rate and the others...
Companions of the gazingstock
They were in such close fellowship that when one member suffered ther whole body suffered together. And this is the way that the church should be. and he goes on to give examples of both.
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
The reason for this remembrance becomes evident in the following verse
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb
Confidence
Confidence
We need to have a renewed confidence if we are to persevere.
The word translated confidence here is the same word that it translated boldness in verse
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
What could give us such confidence?
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 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.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:20-23
Our confidence is in the blood of Christ by which our hearts have been sprinkled from and evil conscience
Our confidence is in that Christ made one sacrifice for all and sat down at the right hand of the Father
Our confidence is in the new covenant where God has written His law in our hearts and in our minds and that He will remember our sins and iniquities no more.
So let us hold fast to this confidence for he is faithful who has promised and there is great recompense of reward in this confidence.
If was this confidence that enabled then to endure the great fight of afflictions in the past and it is this confidence which enable them to persevere in the faith.
There is a recompense of reward that is the wages of their faith. This was eluded to in verse
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
This reward is not physical it is spiritual blessings in heavenly places. it is the treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt. and it is for this reward that he says they need to have
Patience
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and so he encourages them and us to have patience for you will receive the promise because the one who promised is faithful.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And he further encourages us
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
It is only a very little while, our life is only a vapour and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Either we will be with Him in death or we will see Him return either way it is only a little while. It is patience in this confidence that will help us to persevere though any trial.
and lastly but certainly not least is and this is what will lead us into chapter 11.
Faith
Faith
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
That is we are saved by faith at our conversion but e also live day by day by faith. If we are to persevere we will do so by faith.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We were saved by grace through faith. Faith is that which made the grace of God available to us. But that faith was not of ourselves but the gift of God. So then the faith by which I must live is also the gift of God, I cannot muster it up or produce it of myself. No I must rely of God for faith daily. It is how we must live. If we are those who are justified then we were justified by faith and we live by faith that we have been justified. That is how we live. Thats how I can face the day. Thats how I can have confidence to come into the holiest. It is by faith. I did not just need faith when I was converted I need faith every single day.
The contrast is that if any draw back then God will have no pleasure in them.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Those who draw back are those who lack faith. God has no pleasure in them because without faith it is imposable to please God. We must first believe that he is, that requires faith, then we must believe that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, and that also requires faith. So what someone has faith and is converted but then loses faith. To that I would point you back to The faith that saves is not of ourselves but is the gift of God. Why would God give you the faith to believe in Christ and not give you the faith to keep you believing? Our text this morning concludes with these words
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
I believe that the apostle is confident and he wants us to be confident that we that truly believe in Christ are not those who draw back to destruction but are those who believe to the saving of our souls. I believe that his whole point in these verses it to give us assurance not a false assurance . We are those who live by faith. We are those who hold fast to our confidence. We are those who despite affliction of all kinds, stand firm in Christ Jesus. We are those who will receive the recompense of our reward. If and only if we are those who by the faith given unto us have believed on Jesus Christ and accepted His one and only sacrifice for our sins