Hebrews-A Better Confidence

[19] Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, [20] by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

[26] For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, [27] but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. [28] Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. [29] How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” [31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

[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. (ESV)Hebrews 10: 19-39

I grew up in the 80’s with a mom who monitored what I was watching pretty closely.  That means all I basically had to watch was corny Disney movies.  It would be hard to pick a favorite.  Many of them were animated like Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Fox and the Hound, or 101 Dalmatians.  I also enjoyed the technology upgrade combining cartoon and film media like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.   Like most kids I was obsessed with animals and adventure and most shows I watched on repeat contained that theme, like Journey of Natty Gan.  A standout as I grew up was the epic tale of three pets, the 1963 film The Incredible Journey. 

In this movie, two dogs and and a cat get dropped off for the summer at a family friend’s house, as their owners won’t be able to care for them while taking an extended family trip.   Thinking their family had abandoned them, the tree pets travel over 200 miles to get back home together through the wilderness.  They helped each through the dangers in the journey—when they encountered wild animals or unsafe terrain from mountains and river crossings.  The animals’ love for their family was so strong, they would do anything to be with them. 

God often reveals Himself through story and He created the human heart to love narrative. Jesus often taught through parables as it’s something that speaks to divine truth.  From the scene in Genesis where the Spirit hovers over the waters in creation to the last pages of Revelation where the bride (the church) is finally united with her groom (Jesus), we behold the story of God’s plan to draw us near.  Every story we love, even an old Disney film about loyal pets, echos part of God’s reunion story to us.  The Bible is a story about a holy God’s desire to be with a sinful people and how He makes a way at great cost.  

So far in Hebrews, the author has convinced His Jewish audience to stick with Jesus because He is the better priest, sacrifice, and mediates a better covenant.  Jesus ordains in a new way of being with God, by exchanging His holiness with our sin nature so we can be in the presence of the Holy One.  There is no separation or need for endless work and purification to draw near.  Jesus made a new and living way for us to be with God giving us a full assurance of faith.  This confidence in what Christ has done gives us three ways to live out our unconditional access, drawing near to God, holding fast to faith, and encouraging one another.  

V. 22 …let us draw near with a true heart

What does it mean to draw near.  It means your conscious is free to come to God with your fears, your sin, your questions, your doubts, your decisions, your worship, because you heart has been cleansed completely.  The old covenant gave the Israelites a way to be ceremonially clean, a way to approach God externally.  The sacrifice of Jesus goes deeper and makes the inside pure.  The heart is changed so we can lean on God with any need, without feeling guilt or shame.  

I work in education with a district that employs roughly 1600 staff members.  A few years ago, I got a new position that gave me inclusive access to the executive directors.  My office is now a few feet away from the superintendent  and my supervisor is the deputy. When I was at the school level,  I would see these individuals doing speeches or receive emails from them; now I have meetings with them and pass them in the hall often. My position gives me a different access to people in authority.  

Though a worldly example, Jesus changes our access to God in the same way.  Yet my new job was given to me in part because of my merit, I bring no skill or value to having access to the Father.  Jesus has won me this position by His own righteousness.  My heart is true in the sense that He has broken the power of sin and covered me in His goodness.  I can spend time with God because He has given me access.  

V. 23…let us hold fast the confession of hope without wavering

One way to stick with faith in Jesus is to realize that He is faithful.  We will never be.  That is why we needed a new sacrifice in the first place.  The priests’ work had to be repeated daily because there was always sin to atone for.  We can have assurance before God because we aren’t the one honoring the covenant conditions.  God is the one who fulfills them on our behalf in Christ.  

Verses 26-31 remind the reader soberly of what those who shrink away from faith can expect, fearful judgement.  This characteristic of God is not a popular one in our modern culture to tell others about.  It is incompatible to the modern mind that God can be a God of love and judgment.  Yet if you love someone, you will experience pain when they are harmed.  Love and justice cannot be separated if one truly loves.  As a parent, when my children were hurt I desired those that harmed them to be accountable. 

Christians are often embarrassed that God judges sin and focus on an  evangelism that highlights the attractive attributes of faith to a non-believer.  When we communicate the gospel, we may avoid the reality of sin and orate a winsome sales pitch.  In my gospel community last week, a member shared that when she came to Christ she was told she would have a better life and hasn’t found that to be true.  In her teenage years, the evangelism she experienced didn’t share the complete message, giving her misconceptions about faith that have needed to be corrected along the way.  Without understanding atonement, that God cannot abide with sin and that the gospel is the good new because our sin is taken away in Christ, how can we see life as better? She has in part “deconstructed” yet is hanging onto Jesus as she rebuilds her faith.  On the other extreme is the “fire and brimstone” preacher stereotype where people come to God for an insurance policy—I’ll believe if it will save me later when facing death but I’m not interested in following God right now.  I’ll believe so I won’t face judgement because all God is is judgmental.  He doesn’t want a relationship, just me to behave.  

Both messages are harmful and incomplete.  If we want people to fully understand what God is like,  we have to present all of His qualities, or someone may start to follow Him but turn away when all of what it means to give your life to Him is revealed.  If God is a being that is holy, different and better than us, a fully powerful, good, all knowing, and loving Creator, than He would also need to judge what is right and wrong.  How could He be good and omnipotent and not be able to judge? Judgement is a byproduct of defining what is righteous and only God is able to do that perfectly and impartially as He is without sin.  

In reading Hebrews, we’ve seen that sin is a big deal because sin separates us from this holy God.  That is why the temple, priests, and sacrificial system were put in place, to give people access to Him through obeying purifying rituals.  Yet because God is loving, merciful and gracious, He Himself takes the punishment for sin by sending Jesus, the better priest and sacrifice to usher in a better covenant.  He does judge sin but takes the consequences of our sin upon Himself.  In love, he warns the readers not to abandon this lavish act of grace.  This will help them to not leave the good news of Christ.  

V. 24 … let us consider how to stir up one another

The last way to have assurance of faith is to surround yourself with people who are committed to your mutual faith.  As Christians, we are living in exile.  Our culture doesn’t have a worldview that acknowledges God and we are constantly battling sin, a worldview that is godless, and those that sin against us.  A spiritual enemy also attacks us and we need others as the EXB translation says to “provoke and rouse our faith.” 

Hebrews encourages us to connect to other believers in several ways.  One is to think about how to encourage the Christian family around you to demonstrate their faith in acts of love.  By your words and care, how you can remind them of biblical truth and help them in times of need.  Encourage them to forgive others, trust God when it’s hard, hear their confessions of sin without judgement, reassure them when they doubt God’s goodness and power, and accept where they are in their faith journey.  

This passage also reminds us not to neglect gathering together.  This can be our Sunday service but also in our times of fellowship.  Recently my husband and I started a new gospel community at our church and the last few weeks have been a time of building unity together by hearing one another’s stories.  We eat together and than have real conversation of our joys and heartaches as we declare our relates to our mutual trust in Christ.  There is such a beauty in being known and loved.  When we don’t gather together to worship and be known by other Christians, we miss out on the best sort of encouragement, the body of Christ.  As I share life authentically with others, my assurance in the life of faith is girded up.  

The life of faith is an incredible journey.  Because Jesus made a way, we can draw near to God with pure hearts, stick with our faith in dry or painful seasons, and gather with others for mutual encouragement.  For in a little while, Jesus will come again.  We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls (v.39) so do not thrown away your confidence, which has great reward (v.36). 

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