Remember Those Earlier Days After You Had Received The Light
Hebrews 10:32-39 New International Version
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,
“In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”
38 And,
“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
The writer of Hebrews begins this section Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. The light they had received was the truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus said I am the light of the world. Those who come to Christ no longer walk in darkness. Before we come to know Christ, we are imprisoned by the devil in lie and deception. But when the light and glory of Christ comes in, our minds and hearts are opened, and our lives are transformed.
Those who come to Christ will often endure suffering. Jesus never said that following Him would be easy. He told us in this world we will have trouble but to fear not He has overcome the world. The way we overcome suffering is by the grace and strength of God. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. In our selves we are frail. But with Him we are more than conquerors. But our faith and trust must be firmly built upon Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews gives examples of the type of suffering that these believers have faced Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. Being publicly exposed to insult and persecution is not enjoyable nor comfortable. One of the greatest detriments for people in taking a stand for Christ is humiliation and rejection. But the greatest way to overcome fear is to trust God and step out. Fear will never be absent. It is one of the great weapons of the devil. But when we trust in the Lord, He is faithful, and He will empower us to be a witness.
It says at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. Sometimes we may not be the person who is receiving the persecution directly. We may be involved because of our stance and connection to Christ. But this is why being part of the body of Christ and being connected is so important. We can pray for one another and encourage one another. None of us are called to go through this journey alone. We are called to bear one another burdens and must always remember that Jesus sent out the disciples two by two.
The writer continues You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. Understanding this world is not our home is key to navigating the Christian journey. Those who were following Christ at this time and even our brothers and sisters today in different parts of the world have deal with either imprisonment or the confiscation of property. There are governments around the world today who are cruel and influenced by the enemy. But even amid great suffering, we must remember that we have an inheritance that awaits us. We have better and lasting possessions. This world is passing away, but what God has prepared for us is eternal. What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Verse 35 tells us So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Our eyes and heart must be fixed upon our heavenly citizenship. We are not called to focus on this world. We are not called to live our best life now. One of the reasons we may abandon Christ when suffering is before us is because we desire to live our best life now. We desire to live the blessed life. But what if the greater blessing is suffering because through it a great reward awaits us in eternity. We must see things from God’s perspective. This world is not our home. We live in enemy territory. The devil will stop at nothing to try to silence the truth and paralyze what God desires to do in our lives. But we must keep moving forward. We must fix our eyes upon Jesus. Quitting is never an option. To abandon Christ is to be left with nothing.
We are called to persevere. Verse 36 states You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. This encouragement is not only to the audience he is writing to, it is to all who follow Christ. Are there moments where we feel like quitting and giving up? Yes. But the longer we walk with Christ and continue to grow with Him, makes it far more difficult to walk away. The word persevere is the Greek word hupŏmŏnē, and it means cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy:—enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).[1] We are called to grind. The Christian journey is a grind. There are things we face that are hard and overwhelming in our own strength. But the farther we go with Christ, the more we are called to rely on His grace. The more we are called to abide and draw near. When we have persevered there is a great reward that awaits us in God’s kingdom. We are not living simply for this life now, we are living for our eternal reward. We will rule and reign with Jesus Christ, but we must trust the Good Shepherd and we must trust His leading.
He who is coming will not delay. Verse 37 states For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. He writes in just a little while. Now we must remember that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day with the Lord (2 Peter 3:8). So, when God states in a little while it may seem like it is far away. It has been almost 2000 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The apostles thought Jesus would come in their lifetime. But God has so designed this journey that we live as if Christ could come today or if He may not come for 100 years. We are called to press on. We are called to endure. The promise of His return is a true and faithful promise. It is our blessed hope. He has not appointed us to suffer wrath. But until that day we must fix our eyes on Jesus Christ. His coming is not delayed. There is an appointed time of His return. But He is fulfilling every plan and promise. He is fulling His plans in the nations. He is saving and drawing hearts and lives to Him. But until that day we continue to walk faithfully with our God.
We are not called to shrink back. Verse 38 says And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. The word shrink is the Greek word hupŏstĕllō, and it means to withhold under (out of sight), i.e. (reflex.) to cower or shrink, (fig.) to conceal (reserve):—draw (keep) back, shun, withdraw.[2] Those who shrink back are those who abandon faith in Christ. The Lord says but my righteous one will live by faith. Our righteousness is not found in ourselves. It is found through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We must examine what the source of our faith is. If people place faith in themselves, it is worthless. But if we place faith in Jesus Christ, it unlock every purpose and plan of God. Those who truly have biblical saving faith are those who demonstrate it through their life. Faith without works is dead. Biblical faith is not mere beliefism. But true saving faith in Jesus Christ enables us to overcome because the Spirit of God lives inside us. As we abide and trust, it is The Holy Spirit who enables us to stand in the face of satanic opposition.
The writer of Hebrews continues in verse 39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. The word faith here is the Greek word pistis and it means faithfulness, assurance; faith, confidence; what is believed, teaching.[3] Our faith and trust is based on Jesus Christ. The reason we have confidence is because in Christ we build our lives on an unshakable foundation. The reason we are not like those who shrink back and are destroyed is because we trust Jesus. Our salvation comes from the Lord. It is God who calls and chooses us. Understanding where our help comes from is essential in overcoming the assaults of the enemy. We are not called to wage war in our own strength. We are called to always rely on the Lord. To never forget that regardless of what we face, we will overcome, because Jesus has overcome.
The book of Hebrews is filled with encouragement and warnings. But the warnings are given to challenge us to continue to press on with Jesus Christ amid suffering and persecution. Many of us who live in America don’t face the level of persecution and suffering that our brothers and sisters face all over the world. But will prepare us to stand strong in the face of suffering is to build great intimacy with the Lord and make Jesus our sure and true foundation.
Prayer
Father thank you for your grace and your strength. Thank you that you call and equip. Help me each day to live for you. I pray that my intimacy with you would increase day by day. In the midst of suffering and opposition, help me to hold fast to your word and truth. Help me to know your voice and follow your leading. Thank you for loving me and leading me. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
[1] James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 74.
[2] James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 74.
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