Don't Throw Your Confidence Away

Articles

Edwin Crozier
05/17/15 - Victorious!

Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence

The writer of Hebrews was concerned for his fellow Jewish Christians. So many had been turned back to the Law of Moses by Judaizing teachers. He was afraid more would abandon the Lord and lose the salvation they had gained in Jesus. As he instructs them, we can learn about the confidence we must maintain in Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 3:6, he explained that Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house, but Jesus Christ is more than a servant in that house; He is the Son. What are we? We are the house, but only if we hold fast our confidence. This should not surprise us. I Timothy 3:15 explained that the church is the household of God. Ephesians 2:19-21 said the same thing, explaining that we are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as our chief cornerstone.

Of course, one hindrance trying to shake our confidence is knowing we have an enemy waiting to pounce around every corner. Satan longs to trip us up with his fiery darts. His temptations sometimes seem overwhelming. Yet, even here we can maintain our confidence. Hebrews 4:14-16 explains that Jesus faced temptation and overcame. Therefore, as our High Priest, we can turn to Him when we are tempted, and He will help us. He will provide grace in our time of need. We can be confident that He knows how to provide help because He faced it all Himself and was victorious.

Yet, confidence is hard to maintain on our own, especially if we have left behind some walk of life that was comfortable. That past path constantly calls to us, beckoning us to return. Thus, in Hebrews 10:19-25, the author explains we are able to confidently walk into the holy places of God. Because of that, we should, with full assurance, draw near to God. Don’t let anyone turn you away from this confidence and assurance. It is based on the blood of Jesus Christ. In order to maintain that confidence, we need to be connected with others who are striving to maintain theirs as well. We need to assemble with each other and provoke one another to love and good deeds. Of course, this confidence is only for those whose consciences have been sprinkled clean and their bodies washed with pure water, a reference to baptism in Christ and the work of the God’s Holy Spirit in that event.

Therefore, the Hebrew writer directs us in Hebrews 10:35-39, saying we must not throw our confidence away. If we turn away from Jesus and pursue some old comfortable path, we are abandoning the only place we can have any confidence. We are abandoning the only person in whom we can have any confidence. We may receive what the faithful God has promised only when we endure in our confidence. Therefore, we must not be among those who shrink back and are destroyed. Instead, we must persevere, confident in Jesus Christ as our High Priest and God’s promises through Him.

Don’t throw your confidence in Christ away. That only leads to death. Hang on to it. Live by it.