By D’Ann Davis, Women’s Ministry Director
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
Immersed in a world of brokenness, sin, and troubles, as believers we can often find ourselves losing heart. We have heard about these light and momentary afflictions, but we find them anything but light or momentary (2 Corinthians 4:17). We read about the eternal weight of glory awaiting us for which these difficulties apparently prepare us, and we wonder if it is actually worth it. Can we really keep this up? Can we really expect ourselves to fight our flesh and hold on to the One we have never even seen face to face? Doubt slowly creeps in, and pressure rises.
We have seen many decide they cannot do it. They have left the narrow road and embraced the broad road. They seem happy. The tension appears to be gone. There is no fight they are fighting so there is no struggle to be had. As believers though, those who believe, we know that just as affliction is momentary, so is pleasure apart from the Lord. So is the delight of sin. We know that the end of sin is death and destruction, and conversely we know that hope rightly placed in Jesus does not disappoint (James 1:15; Romans 5:5).
The author of Hebrews is exhorting us to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, not because we are faithful, but because God is. If our faithfulness were wholly contingent on our ability to always choose rightly, perfectly obey in motive, action, and thought, and love Jesus and others without error, then we would indeed be in serious trouble. However we can rest assured that Christ is faithful and was faithful on our behalf. He does not fail. His finished work on the cross and subsequent resurrection ensures us that we can walk in faithful obedience and repentance through the power of the Holy Spirit as we abide in the Lord. Even when we mess up, 2 Timothy 2:13 assures us, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.” When we sin, 1 John 1:9 reminds us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He is faithful even in our faithlessness.
Rooted in His character and His faithfulness, we can move forward, knowing that we are free to hold fast to the confession of our faith because it is based on His righteousness and power, not our own. We can walk in obedience. We can be faithful. We can get up when we fall down. We can walk in the freedom already granted us in Christ Jesus. We need not fear our own future risk of sin because He is greater than and has already atoned for any possible future sin. Our hope does not rest in our ability to be sinless in the future, but in the sinless person and work of Jesus Christ, who paid our debt by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). This is our hope. He is our hope. We cling to Him. He is faithful, and He will not disappoint us.
Dear Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to see You as You are and rest in Your work for us and Your faithful character. Thank You that we can hold fast to You unwaveringly because You are our Anchor. Help us trust You in that and walk with You all of our days. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.