“LET US HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION OF HOPE”

Text: Hebrews 10:19-25

Introduction:
  I. Two weeks ago we noticed two things that all 
     Christians need to have in their lives.  The second 
     all Christians have, but not so with the first.
     A. First:
        1. “Boldness toward God.”
        2. We noticed that this is conditional.
     B. Second:
        1. “A high priest”  
        2. Who is Jesus Christ setting at the right hand of 
           God.
 II. Having these two things, let us:
     A. “Draw near to God.”
     B. “Hold fast our confession of our hope.”
     C. “Consider one another.”
III. Today, we will be studying “holding fast our 
     confession of our hope,” and we will look at the three
     things involved in this verse.

Body:
  I. The duty:
     A. “Let us hold fast…”
        1. The Hebrews evidently were faced with
           persecution and there was a great danger of 
           their falling back into Judaism.  Why return to 
           the old when the new is rich and full of such 
           reality as the entrance into the real sanctuary 
           where God Himself, the great High Priest, the 
           efficient sacrifice, genuine forgiveness, the 
           better promises?  Why return to the unreal when 
           the real is mine for the “holding”?
        2. Present subjunctive – “Let us keep on holding 
           fast…”
        3. Scriptures that teach this:
           a. 1 Corinthians 15:58
           b. Hebrews 3:6, 14
           c. Hebrews 6:11
           d. Revelation 2:10, 25-26; 3:11
           e. Matthew 10:22
        4. We see that this is man’s responsibility (job) 
           not God’s.
     B. “The confession of our hope.”
        1. The confession… (Greek – homologian).
           a. definition:
              (1) Vine – confession, by acknowledgment of 
                  truth.
              (2) Thayer – a. subjectively…whom we profess
                  (to be ours) Hebrews 3:1.  b. 
                  objectively, profession (confession) i.e. 
                  what one professes (confesses).
           b. Scriptures:
              (1) Luke 12:8-9
              (2) Romans 10:9-10
              (3) Acts 8:37
              (4) Hebrews 13:15
        2. “of our hope.” (Greek – elpis)
           a. definition:
              (1) Vine: favourable and confident 
                  expectation.
              (2) Thayer: expectation always in N.T. of 
                  good, hope.
           b. Other passages that use elpis.
              (1) Hebrews 3:6 – rejoicing of the hope firm 
                  unto…
              (2) Hebrews 6:11 – full assurance of hope 
                  unto the end…
              (3) Hebrews 6:18 – upon the hope set before 
                  us.
           c. The Christian’s hope:
              (1) We confess the Person in Whom is our 
                  hope.
              (2) 1 Corinthians 15:12-17
              (3) 1 Peter 1:3-4 (in verse 3 – hope – elpia)
              (4) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

 II. The Manner – “Without wavering”
     A. Definition of “without wavering” (aklines)
        1. Vine: “without bending”
        2. Thayer: “not inclining, firm unmoved”
        3. Plummer: “inflexible, not bending to the storm
           of fury beating around us, not yielding to the 
           pressures of worldliness or ungodliness”
     B. “Those who begin to waver are in danger of falling 
        away.” Matthew Henry
     C. “Let us hold fast the faith which we have confessed
        and cling to the hope which it ministers.” Milligan

III. The motive or reason.
     A. “For He is faithful that promised.”
     B. Other Scriptures that teach the same thing.
        1. 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13
        2. 1 Thessalonians 5:24
        3. Hebrews 11:11
     C. Since Christ and God are so faithful, there is no 
        need for an occasion of doubt.
        1. Christ did all that He said He would do on
           earth, so proving His faithfulness.
        2. He said that He would rise from the dead, and He 
           proved it, so no more evidence is needed.
        3. Since God and Christ is so faithful to us, we
           ought to be faithful to them.
        4. The fact that God is faithful and will indeed
           have a home in heaven if we are steadfast is an 
           encouragement to us.

Conclusion: Today, we have seen that because we have “boldness toward God” 
and “a high priest” not only are we to draw near to God, but we ought to 
be steadfast in living the Christian life, because Christ is our hope and 
everything that He has promised, He will do.  Also, we should “consider 
one another to provoke unto love and to good works; Not forsaking the 
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting 
another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.”

Invitation: If you are not a Christian, you do not have Christ as your hope.  
Therefore, you need to become a Christian today.

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