The confession of our faith in Jesus should be the most valuable possession. Hold fast your confession!
Holding Fast The Confession
Hebrews 10:18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 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.
The promise of the hope of the believers faith is directed in Jesus Christ; He is and always will be faithful. The faithfulness of God brings an unwavering confidence of the promises of God.
Traditions of men have defined and redefined the confession. I want to talk about the biblical confession and be sure our confession is the confession that the scriptures teach.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
When the scriptures talk about your confession it points to the object of your faith being in Jesus and the work He performed at the cross. If ever the object of your faith is not Jesus Christ and Him crucified, it is not the faith that brings salvation, it is not the faith that brings victory in every area of your life.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith! The traditions of men can not be allowed to change the definition of faith and the confession of your faith. If it is faith in Jesus Christ that saves, it is faith in Jesus Christ that maintains. Let the object of your faith ever be in the obedience of Jesus Christ to the death of the cross. He alone is the only one who can save anyone from sin. Hold on to the confession of your faith.
Matthew 10:22 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Jesus Himself has called the believer to endure to the end! Many men love developing the to do list. Some times they take the spiritual disciplines and exalt them to the place of giving you victory over sin. It is Jesus Himself purged us from our sin and sat down at the right hand of God. It is Jesus alone who saves. Endure with your confession of faith.
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, … 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
There are those who do not want to preach that the believer must hold fast to the end. Your faith must be exclusively in Jesus and you must hold fast the confidence you have in Jesus firm to the end. Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession!
Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight; 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
It is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that will present us holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight! What an awesome message of the power of the cross. However if we stop the message right there we preach only part of the truth. If we don’t declare the whole counsel of God we will lead people into deception. We must preach the 23rd verse also. …if indeed we continue in the faith. Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ is the most valuable thing we possess.
Romans 11:20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
The once saved always saved doctrine is erroneous and can lead people destruction. We must consider the goodness and severity of God. The goodness is toward the believer if we continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. Our standing with God is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that grace teaches us to live in His holiness.
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
The assembling of believers is for stirring one another to love and good works. Do we come together for the purposes of God or our own agendas?
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
This is not a sinning on purpose or we would all be in trouble. Rather it is a forsaking of the faith, it is taking the surrendered will back from God and it is called apostasy.
Hebrews 10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
The danger of walking in sin is that the believer will begin to harden his heart. If sin is allowed to do the finishing work it will bring death to the believer. Purposefully walking in sin can extinguish the faith of the believer to the degree you will despise the work of the cross in your life. Paul told Timothy is was searing over your conscience with a hot iron. Grace covers the believer; however sin can bring you to that willful sin. We must consider the goodness and severity of God.
Hebrews 10:30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 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 in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
The sin that is unto death tramples the Son of God underfoot. It counts the blood of the covenant is a common thing instead of holy, and it insults the Spirit of grace. You must not cast away your confidence in the work of Jesus Christ. You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. 18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
John the beloved made a distinction declaring there was sin not unto death and there was a sin unto death. The Holy Spirit said through John that we should not ever pray about the one who sins unto death. God did not save us to freely sin; God saved us from sin!
Hebrews 10:37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
This covenant of grace is the covenant of faith! God has shared with no uncertain terms that His soul has no pleasure in the one who sins the sin unto death; the willful sin of apostasy. I love verse 39 starting with the but! But we are not of those who draw back to perdition. We are of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hold on to your confession of your faith to the end!
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