Overcoming Apostasy : Living by Faith, Hebrews 10:32–11:3

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Overcoming Apostasy: Living by Faith

Hebrews 10:32––11:3

Introduction: The preacher has thrilled us by presenting a great high priest who has done what no other could do. Since the sin of the Garden, the way into the presence of God had been closed, the threat of the curse of sin and death being over every person. But now through Jesus that path has been opened so that we can boldly enter. No more fear. No more fear of death or anything else. Simply no more fear. There is nothing hindering you from salvation. Therefore, giving up now makes no sense. 

In presenting these promises the preacher has given key exhortations that we need to keep before us:

• Because God has now spoken through a Son, who has gone before us as our trailblazer to bring us to glory and honor, “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away from it and neglect such a great salvation.” (2:1)
• “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin…Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (3:12-13; 4:11)
• “…you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you needs someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God…Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity…For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened to restore them again to repentance once they have fallen away.” (5:11-12; 6:1, 4-6)
• “Let us draw near…Let us hold fast…Let us consider one another…For if we go one sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment.” (10:22-24, 26-27)
• “Therefore do not throw away your confidence [boldness], which has great reward. For you have need of endurance…so that you may receive what is promised.” (10:35-36)

1. Faith: the Key to Endurance
   1. As we read verses 32-36, we see a considerable contrast between the early years in which these Christians’ homes and possession where plundered, and friends and family were imprisoned. They had endured a hard struggle with sufferings. But it did not shake them – notice why: “since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” How did they “know” they would receive that promise? Why were they confident? Obviously that hope was based on faith. 
   2. But as years went by they got tired, maybe even doubtful. Then in the 60’s AD the suffering from trials were renewed and threats of death were before them. Unfortunately, since their vigilance had waned and they had not pressed on to maturity, their faith was shaken and they lost endurance.
   3. You will notice in our text that the preacher turns his discussion to the importance of faith. Easy word to say, but most difficult to practice, especially under trying circumstances. And considering this world’s definitions of faith, even more difficult to appreciate.
   4. Notice what the preacher does to prepare his people for his discussion on faith:
      1. Consider three phrases: “great reward” (35); “receive what is promised” (36); “those who have faith and preserve their souls” (39).
      2. Next, notice the words of verse 37: “Yet a little while” and “the coming one…will not delay.”
      3. The preacher is urging us to consider the relatively minor effort we put into receiving a great reward (Cf. Romans 8:18). Sure, it is hard, but it is not impossible. In the midst of the trial, we get in our minds that we are in this alone. That is so untrue. We have each other, and more importantly, we have our great high priest before the throne of God who will give us help in time of need (2:16-18).
   5. Now look at 10:37-38 and the quotations from Isaiah 26:1-5 & Habakkuk 1:12–2:4.
      1. Isaiah 26:1-5 In spite of the power the nations had over Israel at the time, and the future of the nation seemed hopeless, God speaks of the “strong city” that he was building where all the righteous would come in and the “lofty city” of the wicked would be humbled. Notice especially the words, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,” and  “Trust in the Lord forever, for he is an everlasting rock.” 
      2. Habakkuk 1:12–2:4 God had declared destruction on Israel because of their rebellion. The prophet could not understand how God could use a more wicked nation to destroy his people. God’s answer was that his word was sure, written on tablets; it will not delay. But then he added the soul of the Babylonians was puffed up and would be destroyed, but the righteous would live and be spared because of faith.
   6. The message is that faith is not just believing or assenting to certain things (like the existence of God or Jesus), but is a way of describing a disposition of trust and commitment to God regardless of the outcome.
   7. Note Habakkuk’s final words: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” (Habakkuk 3:17–19 ESV)
2. Using Faith to Overcome
   1. With renewed persecution that has wearied his hearers, the preacher looks to refocus their minds on the great reward so that their present hardships do not seem to be something they will endure without end.
   2. Most Christians are quite familiar with chapter 11. The purpose was to give all Christians a model of the faith of the patriarchs that we might be encouraged to live with faith and endurance as they did. We will save that part for another lesson. But first, we need to spend the rest of our time on verses 1-3 and the preacher’s introduction to these great men and woman of faith.
   3. Verse 1:
      1. NLT: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” 
      2. NET: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” 
      3. NASB: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
   4. Look at the words, “reality,” “being sure,” and “confidence.” The word in the Greek has been somewhat difficult for translators, who have given a variety of words to communicate the thought. The idea seems to be a realization of what is still hoped for, an absolute confidence in what has been promised. In legal contexts the word had the sense of a “title deed.” One man (deSilva) describes this as “people of faith have in their possession, in effect, the title deed to what the person they trust will provide.” 
   5. Thus, faith is the basis or foundation for hoping and anticipating in something that actually exists, but cannot be seen. It is a reality, something so real that in a figurative sense it is already possessed. It is being convinced of that which is not yet seen, but there is no doubt it exists.
   6. Because faith is being sure of what we hope for, it is considered proof or evidence of its existence. It is not the kind of “evidence” that would be normally spoken of, such as evidences for the existence of God. Instead, it is something so sure that the one with faith exemplifies confidence in it as if he has already seen it.
   7. Therefore, “hope” is given its biblical meaning in this text. It isn’t hope in the sense of a wish that probably will not be realized. It is a hope that does not doubt that it will be attained. What if a car dealership had a drawing for a new car and you went to the dealership to register for the drawing. As you did, the dealer whispered in your ear, “You are the only one to register and the time limit for registering just past. When we have the drawing in an hour, you will win.” Will you be back in an hour to pick up your car? Duh.
   8. “For by it the people of old received their commendation.” In Luke 13:28, Jesus warned the Jews of their unbelief when he said, “in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.” 
      1. The Jews took great pride in their forefathers and the hope of sitting down at table with them in the kingdom. The preacher motivates all those who desire what is promised to look to their forefathers who lived for what they could not yet see. In 12:1, at the end of this section, he calls them “a great cloud of witnesses.”
      2. I have often preached funerals for those who were faithful, but had children who were not. 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff speaks of those who have died in Christ, “that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” The point is clear. If you want to be with your parents and others whom you love and grieve for, you will also live by faith. It is only those who serve God as we read in this chapter who have hope of seeing them again.
   9. “…the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
      1. In this verse the phrase, “by faith,” is used the first of 18 times in this chapter. But it is significant that all the other occasions refer to people while this verse refers to our understanding of the power of God through his word.
      2. The key to the thought is, “the world was created by the word of God.” That which is visible (the heavens and earth – the universe) came from from things that did not exist. God did not create from material already in existence. Everything we see came from the power of God speaking it into existence. 
      3. The point for the Hebrews and for us is that if God could speak and an enormous universe containing infinite power into existence, how much more can he now speak his promises to us and have them come to pass? This life of persecution and trial should not deter us from knowing and believing the promises of God. Look around you. Everything you see came into existence by God speaking it into existence. As surely as you know winter is coming and then the Spring, you know that God’s spoken promises will come.

Conclusion: Now back to 10:35, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” Faith is confidence in the word of God. Every day you can see the visible heavens and earth and be reminded to having confidence in the word God has spoken to you.

Berry Kercheville