ENDURE UNTIL THE END
Opening Prayer
Give me grace today, my Lord.
Read Hebrews 10:26–39
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[b] 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,
“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”[c]
38 And,
“But my righteous[d] one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”[e]
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:35
- Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14
- Hebrews 10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
- Hebrews 10:38 Some early manuscripts But the righteous
- Hebrews 10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How did you begin your faith journey? What were some milestone moments? How do you feel about where you stand today?‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step’ (Lao Tzu). That first step, while crucial, will be of no avail without the countless thousands of steps that must follow. Our faith-journey begins with a single decisive commitment, but comprises a lifetime of choices. This journey is no sprint, but a marathon.
The author recalls the readers’ track record: to have ‘endured in a great conflict full of suffering’ (32) with their faith and joy intact (34) should encourage them as they plod on. Yet, past laurels are never enough. In the present, they must ‘persevere’ in doing God’s will (36); for the future, they must trust God’s promise that they will be ‘richly rewarded’ (35b) and ‘receive what He has promised’ (36b).
Apostasy remains a frightening possibility. ‘No sacrifice for sins is left’ (26b) for those who cut themselves off from the source of salvation and grace (29); for these it is indeed ‘a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’ (31). But those who plod on, refusing to ‘shrink back’ (39), rest secure in Jesus’ promise: ‘no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand’ (John 10:28).
Apply
Is there a situation in your life in which you are finding it hard to persevere? Maybe a temptation, maybe a difficult relationship. Stand firm, God is with you and He won’t let you go.
Closing prayer
‘He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ…’ (Philippians 1:6). Help me trust Your promise.
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