In this message, we see the command to “Hold Fast” to our confidence in Christ until the end. We learn from the example of the Jews who were prevented from entering God’s Rest (the promised land) through unbelief. We also see a challenging exhortation for the entire church to encourage one another daily so that none are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hold Fast!
Hebrews 3:1-19
The theme of the book of Hebrews is The Superiority of Christ. The message is “Jesus is better!”
In chapter one, we are told that Jesus is better than the angels. Why? Because He is God. God the Father commands all the angels to worship Him in 1:6 and calls Jesus God in 1:8.
When we come to chapter two, the author highlights the humanity of Christ. He tells us that Jesus was made for a little while lower than the angels, suffered and died, but now is crowned with glory and honor. But why did Jesus become a man?
- To enable believers to rule in the world to come
- To bring many sons to glory
- To free believers from the fear of death
- To become our merciful and faithful high priest
- To help us in our battle against temptation
Jesus is “much better than the angels” even though for “a little while He was made lower than the angels.”
That brings the author in chapter three to declare that Jesus is better than Moses. Now, why would it be important for the author to state this so boldly? Moses was the hero of the Jewish people. He was the one who received the 10 Commandments written on stone by the finger of God. He was the one who received the instructions regarding the Levitical priesthood, and the sacrificial system. Some Jews who had professed faith in Christ were in danger of leaving Him to go back to Judaism. The author needs to show them in no uncertain terms that it would be a deadly mistake. Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, so it would be a terrible mistake to leave Christ to go back to Judaism.
The key thought in this chapter that I want to emphasize is that we must “hold fast!”
3:6 “but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house – whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.”
3:14 “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”
When we consider our salvation, we can look at it from God’s perspective or from man’s perspective. When we consider it from God’s perspective, we think about God’s eternal unconditional election, the irresistible call of the Holy Spirit, and God’s preservation of His people to the end. From God’s perspective, the salvation of His people is sure and certain and cannot fail.
But when we look at our salvation from our perspective, we consider all of the NT exhortations to persevere in faith until the end. We must hold fast to Christ or we will not be saved. It is not the person who receives the word with joy and then falls away that is saved, but the one who “hears the word in an honest and good heart, and holds it fast, and bears fruit with perseverance” (Lk. 8:15).
No hope of eternal salvation is given to a person who does not persevere in faith. It is not how fast you bolt out of the blocks that is most important, but whether you finish the race or not. If you start great, but then drop out of the race and quit, there is no assurance of eternal life. The apostle Paul at the end of his life could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness…” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
If you throw a drowning man a life rope, it does him no good if he does not hold it fast. So too, we must hold fast to Christ and persevere in faith until the end.
This morning we want to ask 3 questions:
- What is true of those who hold fast?
- What is true of those who don’t hold fast?
- What must we do to hold fast?
As we seek to answer the question “What is true of those who hold fast?” we will see a glorious promise.
As we seek to answer the question “What is true of those who don’t hold fast?” we will see a solemn warning.
As we seek to answer the question, “What must we do to hold fast? we will see an earnest exhortation.
1. What Is True Of Those Who Hold Fast? A Glorious Promise
The glorious promise does not come until we get to verse 6. But, before we can get to the promise, we need to see how the author builds to this promise.
Comparison of Moses and Christ. Verse 2 tells us that both Moses and Christ were faithful to God who appointed them. Both did what God called them to do. Moses led Israel. Christ leads the New Israel, the Church. When the Bible mentions God’s house, it is talking about God’s people. The word “apostle” means “a sent one.” It refers to someone sent on a mission by God. Even though Moses is never referred to as an apostle, we know that He was called and commissioned by God to perform a divine mission. So, in that sense, both Moses and Christ were “apostles.” Moses was sent from God on a mission to Israel. Christ was sent from God on a mission to save His people. But that is where the comparison ends. Actually, there is much more contrast between them than comparison.
Contrast Between Moses and Christ. We are told in verse 1 to consider Jesus. He’s calling upon these Jewish believers to mull over and think about Jesus Christ. Why? Moses led Israel to an earthly calling; a land flowing with milk and honey where the Israelites could find rest from their physical enemies. But Jesus Christ leads believers to a heavenly calling to find rest from her spiritual enemies, like the world, the flesh, and the devil.
In verse 3 we are told that Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Why is that?
Jesus is the Creator – Moses is a creature. Verse 3 likens Jesus to the builder of the house, and Moses to the house that Jesus built. Jesus is Moses’ creator!
Jesus is God – Moses is a man. Verse 4 says “the builder of all things is God.”
Jesus is the Son – Moses is a servant. Verse 5 says, “Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house”
Jesus is Over God’s house – Moses was in God’s house. Notice carefully the prepositions in verses 5-6. Moses was faithful IN all His house… Christ was faithful as a Son OVER His house.
The Promise to Those Who Hold Fast. 3:6, “whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” When the Scripture says we are God’s house, it means we are of God’s household, His family, His people.
- What are we to hold fast? Our confidence. In whom? Christ – He is the only all-sufficient Savior. He brings us out of bondage, sin, death to His heavenly kingdom. That is our hope. We boast in it! Galatians 6:14, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
- Who is a member of God’s house? Who shares in Christ? Those who hold fast to their confidence in Christ! Perseverance in faith is absolutely essential. Not to get saved, or keep yourself saved but as evidence you already are saved! Notice that the author doesn’t say “we will be His house if… or we will share in Christ if….” No, he says “we are right now God’s house if we hold fast.” Something very similar is stated in verse 14, “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.” He doesn’t say, “we will become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast…” The author assumes that those who go on to hold fast to Christ firm until the end have already become partakers of Christ. In other words, our holding fast is one of the proofs that we are genuine Christians.
2. What Is True Of Those Who Don’t Hold Fast? A Solemn Warning
Therefore. Notice that verse 7 begins with “Therefore.” Why is that? Well, it’s because of verse 6. There we are told that we are God’s house if we hold fast. Obviously, if we don’t hold fast we were never of God’s house. And so, the solemn warning is issued. If you end up hardening your heart you will not enter God’s rest.
Who is he talking about in 7-11 and 16-19? The psalmist is quoting from Ps. 95:7-11, and it is talking about the Israelites who grumbled with Moses because there was no water to drink. Although God had miraculously delivered them from the Egyptians and provided for their every need, they were expressing unbelief and doubt. Later, God brought them to the brink of the Promised Land and told them to go in and take possession of it. However, 10 of the 12 spies came back with a bad report saying they could not take the land. So, God decided that any of the men over 20 years old who had seen His great works would die in the wilderness, and only their children would inherit it. That is what is meant in verse 11 and 18 that they would not enter God’s rest.
Why wouldn’t they enter God’s rest? They hardened their hearts – 8; they went astray in their hearts – 10; they did not know God’s ways – 10; they provoked God – 15; they were disobedient -18; they had unbelief – 19.
God Said They Would Not Enter His Rest (11,19). The author is pulling out this incident from their past to make a point. Just as the children of Israel who were unbelieving were not permitted to enter God’s rest, so too professing Christians who do not hold fast, but instead are unbelieving, will miss their eternal rest in heaven.
The Solemn Warning has to do with Falling Away from the Living God (12). I believe this is speaking about the same thing we are going to read of in 6:4-6. This is speaking about final apostasy; a person being eternally lost. Apostasy is the formal abandonment, renunciation, or total rejection of a religion or previously held set of beliefs.
Hardened by the Deceitfulness of Sin (13). This is why we fall away & don’t enter God’s rest. Sin is deceitful because it says it will satisfy, it is better, it is worthy of your pursuits. The truth is that only God is!
Becomes Apparent They Weren’t of God’s House & Didn’t Share in Christ. The author of Hebrews believes in eternal security but not in the popular way many do today. The popular modern view is that if you “accept Christ” you are eternally saved no matter what you do the rest of your life. The Bible teaches that if you are saved you will hold on to your confidence in Christ firm until the end. If you don’t, you were never a partaker of Christ. In other words, true conversion is powerful! It permanently changes a person so that they cling to Christ in faith, and hold fast until the end. The Bible teaches both the doctrine of Perseverance and Preservation. They are really two sides of the same coin. God preserves His people. But we must persevere. We won’t be saved apart from perseverance. We won’t persevere apart from God’s preservation.
3. What Must We Do in order to Hold Fast? An Earnest Exhortation
Take Care. This phrase means “beware, see to it, or give heed”. It means to take pains with this – be in earnest. This is not a game. It’s not something to trifle with! It can mean the difference between eternal glory and eternal damnation. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you! Make sure you don’t have an evil, unbelieving heart that causes you to fall away from the living God. The opposite of that is a good heart of faith that leads you ever closer to the living God.
Exhort. The NASB has “encourage”, the ESV has “exhort”; the NLT has “warn.” The original Greek word has a broad range of meaning that can include all of these things. But we know this. It refers to the church speaking to one another to help them persevere to the end. It refers to urging someone to a course of action; a strong encouragement. This refers to urging someone to a course of action; a strong encouragement. Who is supposed to do the exhorting? Is it the Elders? Our text in verse 13 says “But encourage one another…” Eternal security is a community project. When are we to encourage one another? Every day while we can still make a difference. Why? So that none are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and fall away. Our involvement in each other’s lives has eternal significance!
Conclusion
- This is a Heart Issue: Notice the oft repeated reference to our hearts in 3:8,10,12,15. Prov. 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” You might think to yourself, “I better start doing lots and lots of works to make sure I hold fast until the end.” No, this is really an issue of the heart. When the heart is right, actions will follow. A right heart will change our actions, but our actions can’t change our hearts. Where is your heart? What does your heart love or hate? Take care brethren, that you do not develop an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God!
- This is a Faith Issue: 3:6,14 (confidence). 3:12 tells us that an unbelieving heart is an evil heart. Notice 3:16-19. Why did they rebel, sin and disobey? It was because of unbelief? Faith produces holiness. Unbelief produces sin. Strong faith keeps the heart close to God. Unbelief causes a person to fall away from God. It all comes down to your heart & faith.
- This is a Community Issue: Brothers and sisters, God can use you to help others persevere in their faith and enter eternal glory! Do you see how important it is for you to be actively involved in the lives of other believers, encouraging them daily?! One of the reasons we have a time for sharing each week in our church meetings is because of Hebrews 3:12-13. Stay in touch with others during the week. I’m talking about discipling others, calling or texting others to find out how to pray for them, posting to WhatsApp and encouraging one another. We should be speaking to one another about heart & faith issues. We need to speak to one another about our confidence in Christ, our hope and our boasting.
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