Hebrews 10:36-39

Summary retelling of Hebrews 10:36-39

We need endurance because it is only through endurance that we will be able to do the things of God and then receive the reward that God has promised to us.  The time for Christ’s return – and our life with God – is not really that far off.  Those who are righteous will live according to the faith.  God will have no pleasure in those who cease doing what is right because of adverse conditions.  We remember and strive to be those who do live out their faith rather than be of those who compromise God’s calling and don’t have what it takes to live out their faith.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Endurance.  Some think of endurance as patience.  Others think of endurance as pain threshold.  Others think of endurance as being able to stay focused.  All of these are fair analogies to endurance and how it pertains to living with God but also living in this world.  It is difficult to continue to abide with God and live in the influence of this world.  It is difficult to make the choices that God desires when the worldly choices are so easy and almost even expected.  Therefore we must embrace our ability through God to persist in doing what is right.  We must retain our focus on the goal.  We must have the strength to reach down deep when things get hard or painful.  We must focus on God’s promise of eternal life and know that nothing else is equal in worth to eternal life with God.

Do you possess endurance in your faith?  How do you think endurance is gained?  How do you think endurance is lost?  What does it look and feel like to endure the world for the sake of God?

Second Thought:

Those who are righteous will live by faith.  Notice that this isn’t a question.  This is a statement of absolute fact.  It comes originally from Habakkuk 2:4 and it is worth reading in the original context.  It is also worth looking at how Paul uses the quote in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11.  But in all places the truth is clear.  The righteous shall live by faith.  The righteous will make decisions in their life that a faithful person would make.  The righteous person will make decisions that abide with God’s will and His word.  The Bible doesn’t say the righteous person could, can, or should.  God’s Word is clear that the righteous person will make decisions according to the faith that God has instilled within us.  If we genuinely have God within us, we will live accordingly.

What does it look like for a person to live according to their faith?  How do you know when you are living according to your faith and when you are living according to your natural desires?

Third Thought:

God gives us a pretty fair warning in this passage as well.  Those who “shrink back” – literally, who stop doing things because of the adverse conditions around them – will not know the pleasure of God.  In fact, the Bible literally says that God’s very own soul will not take any pleasure in those who cease doing what is right because the pressure around them is too great.  How many times do we think, “God will understand” or “it was just too hard to do the right thing.”  We need to be careful.  God does understand we occasionally make mistakes.  He does understand that we don’t always get it right.  But when we buy into the excuses of the world and start giving ourselves permission to slide in our faith, we know from Hebrews 10 that God will take no pleasure in us.

How do you know when you are succumbing to the outside pressure?  How does it feel to let yourself slide and get away with things that you know aren’t pleasing to God?  Why is this such a dangerous path?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 11:1-3