Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence

The author of Hebrews was addressing an audience of Jewish converts to the Christian faith. They had, to the dismay of their fellow Jews and under the threat of persecution, opted to lay aside repetitive sacrifice, religious routine, and human intermediaries as a means to knowing and experiencing God, and had placed their trust in the atoning death of Christ, the perpetual and efficacious nature of that sacrifice and the Father’s approval of Christ’s work as their only means of intimacy with the Divine. Not only had their decision come under fire from their Jewish brethren, increased trial, disintegrating personal circumstances, and a delay in Christ’s return that they had hoped would come soon, had created both doubt and temptation to return to the familiar comfortable, and yet important faith of their fathers. Their confidence had been placed in Christ alone, but things were tough and consideration was being given to returning to their former faith. To these believers the writer of Hebrews issues this plea, “Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward” (Hebrews 10:35).

This message is both relevant and necessary for contemporary believers. Things are tough. The world is confused, society is reeling, and the coming of Christ is still delayed. But we have confidence to enter the Holy Place by the Blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19). Access to His presence brings hope, perspective, strength, and grace. Though times are challenging and temptation is great, let us hold fast to our confidence because it has great reward!