“Let us” Have Faith, Hope, and Love

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus… …let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…” (Hebrews 10:19, 22-24 NKJV)

Side Note on Context: The writer of Hebrews spends his time encouraging the Hebrew brethren not to return to the old ways (the Law of Moses and its works/rituals), but to understand who Jesus the Christ was and is and to follow the New Covenant He established at His death (see Hebrews 10: 5-10). The writer states that the sprinkling (of blood on the altar, Leviticus 17:6, 11) and the washing in water (for ritual cleansing, Leviticus 16:24) – rituals the Hebrews were all familiar with - have been replaced with something better when Jesus offered something greater than the continual sacrifices of bulls and goats: His own self, once for all (Hebrews 10:10, 10:4, 9:11-15).

Jesus, by His sacrifice, allowed them, and us, access to the Holiest (consider Hebrews 4:16, John 14:6). The Hebrew brethren would have known that the Holiest (or Holy of holies) was the one place that only the High Priest was allowed to go and only when it was required (see Leviticus 16:1-2, Hebrews 9:7-8) but Jesus grants us all access wherever and whenever we need it and we, like the Hebrew brethren, need to cherish and respect that blessed access.

 Faith:

    Since Jesus has granted us access to the Holiest (God the Father), “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Faith comes from hearing the gospel –the “good news” of Christ (Romans 10:17). We, like the eunuch in Acts 8:26-39, can hear the good news and understand that baptism is a necessary part of salvation; “…having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (see also 1 Peter 3:21-4-2). Baptism brings us into the body of Christ (the church, Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:26-29, Ephesians 1:22-23). So, we, who now offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2) continue to get closer to God (live fully in His light, John 3:20-21, Ephesians 5:8-14) with sincere intent (not carelessly or mindlessly, Matthew 15:8, Psalm 78:36-37), in abundance of faith and trust (“full assurance” means abundant and most certain confidence). When we approach God, as His child, with a heart and mind motivated by sincere and confident faith we will be prepared to wholly obey all His commands as we cling firmly to the hope we have through His Son.

 

Hope:

    “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Referring back to Acts 8, the eunuch made a confession before he was baptized: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (v37) – his hope was found in believing that Jesus is the Son of God – in believing this he also believed what Jesus said: “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24) and “[h]e who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). The eunuch after being baptized into Christ went on his way rejoicing (v39). We who have been baptized have all made a confession of our hope – let’s hold fast to it, bind ourselves to it and never let it go! “Without wavering” means we have a firm hold on it – so much so that we can share the reason for our hope with others who ask (1 Peter 3:15-16). God is faithful – our hope is not in vain – all that God has said, He has done and will do (Joshua 21:45, 1 Corinthians 1:9) – let’s hold fast to our hope, trust God, and remain faithful to Him!

Love:

    With our full assurance of faith and unwavering hope, “let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”  Considering one another is more than “being nice” to those you worship with, it means to be attentive to, fixing your eyes and your mind on them so that you may stir them up to love and good works. Take note that “stir up” literally means to jab (cut) someone so that they must respond. Think of a prod or goad used to push animals in the right direction; it provokes them to action, incites them to do the work, and rallies them to actively participate.  We are to stir up love and good works. The entirety of the New Testament declares why love is a vital part of a Christian and in knowing that we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10) we realize the importance of action (1 John 3:18, James 1:25, 4:17, Matthew 5:16, Titus 2-3). Love in action = good works! Good works are defined as actions that are beautiful, honourable, noble, praiseworthy, pure, virtuous, just, and truthful (think Philippians 4:8 – there are many good reasons to be meditating on these things!) 

    Do you have abundance of faith in God that motivates you obey His commands? Do you firmly cling to your hope without easing your grip, wholly trusting God? Do you care for your brethren enough to push them in the right direction so that together you can be actively doing, with love, what is good and right? Then “let us be diligent to enter that rest…” (Hebrews 4:11) and “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”(Hebrews 12:1b-2)!

You can do it! So can I!!