WEBVTT 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:17.079 Our text for exposition today is going to be 00:00:17.079 --> 00:00:24.859 verse 23. Let us hold fast the confession of 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:31.019 our hope without wavering, for he who promised 00:00:31.019 --> 00:00:39.369 is faithful. Now all of us in this room who know 00:00:39.369 --> 00:00:44.469 the Lord Jesus Christ, I know with certainty, 00:00:45.049 --> 00:00:50.210 because of the Bible, that all of those in this 00:00:50.210 --> 00:00:55.009 room who know Christ have yet reached perfection. 00:00:56.630 --> 00:01:01.850 We have yet to be fully and completely sanctified 00:01:01.850 --> 00:01:06.450 and conformed to the likeness of Christ. We have 00:01:06.450 --> 00:01:14.700 yet to enjoy the depths of God's grace that are 00:01:14.700 --> 00:01:21.319 available to us in Christ. We have yet to reach 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:26.260 the heights of Christian faithfulness and godliness 00:01:26.260 --> 00:01:31.519 in our own lives. And I know for those of us 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:35.819 who are pilgrims in this world that God has saved 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:42.920 and given faith repentance to that we must hold 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:48.260 fast because we have this hope that's been given 00:01:48.260 --> 00:01:52.120 to us in Christ we have the truth of the gospel 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.280 we have the work of the gospel in our lives we 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:58.439 enjoy it and we experience it but brothers and 00:01:58.439 --> 00:02:00.780 sisters there's still a desperate need in each 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:07.870 of our lives to press on to persevere To hold 00:02:07.870 --> 00:02:13.370 fast the confession of our hope There are times 00:02:13.370 --> 00:02:17.490 when it seems like everything's against us When 00:02:17.490 --> 00:02:21.449 it seems like everything is opposed to us There 00:02:21.449 --> 00:02:24.050 are times when it seems like everything's coming 00:02:24.050 --> 00:02:27.889 out of everything comes out of the crack Just 00:02:27.889 --> 00:02:32.490 to get you There are times brothers and sisters 00:02:32.490 --> 00:02:35.409 there are seasons there are periods in our lives 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:45.240 When it is tempting not to hold fast the gospel 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:50.580 of Jesus Christ. When it is tempting, when we 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:58.560 are pressured to forsake the confession of our 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:03.060 hope. And it's significant that the author says 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:08.080 that we are to hold fast the confession of our 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:15.539 hope, because it is so easy to become hopeless 00:03:15.539 --> 00:03:23.180 in this life. It is so easy to despair and to 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:27.919 be brought low and to get into a rut in the Christian 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:31.560 life. Brothers and sisters, that's what the devil 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:36.169 wants. That's what the greatest enemy of God's 00:03:36.169 --> 00:03:41.189 people desires. That's what sin works toward 00:03:41.189 --> 00:03:47.229 in our souls to keep us in hopelessness and despair. 00:03:48.530 --> 00:03:53.349 Those who dwell in hopelessness and despair and 00:03:53.349 --> 00:03:56.449 convey to the unbelieving world around them that 00:03:56.449 --> 00:04:00.409 there's no hope in Christ. Brothers and sisters, 00:04:00.669 --> 00:04:05.969 That's a sad place for a believer to be. That's 00:04:05.969 --> 00:04:10.050 a sad place for one who knows Christ in all his 00:04:10.050 --> 00:04:15.909 glory to be and it ought not to be. So the author 00:04:15.909 --> 00:04:21.589 really crystallizes everything that he is working 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:24.610 towards, all of his argumentation, all of his 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:29.290 rhetoric, all of his writing in the book of Epistle, 00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:32.209 in the book of Hebrews. He's crystallizing it 00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:35.790 all and he's putting it all in this one verse 00:04:35.790 --> 00:04:40.250 in verse 23. Let us hold fast the confession 00:04:40.250 --> 00:04:45.490 of our hope without wavering. For he who promised 00:04:45.490 --> 00:04:49.829 is faithful. This is what he wants the Hebrew 00:04:49.829 --> 00:04:54.209 Christians to do. He doesn't want them to forsake 00:04:54.209 --> 00:04:56.810 Christ and the hope they have in the gospel. 00:04:56.810 --> 00:05:00.680 He wants them to hold fast. to the confession 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:04.500 of their hope. The first thing we're going to 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:08.500 consider this morning is the Christian's confession 00:05:08.500 --> 00:05:14.959 of hope. The text is exhorting us, and it says, 00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:21.579 the confession of our hope. When we consider 00:05:21.579 --> 00:05:28.610 this idea of confession or profession, It's an 00:05:28.610 --> 00:05:35.329 outward display of or an outward expression of 00:05:35.329 --> 00:05:41.209 an inward conviction or believed convictions, 00:05:42.149 --> 00:05:47.449 believed truths. So there's the heartfelt convictions 00:05:47.449 --> 00:05:51.129 in the heart and they make themselves known and 00:05:51.129 --> 00:05:54.310 they come out publicly and they are witnessed 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.019 and they make themselves known, they express 00:05:58.019 --> 00:06:04.959 themselves. But it can also mean a body of doctrine 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:10.160 or a body of beliefs, a set of beliefs. I think 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:14.079 the author is referring to both in this case 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:17.379 when he is urging them to do this, when he's 00:06:17.379 --> 00:06:20.639 urging them to hold fast. In the book of Romans, 00:06:21.579 --> 00:06:32.089 we read In chapter 10, we learn about confession 00:06:32.089 --> 00:06:37.029 to God, what a genuine confession of faith, a 00:06:37.029 --> 00:06:40.629 genuine confession of our hope, or what a confession 00:06:40.629 --> 00:06:47.629 is. Chapter 10, verse 9, we read these words. 00:06:47.910 --> 00:06:52.759 We'll start in verse 8. But what does it say? 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:57.019 The word is near you in your mouth and in your 00:06:57.019 --> 00:07:01.579 heart That is the word of faith which we are 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:05.660 preaching that if you confess with your mouth 00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:10.019 Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:15.800 God raised him from the dead you will be saved 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:20.149 for with the heart a person believes resulting 00:07:20.149 --> 00:07:24.250 in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses 00:07:24.250 --> 00:07:28.069 resulting in salvation. So there's two things 00:07:28.069 --> 00:07:31.509 taking place with regards to this personal confession 00:07:31.509 --> 00:07:35.889 of faith. There's convictions and beliefs in 00:07:35.889 --> 00:07:40.089 the heart that are believed, and that makes itself 00:07:40.089 --> 00:07:42.829 known. They are professed. They become audible, 00:07:42.930 --> 00:07:45.810 or they become public in a sense. They're made 00:07:45.810 --> 00:07:50.389 known to others. It comes from the heart and 00:07:50.389 --> 00:07:54.050 it results with the mouth communicating that 00:07:54.050 --> 00:08:01.230 it identifies with Christ and His Word. The author 00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:09.689 is urging the Hebrew Christians to maintain and 00:08:09.689 --> 00:08:15.589 hold fast to their distinctly Christian confession. 00:08:16.490 --> 00:08:22.069 not to return to the Old Covenant ceremonial 00:08:22.069 --> 00:08:26.629 system, the Jewish way of worship. He's urging 00:08:26.629 --> 00:08:31.610 them to maintain their confession of Christ and 00:08:31.610 --> 00:08:36.049 Him crucified, the effectiveness of His sacrifice, 00:08:37.070 --> 00:08:42.190 His priesthood, and so on and so on. He's not 00:08:42.190 --> 00:08:48.759 urging them to an initial confession. He's urging 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:54.200 them to the maintenance of their personal confession 00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:58.379 in their lives because the pressure was so great 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:04.960 around them that was seeking to get them to forsake 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:09.639 that confession. He's saying maintain it, keep 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:15.259 it, hold it fast, sustain your personal confession 00:09:15.259 --> 00:09:19.429 of faith in Christ. in these new covenant realities. 00:09:20.210 --> 00:09:24.370 The reality is that Christianity has always been 00:09:24.370 --> 00:09:28.730 a religion that requires a personal confession 00:09:28.730 --> 00:09:33.549 of faith. That someone professed that they believe 00:09:33.549 --> 00:09:37.750 in Jesus Christ. Christianity has always been 00:09:37.750 --> 00:09:40.909 a religion that requires a valid or an authentic 00:09:40.909 --> 00:09:45.299 confession of faith. In a sense, if one is to 00:09:45.299 --> 00:09:48.519 be a true evangelical Christian, they must have 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:52.820 the adequacy and the ability to articulate what 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:58.539 the gospel of Jesus Christ is. How can you believe 00:09:58.539 --> 00:10:03.200 the gospel if you don't know what the gospel 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:10.960 is? Christianity is always held that the believer 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:16.000 must be able to articulate. confess or profess 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.080 what they believe. But that in and of itself 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:23.440 does not mean that that's a valid, a legitimate, 00:10:23.620 --> 00:10:28.019 or a credible profession of faith. Just saying 00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:32.000 words that agree with the body of doctrine or 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:35.419 truth of the Scripture does not make a person 00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:40.480 a Christian. There are any number of people that 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.940 are secular scholars, that are unbelieving men, 00:10:44.299 --> 00:10:47.299 that can articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:53.220 very, very clearly. They can say it out loud, 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:56.039 they can explain it to you, they can wrap their 00:10:56.039 --> 00:10:58.659 mind around all the technical aspects and all 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:02.100 the technical parts of that truth, but that does 00:11:02.100 --> 00:11:05.139 not mean that that is a credible profession of 00:11:05.139 --> 00:11:10.000 faith. Do you know why? because it's not believed 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.620 in the heart. The realities they are speaking 00:11:14.620 --> 00:11:19.379 are not heartfelt convictions and heartfelt beliefs. 00:11:20.580 --> 00:11:24.559 What makes it valid is the truthfulness of it 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:29.440 or its agreement with the Scriptures and the 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:33.340 belief in the heart that is trusting in those 00:11:33.340 --> 00:11:42.639 realities. confession has to be present. Every 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:46.700 true Christian will make an initial confession 00:11:46.700 --> 00:11:50.460 and every true Christian will maintain and sustain 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:55.159 their confession of faith. Every sinner at some 00:11:55.159 --> 00:11:59.820 point in time that comes to know Christ will 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:02.399 come to the point in their life where they say, 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:07.840 I am a believer in Jesus Christ. Whether that 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:11.360 be with their mom and their dad, whether that 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:13.899 be with their friends or with the people they're 00:12:13.899 --> 00:12:17.480 hanging out with, whether that be a church or 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:21.460 whether that be out in public, every born -again 00:12:21.460 --> 00:12:23.860 believer that has a regenerate heart, brothers 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:29.200 and sisters, and is a professing Christian will 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:33.399 come to that point. where they say, I believe 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:39.559 in Jesus Christ. He's my Lord. He's my master. 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:46.019 He's my Savior. They will publicly align themselves 00:12:46.019 --> 00:12:51.960 with Christ's purposes, with His people, and 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:57.860 with His Word. So as a Christian grows, as they 00:12:57.860 --> 00:13:02.659 mature, as they develop, as they increase in 00:13:02.659 --> 00:13:04.620 their knowledge and their understanding of the 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:08.039 Scriptures, as the work of the Spirit of God 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:11.419 continually renews them and changes them and 00:13:11.419 --> 00:13:18.059 transforms them, they will strengthen and solidify 00:13:18.059 --> 00:13:21.840 their confession of this hope throughout their 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:27.460 life. As they grow in boldness and holiness and 00:13:27.460 --> 00:13:30.850 godliness in their life, They will look for ways 00:13:30.850 --> 00:13:38.450 to own their confession of faith, to lean into 00:13:38.450 --> 00:13:45.370 it in a sense. There are several ways that believers 00:13:45.370 --> 00:13:51.970 own their confession of faith. The first is through 00:13:51.970 --> 00:13:56.750 baptism. They're owning their confession of faith 00:13:56.750 --> 00:14:01.820 in baptism. They're publicly identifying with 00:14:01.820 --> 00:14:05.659 the death and the burial and the resurrection 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:10.480 of Jesus Christ. They are saying that I'm no 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:15.220 longer my own. I associate and I affiliate with 00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:19.799 the lordship of Jesus Christ. I'm with him. It's 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:26.000 a public act. But they also own this confession. 00:14:27.529 --> 00:14:32.970 through a church membership and public or publicly 00:14:32.970 --> 00:14:38.549 associating with a distinct Christian community 00:14:38.549 --> 00:14:45.870 that adheres to a distinct set of doctrines. 00:14:46.309 --> 00:14:52.549 Publicly associating, publicly affiliating with 00:14:52.549 --> 00:14:58.899 that body of believers. The world knows and it 00:14:58.899 --> 00:15:07.779 ought to know what churches are, why they exist. 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:12.080 They ought to know that the people to gather 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:15.120 together there in that building and that place 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:19.559 every week, they're not like everybody else in 00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:25.139 the world. They ought to know That the people 00:15:25.139 --> 00:15:27.840 to get together in that building at that place 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:31.379 they don't act like everybody else in the group 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:36.019 Their language and their attitudes different 00:15:36.019 --> 00:15:41.179 these individuals they have hope These individuals 00:15:41.179 --> 00:15:44.399 they have contentment these people have joy these 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.120 people have peace these people are genuinely 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:56.309 and truly kind to all men These individuals truly 00:15:56.309 --> 00:16:02.090 love me. The world looking on ought to know that's 00:16:02.090 --> 00:16:04.389 what the church is. But in reality, brothers 00:16:04.389 --> 00:16:11.629 and sisters, it's a public thing to associate 00:16:11.629 --> 00:16:17.610 with a church. You being here is a public act. 00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:22.000 You are associating with this church. You are 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.679 associating with this people and guess what? 00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:28.720 Our beliefs, our doctrines that we adhere to 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:32.500 are unique and distinct from even other churches. 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:38.080 So your public identification with this body 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:43.679 sets you apart from the world. It's a form of 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:50.580 owning your personal confession of faith. But 00:16:50.580 --> 00:16:53.179 there's another way that believing Christians 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:57.919 own their profession, and that's on a regular, 00:16:58.460 --> 00:17:05.839 ongoing basis. That's through the ongoing association 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:10.559 and identification with Christ's crushed body 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:17.259 in the Lord's table. Every time that believers 00:17:17.259 --> 00:17:21.690 stand up and get out of their pews and walk forward 00:17:21.690 --> 00:17:26.609 in the presence of everyone present. You are 00:17:26.609 --> 00:17:30.630 claiming and you are proclaiming that Christ 00:17:30.630 --> 00:17:39.549 died for me. He is my Lord. He is my sacrifice 00:17:39.549 --> 00:17:45.869 and I believe in Him. I'm trusting in Him. It's 00:17:45.869 --> 00:17:50.220 a public association. and identification with 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:55.140 Jesus Christ. And there's another way that believers 00:17:55.140 --> 00:17:59.019 own this. And this is the natural outworking 00:17:59.019 --> 00:18:04.140 of a godly life. It's living a godly life and 00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:08.700 performing good deeds or good works in the world, 00:18:09.619 --> 00:18:15.119 in the public square. Letting men see and know 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:22.349 and understand and grasp. that you love God and 00:18:22.349 --> 00:18:28.049 you love men and that you are a fruitful believer 00:18:28.049 --> 00:18:33.609 in Jesus Christ. So the author of Hebrews is 00:18:33.609 --> 00:18:40.369 exhorting his readers to hold fast without wavering 00:18:40.369 --> 00:18:45.430 to their convictions, to their beliefs, to their 00:18:45.430 --> 00:18:49.039 personal confession of these truths. But he's 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:52.819 also saying this. Remember this is to the Jewish 00:18:52.819 --> 00:18:57.759 believers. Keep up, maintain, and sustain your 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:02.799 public ties with Christianity. He's saying keep 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:05.980 up, maintain, and sustain your duties and your 00:19:05.980 --> 00:19:08.619 responsibilities as those who have given themselves 00:19:08.619 --> 00:19:12.619 to the Church of Jesus Christ. That's what Christ 00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:16.160 is saying. That's what they're saying. That's 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:19.759 what the author is saying. He's saying, continue 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:24.099 to publicly adhere to your public confession 00:19:24.099 --> 00:19:26.519 of faith, your identification with the people 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:33.480 of God. He's saying, don't shrink back away from 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:37.259 Christianity and the church to the Jewish ceremonial 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:42.319 sacrificial system. Stand up proudly and confidently 00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:47.700 as a new covenant believer in Jesus Christ associating 00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:52.759 with his death and his people. That's what it 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:56.759 means not to forsake, and that's what it means 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:01.960 to hold fast. Brothers and sisters, is there 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:07.019 any relevance in that for us? Is there any relevance 00:20:07.019 --> 00:20:11.480 in that for you? Is there any relevance in that 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:14.000 for your heart and your mind? Does anything prick 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:20.319 you in that? Brothers and sisters, the same expectations 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:24.559 that the author of Hebrews had for his readers, 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:32.640 he has for New Covenant Christians today. Remember, 00:20:33.619 --> 00:20:38.319 with these great and blessed privileges, Come 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:42.720 great responsibility Because of the work and 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:47.579 the sacrifice of Christ We ought to do our best 00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:51.819 to persevere and holding fast the confession 00:20:51.819 --> 00:21:02.400 of our hope Meaning you and me Us as a body we 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:08.569 have to forsake we must not forsake We must persevere. 00:21:10.910 --> 00:21:14.250 This leads us to the second thing we have to 00:21:14.250 --> 00:21:19.950 consider in this text, the hope of the Christian's 00:21:19.950 --> 00:21:25.529 confession. The author says, the confession of 00:21:25.529 --> 00:21:30.190 our hope. In other words, we also need to try 00:21:30.190 --> 00:21:35.529 and understand what the substance of the author's 00:21:35.529 --> 00:21:40.220 conf... what the recipient's confession is, what 00:21:40.220 --> 00:21:45.539 the nature and character of the hope is, or we 00:21:45.539 --> 00:21:49.259 could say what the content of their confession 00:21:49.259 --> 00:21:54.839 of hope is. Now, we know with certainty that 00:21:54.839 --> 00:21:59.660 the author is talking about biblical hope. And 00:21:59.660 --> 00:22:03.240 if the author is talking about biblical hope, 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:07.809 brothers and sisters, then he's not talking about 00:22:07.809 --> 00:22:13.630 something that's ambiguous and uncertain. He's 00:22:13.630 --> 00:22:19.150 not talking about wishful thinking. He's not 00:22:19.150 --> 00:22:24.269 talking about likely probabilities. He's not 00:22:24.269 --> 00:22:28.250 talking about things we just really want or desire 00:22:28.250 --> 00:22:33.650 to take place. That's not biblical hope. And 00:22:33.650 --> 00:22:38.970 that's not how the term is used in the Word of 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:42.630 God. The hope that the author is referencing 00:22:42.630 --> 00:22:49.089 is something that gives and encourages and aids 00:22:49.089 --> 00:22:51.890 believers in their perseverance and in their 00:22:51.890 --> 00:22:56.549 holding fast. It's something that gives steadfastness 00:22:56.549 --> 00:23:02.049 and joy. It's something that gives peace. It's 00:23:02.049 --> 00:23:07.859 something That enables them to enjoy that hope 00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:15.000 in this life as they're weary Pilgrims So he's 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.700 not talking about some uncertainty He's talking 00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:26.420 about certain sure true realities Now when we 00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:30.000 think about biblical hope and as it's used in 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:36.059 this context There's a broad spectrum that we 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:39.039 have to reference, and there's also a narrower 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:45.460 spectrum of hope. I think sometimes it's helpful 00:23:45.460 --> 00:23:48.519 to understand what they're not talking about, 00:23:49.380 --> 00:23:53.480 what he's not speaking of, in order to more clearly 00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:59.380 understand what he is referencing. So we know, 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.579 without a shadow of a doubt, because of the book 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:05.210 of Hebrews, that he's not talking about any sort 00:24:05.210 --> 00:24:10.690 of hope that comes from the ceremonial law. He's 00:24:10.690 --> 00:24:14.430 not talking about any kind of hope that comes 00:24:14.430 --> 00:24:20.329 from ritualism. He's not talking about any kind 00:24:20.329 --> 00:24:23.829 of hope that comes from self -righteous endeavors 00:24:23.829 --> 00:24:28.789 or self -righteous works or labors. He's not 00:24:28.789 --> 00:24:31.730 talking about any kind of hope that originates 00:24:31.730 --> 00:24:36.589 with sinful man at all. He's not talking about 00:24:36.589 --> 00:24:40.849 hope that comes from the moral law, the civil 00:24:40.849 --> 00:24:45.769 law, or the ceremonial law of God in the old 00:24:45.769 --> 00:24:51.769 covenant. He's not even speaking about hope that 00:24:51.769 --> 00:24:58.650 was in form substance or in form type. He's talking 00:24:58.650 --> 00:25:05.180 about new covenant. realities in Christ. He's 00:25:05.180 --> 00:25:12.119 speaking of realities which are secured, accomplished, 00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:16.920 and realized and brought about because of the 00:25:16.920 --> 00:25:21.519 gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember the context. 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:26.980 He's urging his readers throughout this book, 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:29.859 and especially this section, 10, 1 through 18 00:25:29.859 --> 00:25:36.380 in particular, to remember and to hold fast to 00:25:36.380 --> 00:25:42.000 the truth about Christ. His sacrifice, not the 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.740 old covenant sacrifice. The new covenant that 00:25:45.740 --> 00:25:49.500 is Christ's covenant, not the old covenant that 00:25:49.500 --> 00:25:52.180 was associated with Moses and the old covenant 00:25:52.180 --> 00:25:56.539 priesthood. He's talking about the effective 00:25:56.779 --> 00:26:02.640 work of Christ in His sacrifice, His priesthood, 00:26:03.059 --> 00:26:06.759 His promised rest, His salvation, brothers and 00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:11.700 sisters. He's talking about hope that is only 00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:18.579 found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's talking 00:26:18.579 --> 00:26:22.180 about hope that can't be separated from the Lord 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:26.230 Jesus Christ. We could say in the broad Broadly 00:26:26.230 --> 00:26:31.509 speaking, that this hope is the whole work of 00:26:31.509 --> 00:26:35.289 redemption which has been accomplished by God 00:26:35.289 --> 00:26:39.849 in Christ and is applied by the Spirit of God. 00:26:40.650 --> 00:26:43.569 This would include Christ's atoning death as 00:26:43.569 --> 00:26:46.910 a substitute, propitiation of God's wrath. This 00:26:46.910 --> 00:26:49.789 would include the forgiveness of sins, justification. 00:26:50.230 --> 00:26:53.470 This would include sanctification and progressive 00:26:53.720 --> 00:26:56.660 growth in sanctification, the work of the Holy 00:26:56.660 --> 00:27:00.500 Spirit, adoption, everything, brothers and sisters. 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:06.119 It would include all of redemption. And this 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:11.279 is the broad spectrum of hope. But there is a 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:18.700 narrower section of hope as we think about what 00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:24.500 the author means by this. understand fully what 00:27:24.500 --> 00:27:27.200 this hope is, I believe, here in a few moments, 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:34.500 but I want to ask any unbeliever here, any of 00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:39.339 those who don't know Christ, any of those who 00:27:39.339 --> 00:27:42.660 haven't had a supernatural work of God take place 00:27:42.660 --> 00:27:44.900 in their heart where they have been transformed 00:27:44.900 --> 00:27:48.019 and made a new creature in Christ, answer this 00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:55.549 question for me. What are you believing in in 00:27:55.549 --> 00:28:03.930 your life that gives you hope? What are you trusting 00:28:03.930 --> 00:28:08.910 in in your life? That gives you hope. I'm not 00:28:08.910 --> 00:28:11.809 talking temporary satisfaction in this life. 00:28:12.150 --> 00:28:19.009 Hope beyond the grave What are you looking to? 00:28:19.569 --> 00:28:25.410 What are you going after? that gives you lasting 00:28:25.410 --> 00:28:31.910 permanent eternal future hope that sustains you 00:28:31.910 --> 00:28:41.730 in this life. The only hope that's effective 00:28:41.730 --> 00:28:48.190 and that truly is to be enjoyed in eternal sense 00:28:48.190 --> 00:28:54.950 is found in Christ. The only way you can genuinely 00:28:54.950 --> 00:28:58.970 enjoy, the only way that you can sincerely know 00:28:58.970 --> 00:29:03.150 hopefulness in this life and not despair is by 00:29:03.150 --> 00:29:06.609 giving yourself fully and freely to the Lord 00:29:06.609 --> 00:29:10.269 Jesus Christ and trusting in Him and forsaking 00:29:10.269 --> 00:29:14.890 your sin. That's the only way you will ever know 00:29:14.890 --> 00:29:17.569 hope in this life, and that's the only way you 00:29:17.569 --> 00:29:21.420 can face your death with utter confidence knowing 00:29:21.420 --> 00:29:27.960 what is to come by looking to Christ and the 00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:32.619 hope that he has accomplished. So this narrower 00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:41.059 aspect of hope is particularly designed to aid 00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:47.200 those in need. This narrower aspect of biblical 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:52.589 hope It is particularly designed to strengthen 00:29:52.589 --> 00:29:58.670 us in perseverance, and diligence, and trials, 00:29:59.950 --> 00:30:04.589 and suffering, and pain, and an ever -changing 00:30:04.589 --> 00:30:09.890 fallen world, and ever -changing fallen bodies, 00:30:11.029 --> 00:30:14.609 the hope that we have in Christ, the narrower 00:30:14.609 --> 00:30:22.200 it gets. the stronger it gets, the more effective 00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:28.420 it gets in our souls. So what is it? The narrower 00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:33.339 aspect of hope has to do with things that are 00:30:33.339 --> 00:30:38.420 to come. The narrower aspect of hope has to do 00:30:38.420 --> 00:30:41.299 with the return of Jesus Christ, the blessed 00:30:41.299 --> 00:30:45.640 hope. The narrow aspect of hope has to do with 00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:49.799 his eternal kingdom or his heavenly kingdom, 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:54.559 the resurrection and the new heavens and the 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:59.960 new earth. This hope is referenced throughout 00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:03.460 the book of Hebrews and it's referenced throughout 00:31:03.460 --> 00:31:08.400 the Bible. We could say that this is the tip 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:13.029 of the spear. When it comes to hope for the believer 00:31:13.029 --> 00:31:17.990 brothers and sisters Hebrews 11 verse 10 says 00:31:17.990 --> 00:31:22.690 this Speaking of the city which has foundations 00:31:22.690 --> 00:31:29.029 whose architect and builder is God Hebrews 11 00:31:29.029 --> 00:31:32.829 also says that they were seeking a country of 00:31:32.829 --> 00:31:37.869 their own what country are they seeking a better 00:31:37.869 --> 00:31:41.410 country that is a heavenly one. And listen to 00:31:41.410 --> 00:31:46.029 this. This is Hebrews 11, 16. Therefore God is 00:31:46.029 --> 00:31:50.130 not ashamed to be called their God, for he has 00:31:50.130 --> 00:31:55.069 prepared a city for them. That's hope, brothers 00:31:55.069 --> 00:31:58.230 and sisters. God himself has prepared a dwelling 00:31:58.230 --> 00:32:02.630 place for the people of God. He himself has taken 00:32:02.630 --> 00:32:06.190 on the task of building a place for us to dwell 00:32:06.190 --> 00:32:10.869 with him in eternity. That's the tip of the spear, 00:32:11.130 --> 00:32:14.450 brothers and sisters. We read in Hebrews chapter 00:32:14.450 --> 00:32:19.910 12 of Mount Zion. We read of the heavenly kingdom, 00:32:20.230 --> 00:32:23.750 the unshakable kingdom, which will outlast everything 00:32:23.750 --> 00:32:26.750 because it will not be shaken, while everything 00:32:26.750 --> 00:32:32.589 else will be the eternal kingdom of God. This 00:32:32.589 --> 00:32:36.750 hope is referenced in Hebrews 9 verse 28 when 00:32:36.750 --> 00:32:42.009 we read this. So Christ also, having been offered 00:32:42.009 --> 00:32:45.869 once to bear the sins of many, will appear a 00:32:45.869 --> 00:32:49.130 second time for salvation without reference to 00:32:49.130 --> 00:32:56.190 sin to those who eagerly await Him. That's hope. 00:32:58.269 --> 00:33:04.890 Then we read in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 13 of 00:33:04.890 --> 00:33:13.210 the same event waiting from that time onward 00:33:13.210 --> 00:33:19.029 until his enemies be made a footstool for his 00:33:19.029 --> 00:33:23.869 feet. The hope spoken of begins at the next great 00:33:23.869 --> 00:33:30.490 redemptive historic event in the world, the return 00:33:30.490 --> 00:33:37.180 of Jesus Christ. Isn't it amazing? how something 00:33:37.180 --> 00:33:42.460 we eagerly wait for, we eagerly long for, something 00:33:42.460 --> 00:33:46.099 that is the source and basis of hope for thousands 00:33:46.099 --> 00:33:50.480 around the world, brothers and sisters, can also 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:56.900 be the source of great dread and the source of 00:33:56.900 --> 00:34:04.329 great terror for many, many others. The hope 00:34:04.329 --> 00:34:08.150 of the Christian at the return of Christ is the 00:34:08.150 --> 00:34:12.769 dread of the unbeliever. The hope of the believer 00:34:12.769 --> 00:34:16.210 when Christ comes in the sky with his flaming 00:34:16.210 --> 00:34:19.690 angels, brothers and sisters, and he calls back 00:34:19.690 --> 00:34:22.710 the saints and they're caught up in the air with 00:34:22.710 --> 00:34:25.329 him, that's the hope. But that is not hope for 00:34:25.329 --> 00:34:28.469 the unbelieving man who does not know Jesus Christ. 00:34:29.809 --> 00:34:35.920 That is fear and that is dread. So what does 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:39.400 that mean for you? That means look to Christ 00:34:39.400 --> 00:34:46.159 now before he comes. Look to Christ now before 00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:51.440 you die. Look to Christ now while you have the 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:56.239 opportunity. While the gospel is still proclaimed, 00:34:57.179 --> 00:35:00.500 look to the Lord Jesus that you might look upon 00:35:00.500 --> 00:35:07.500 that great day as hope. and not dread and not 00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:13.820 terror. This is the promised hope of the believer. 00:35:15.099 --> 00:35:20.219 According to Hebrews 6, 9 -20, the Christian 00:35:20.219 --> 00:35:28.059 hope is promised and future, yet it's fully and 00:35:28.059 --> 00:35:33.800 completely secured by the work of Christ. and 00:35:33.800 --> 00:35:41.000 his entrance into heaven as our forerunner, in 00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:46.059 our place, as the pioneer for the believers, 00:35:46.059 --> 00:35:49.440 we could say. This is why the author can say 00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:55.300 in Hebrews 6 19, this hope we have as an anchor 00:35:55.300 --> 00:36:01.480 of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and 00:36:01.480 --> 00:36:06.469 one which enters within the veil. The Hebrew 00:36:06.469 --> 00:36:11.469 Christians are being exhorted to hold fast and 00:36:11.469 --> 00:36:14.929 maintain their personal convictions, their personal 00:36:14.929 --> 00:36:18.690 beliefs, their personal confession of faith, 00:36:18.789 --> 00:36:23.469 and their public identification with these doctrines 00:36:23.469 --> 00:36:27.710 concerning Christ Jesus, His sacrifice, and those 00:36:27.710 --> 00:36:30.769 realities which He has secured and He will bring 00:36:30.769 --> 00:36:36.280 about. in that great and coming day. This is 00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:41.679 the hope of the believer. We're not talking partial 00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:49.880 deliverance. We're not talking partial salvation, 00:36:50.219 --> 00:36:54.780 brothers and sisters. We're not talking sin remains 00:36:54.780 --> 00:36:58.460 in us and we continue fighting and battling with 00:36:58.460 --> 00:37:03.280 sin in us. Brothers and sisters, what we're referring 00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:11.119 to is consummate salvation. Full and final deliverance 00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:16.840 for the people of God. Full and final redemption. 00:37:18.119 --> 00:37:22.940 That means the removal of suffering. That means 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:27.480 the removal of hardship. That means the removal 00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:31.579 of pain and tears. That means the removal of 00:37:31.579 --> 00:37:34.699 the affliction of sin and death, brothers and 00:37:34.699 --> 00:37:37.559 sisters. This is the hope of the believer, full 00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:42.739 and final redemption. And that comes with Christ 00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:49.280 when he appears in the sky. The Hebrew Christians 00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:54.860 are exhorted to cling to this hope. Nothing else. 00:37:55.800 --> 00:38:00.130 Don't look to another escape. Don't look for 00:38:00.130 --> 00:38:03.090 an easy way out of your hardship and your difficulty. 00:38:04.170 --> 00:38:07.250 He's saying cling to the hope. Cling to what 00:38:07.250 --> 00:38:10.590 is to come. Cling to what Christ has promised. 00:38:11.090 --> 00:38:14.010 Hold fast to these realities. Don't look for 00:38:14.010 --> 00:38:16.610 other ways of making it easy on yourself now. 00:38:16.829 --> 00:38:19.269 It's only a little while that we have to endure, 00:38:19.309 --> 00:38:21.630 brothers and sisters, and then Christ will come 00:38:21.630 --> 00:38:28.630 for us. Or we will go to Him. Cling! Hold fast! 00:38:28.750 --> 00:38:33.010 Persevere! Endure, brothers and sisters! A grand 00:38:33.010 --> 00:38:38.550 future awaits the people of God. If you know 00:38:38.550 --> 00:38:45.690 Christ, persevere! Press on for what is to come. 00:38:46.809 --> 00:38:50.769 Christianity is a religion of hope, is it not? 00:38:51.610 --> 00:38:55.989 Praise God! Christianity is made up of people 00:38:55.989 --> 00:39:00.969 who are hopeful people. Be hopeful! Look to the 00:39:00.969 --> 00:39:09.349 hope that is in Christ. Christianity is the only 00:39:09.349 --> 00:39:15.170 religion of true hope. We have to understand 00:39:15.170 --> 00:39:23.530 that. And that should impact our view of our 00:39:23.530 --> 00:39:29.110 lives and how we live in a hopeless, dark, and 00:39:29.110 --> 00:39:34.690 fallen world. Christians are those who have been 00:39:34.690 --> 00:39:39.170 given hope in Christ. They've been given faith 00:39:39.170 --> 00:39:43.969 to rest on that hope and to look to it. Someone 00:39:43.969 --> 00:39:51.090 might say, well, then why does it seem and appear 00:39:51.559 --> 00:39:58.559 that there are so many hopeless Christians. Why 00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:02.460 does it seem that there are so many despairing 00:40:02.460 --> 00:40:10.079 Christians? Well, it's either because they're 00:40:10.079 --> 00:40:14.659 unaware of what their hope is, meaning they're 00:40:14.659 --> 00:40:19.460 unaware of what the scripture teaches, Therefore, 00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:22.239 they aren't believing what they ought to believe, 00:40:23.059 --> 00:40:30.059 or they are not holding fast to the confession 00:40:30.059 --> 00:40:40.980 of their hope. Apathy and sluggishness are antithetical 00:40:40.980 --> 00:40:45.420 to the enjoyment of hope in the Christian's life. 00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:54.699 We have to get that burned into our souls. Nothing 00:40:54.699 --> 00:41:00.199 good comes from being slothful in the Christian 00:41:00.199 --> 00:41:05.539 life, brothers and sisters. Nothing comes from 00:41:05.539 --> 00:41:10.599 being apathetic and complacent with regards to 00:41:10.599 --> 00:41:16.050 the Word of God and with regards to prayer. Nothing 00:41:16.050 --> 00:41:22.230 good comes from it for your soul. You will not 00:41:22.230 --> 00:41:26.030 be more helpful. You will not be more joyful. 00:41:26.929 --> 00:41:29.349 You will not be more satisfied. You will not 00:41:29.349 --> 00:41:32.349 be more content by neglecting the Word of God 00:41:32.349 --> 00:41:40.070 and neglecting the face of God in prayer. The 00:41:40.070 --> 00:41:46.329 Christian who tells the world There is no hope 00:41:46.329 --> 00:41:50.730 in Christ as a poor specimen of Christianity. 00:41:54.369 --> 00:41:57.570 The Christian ought to be a shining light of 00:41:57.570 --> 00:42:00.829 the gospel and what Jesus Christ has promised. 00:42:02.349 --> 00:42:05.690 The Christian ought to be a luminary in the darkness 00:42:05.690 --> 00:42:14.309 because of the work of Christ. So one might also 00:42:14.309 --> 00:42:20.610 ask another question. How does a Christian come 00:42:20.610 --> 00:42:27.190 to enjoy this hope in a greater way, in a greater 00:42:27.190 --> 00:42:30.190 extent? You just told me that apathy is not good. 00:42:31.690 --> 00:42:33.889 That slothfulness is no good and no helpful. 00:42:34.090 --> 00:42:41.780 So how do I remedy that? by growing in your knowledge 00:42:41.780 --> 00:42:46.199 of the Scriptures, by growing in your understanding 00:42:46.199 --> 00:42:50.639 of the Word of God and saturating yourself in 00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:54.699 it, by meditating on the Word of God in your 00:42:54.699 --> 00:42:58.820 heart, by praying to God and asking Him for help 00:42:58.820 --> 00:43:01.860 and for strength and stopping and stop depending 00:43:01.860 --> 00:43:07.679 on the flesh and carnality. It's by living... 00:43:07.820 --> 00:43:12.900 It's living by faith. Brothers and sisters, it's 00:43:12.900 --> 00:43:15.539 by growing in our understanding and our grasp 00:43:15.539 --> 00:43:20.260 of the Scriptures and then believing those promises 00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:26.380 and trusting those promises and living an obedient 00:43:26.380 --> 00:43:31.380 life as a result of those promises. Ignorance 00:43:31.380 --> 00:43:39.539 is not bliss in the Christian faith. I don't 00:43:39.539 --> 00:43:44.300 say that to be mean. I don't say that to be harsh. 00:43:44.699 --> 00:43:51.699 I say that to stir up something in you so that 00:43:51.699 --> 00:43:55.320 you will understand that God has given us a full 00:43:55.320 --> 00:43:59.619 revelation of His Word. He has given us the Word 00:43:59.619 --> 00:44:04.320 of God. He has revealed Himself. He has revealed 00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:07.920 His works. He has revealed... Christ has revealed 00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:11.039 redemption. He has given us the means, brothers 00:44:11.039 --> 00:44:14.719 and sisters, to more fully enjoy the hope that 00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:24.760 Christ has given to us. Don't just be okay with 00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:32.000 not knowing. Seek out the scriptures. Seek out 00:44:32.000 --> 00:44:36.300 to understand what they say, what they mean. 00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:39.800 And don't just read the portions that you like 00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:44.960 and it makes you have a positive feeling. Read 00:44:44.960 --> 00:44:49.219 the whole of the Bible so that we have the hope 00:44:49.219 --> 00:44:52.559 in Christ, but we have the hatred of God against 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:58.360 sin. We need to know the Bible and we need to 00:44:58.360 --> 00:45:01.219 believe the Bible, brothers and sisters. And 00:45:01.219 --> 00:45:04.360 we need to hold fast to the Bible if we are to 00:45:04.360 --> 00:45:11.880 be a hopeful joyful people in this world. This 00:45:11.880 --> 00:45:13.860 leads us to the last thing we have to consider. 00:45:14.920 --> 00:45:18.480 The reason Christians ought to hold fast the 00:45:18.480 --> 00:45:23.780 confession of their hope. The text says, for 00:45:23.780 --> 00:45:29.179 he who promised is faithful. The focus of this 00:45:29.179 --> 00:45:34.539 part of the text is on the faithful character 00:45:36.139 --> 00:45:41.800 of God who gives, performs, and accomplishes 00:45:41.800 --> 00:45:48.679 all His promises. I want to look at Numbers 23 00:45:48.679 --> 00:45:57.420 19 very briefly here. I'll just read that. Numbers 00:45:57.420 --> 00:46:05.860 23 19 says this, God is not a man. Now, when 00:46:05.860 --> 00:46:08.699 we think about that statement, just immediately, 00:46:10.360 --> 00:46:15.840 we all too often project what we think about 00:46:15.840 --> 00:46:20.159 God on God, when in reality that's not actually 00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:24.900 true of the living God. We make him to be more 00:46:24.900 --> 00:46:28.860 like a man than he is God, who is spirit and 00:46:28.860 --> 00:46:33.679 divine and sovereign and powerful. So God is 00:46:33.679 --> 00:46:42.139 not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man 00:46:42.139 --> 00:46:48.940 that he should repent or change. Has he said 00:46:48.940 --> 00:46:55.239 and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will 00:46:55.239 --> 00:47:01.199 he not make it good? Men, as moral creatures 00:47:01.199 --> 00:47:07.789 who are finite, have the capacity to change. 00:47:09.250 --> 00:47:12.369 Men who are moral creatures and who are finite 00:47:12.369 --> 00:47:20.349 have the capacity to lie and to deceive. But 00:47:20.349 --> 00:47:24.329 brothers and sisters, God does not have that 00:47:24.329 --> 00:47:31.920 capacity. God is a spirit. He is infinite. and 00:47:31.920 --> 00:47:36.920 eternal, he is sovereign, he is immutable and 00:47:36.920 --> 00:47:43.619 unchanging, and he is faithful because of his 00:47:43.619 --> 00:47:49.699 character, because of who he is and what he has 00:47:49.699 --> 00:47:53.000 promised. Consider the faithful character of 00:47:53.000 --> 00:47:57.360 God as we've seen it in the book of Hebrews in 00:47:57.360 --> 00:48:04.860 our study so far. Because of his faithfulness, 00:48:05.039 --> 00:48:09.860 redemption has been accomplished. He has made 00:48:09.860 --> 00:48:14.440 a new covenant with us in Christ, and he will 00:48:14.440 --> 00:48:18.219 be faithful to that covenant. Because of his 00:48:18.219 --> 00:48:24.059 faithfulness, Christ died as a perfect once -for 00:48:24.059 --> 00:48:29.820 -all sacrifice on behalf of sinners. Has he not 00:48:29.820 --> 00:48:35.219 forgotten? our sins? Has He not atoned for our 00:48:35.219 --> 00:48:39.539 sins? Has He not removed our wrath? Was Christ 00:48:39.539 --> 00:48:42.199 not bloodied on the cross when He gave up His 00:48:42.199 --> 00:48:49.539 Spirit? He will continue to faithfully treat 00:48:49.539 --> 00:48:54.179 us as justified men and women who are free from 00:48:54.179 --> 00:48:58.159 condemnation and guilt because of Christ's sacrifice. 00:48:59.170 --> 00:49:03.489 Because of his faithfulness, the sacrifice of 00:49:03.489 --> 00:49:08.670 Christ is applied to each one of those whom that 00:49:08.670 --> 00:49:13.510 sacrifice was intended for. He cleanses their 00:49:13.510 --> 00:49:18.750 hearts by the waters of regeneration and he purifies 00:49:18.750 --> 00:49:22.130 their conscience through the blood of Christ. 00:49:23.849 --> 00:49:27.010 Because of his faithfulness, brothers and sisters. 00:49:27.659 --> 00:49:31.579 We have been reconciled to the Living God and 00:49:31.579 --> 00:49:38.159 we have free access to that God because Christ 00:49:38.159 --> 00:49:42.980 has prepared the way for us. We can enter into 00:49:42.980 --> 00:49:46.719 His presence. Why have these things come about? 00:49:47.900 --> 00:49:50.699 Is it because I'm faithful? Is it because you're 00:49:50.699 --> 00:49:54.900 faithful? Brothers and sisters, it's because 00:49:54.900 --> 00:50:01.469 God is faithful. These promises that he has accomplished 00:50:01.469 --> 00:50:06.269 are by his own power, his own might, and his 00:50:06.269 --> 00:50:12.690 own zeal. He has done these things himself, in 00:50:12.690 --> 00:50:16.710 his own being, his own character, and his own 00:50:16.710 --> 00:50:21.550 purposes. And if he's been this faithful in Christ, 00:50:22.190 --> 00:50:25.070 mustn't we conclude that he will be faithful 00:50:25.070 --> 00:50:29.090 to his people in this life? as they seek to hold 00:50:29.090 --> 00:50:34.289 fast the confession of their hope. As we live 00:50:34.289 --> 00:50:38.750 by faith in this world, mustn't we conclude that 00:50:38.750 --> 00:50:44.829 He will strengthen us, that He will aid us, that 00:50:44.829 --> 00:50:50.610 He will be with us, that He will edify us? Will 00:50:50.610 --> 00:50:53.309 He not be good to His promise of sanctification? 00:50:54.590 --> 00:50:57.969 Will He not be good to His promise of justification? 00:51:00.070 --> 00:51:04.230 Will he not discipline us because we are legitimate 00:51:04.230 --> 00:51:09.170 children whom he loves? Will he not comfort us 00:51:09.170 --> 00:51:13.929 in our times of need and distress? Brothers and 00:51:13.929 --> 00:51:18.969 sisters, God will be faithful to his people in 00:51:18.969 --> 00:51:26.369 this life. Is that not cause or motive for us? 00:51:26.619 --> 00:51:33.480 to be faithful in our lives unto that God. The 00:51:33.480 --> 00:51:37.340 author of Hebrews adds this word. He adds this 00:51:37.340 --> 00:51:42.079 portion of the text, for he who promised is faithful. 00:51:43.400 --> 00:51:48.280 Why does he add this? Because he wants his readers 00:51:48.280 --> 00:51:54.760 to understand that God is faithful and true to 00:51:54.760 --> 00:52:00.210 every single redemptive promise he has ever made 00:52:00.210 --> 00:52:07.489 to his people. That's motive for perseverance, 00:52:09.610 --> 00:52:14.429 for endurance, for strength, for holding fast 00:52:14.429 --> 00:52:19.449 in our lives. The author wrote earlier, for when 00:52:19.449 --> 00:52:23.250 God made the promise to Abraham, since he could 00:52:23.250 --> 00:52:27.159 swear by no one greater, He swore by himself, 00:52:27.179 --> 00:52:31.320 saying, I will surely bless you, and I will surely 00:52:31.320 --> 00:52:36.179 multiply you. In the same way, God, desiring 00:52:36.179 --> 00:52:39.760 even more to show the errors of the promise, 00:52:39.940 --> 00:52:44.320 the unchangeableness of his purpose, interposed 00:52:44.320 --> 00:52:51.400 in oath. That was Hebrews 6, 13 -14 and 6, 17. 00:52:54.219 --> 00:53:00.639 Every promise of God is built on the strong, 00:53:02.159 --> 00:53:11.820 sturdy foundation of God Himself. This includes 00:53:11.820 --> 00:53:18.199 our hope, brothers and sisters. The hope the 00:53:18.199 --> 00:53:25.099 believer has depends not on man not on man's 00:53:25.099 --> 00:53:29.599 faithfulness, not on man's perseverance, but 00:53:29.599 --> 00:53:35.300 it depends on the divine, unchanging, faithful 00:53:35.300 --> 00:53:42.059 character of a sovereign, good God. That's the 00:53:42.059 --> 00:53:46.760 foundation of every promise, and that's the foundation 00:53:46.760 --> 00:53:57.650 of the hope the believer has. Friends, if you 00:53:57.650 --> 00:54:04.429 know Christ, cling to the Lord Jesus Christ by 00:54:04.429 --> 00:54:12.329 faith. If you know the Lord Jesus, give everything 00:54:12.329 --> 00:54:20.150 you have to knowing Him more. Grip Him like you've 00:54:20.150 --> 00:54:24.690 never gripped anything else. and all the while 00:54:24.690 --> 00:54:32.429 be sure, be confident that His hand will never 00:54:32.429 --> 00:54:41.309 ever let go of you. These two things, our faith 00:54:41.309 --> 00:54:47.510 in Him and His grip on us are what get us to 00:54:47.510 --> 00:54:51.329 the hope that we so long to enjoy as believers 00:54:51.329 --> 00:54:57.619 in Jesus Christ. The fulfillment of our hope 00:54:57.619 --> 00:55:03.699 is not dependent on us. Our future enjoyment 00:55:03.699 --> 00:55:08.539 of the hope is not dependent on us. But brothers 00:55:08.539 --> 00:55:14.099 and sisters, our enjoyment of it in this life 00:55:14.099 --> 00:55:23.639 is dependent on our faith in that hope. That 00:55:23.639 --> 00:55:28.809 means that our joy and our contentment, our satisfaction, 00:55:29.989 --> 00:55:36.489 and our hopefulness come to us through faith. 00:55:38.010 --> 00:55:42.769 We must believe the unchanging promises that 00:55:42.769 --> 00:55:48.869 are given to us by an unchanging God. Then we 00:55:48.869 --> 00:55:56.980 will be steadfast, hopeful, and joyful people 00:55:56.980 --> 00:56:00.159 in this ever -changing world.