Hold on Hold up Hold fast!
Hebrews 4:14-16
We start a new section on Jesus as our High Priest after just finishing the first part of Hebrews on Jesus the Person. All of who he was and is builds into this next section which we will be in for a while covering his appointment and function as our High Priest.
“Let us hold fast our confession”
Hebrews 3:6 “And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope”
Hebrews 3:14 “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end”
Hebrews 4:14 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”
If we hold fast: His house -> share in Christ -> draw near to the throne of grace
We have discussed that Hebrews is building a case, building a grand story, building up the person of Jesus Christ. Our scripture for tonight is no different. Earlier in Hebrews, the Lord is encouraging us through the writing of Hebrews to hold fast our confidence. What is the result – we get to enjoy being part of his household. Being part of the household of Jesus is a grand thing. Nothing should lessen that. But I believe the Lord offers us even more. A little while later in Hebrews 3:14, we are encouraged to hold fast our confidence to the end. What is the result here? We get to share in Christ. So, if we have a confident position in Christ, believing in Jesus, we are part of his household. If we hold firm our confidence to the end, we get to share relationally and eternally in Christ in a different way. Just as I have 4 kids. They all are confident in their position – being a part of my household. They all have the same standing – they are Luebke’s. If one of my children chooses to be wayward and go his/her own way, seeking things that are against our wishes as parents, he/she will still retain that standing, being a part of our household, but there will be a diminished relationship. They will not have as much share in “me” as they could have if they held their confidence in the ways that we teach them. Likewise, for the children that are part of the household and holding fast to things that keep us in right relationship with each other, they still might not have confidence to approach us as parents and really grasp the depth of relationship that we can have. If they just stick with our household and continue as obedient kids but never seek to enjoy a fruitful relationship, something will always be missing. Now, I am not a perfect father, and so I don’t offer all these things for them as I should, but I have seen this worked out in my own family with each of my children to a different degree – and they can have different seasons in and out of these different stages of position/standing in our family. All enjoy the position in this household as a Luebke. Some are
partaking in the relationship more than others. Some are experiencing a really good relationship where they find comfort and joy in being with us. I desire that for all of my kids.
Verse 14: Since then ... since what? We have just finished a section on Israel walking through stages in the wilderness. Grumbling, challenging God, being disobedient, walking in unbelief. Not entering the promised land when they could have. Not experiencing the rest that God had planned on.
Other scriptures that talk about holding fast:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Hold fast to a wife – Gen. 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7, Ephesians 5:31 Hold fast to the Lord our God – Deuteronomy 10:20, 13:4 Hold fast to the word – Proverbs 4:4, 1 Corinthians 15:2 Hold fast his covenant – Isaiah 56:4
Hold fast to love and justice – Hosea 12:6 Hold fast to what is good – Romans 12:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Hold fast our confidence – Hebrews 3:6 Hold fast our confession – Hebrews 4:14, 10:23 Hold fast to hope – Hebrews 6:18 Hold fast Jesus’ name – Revelation 2:13 Hold fast to what we have – Revelation 2:25, 3:11
I find it interesting that the first mention of holding fast in the Bible is to a wife. That points to the nature and meaning of this verse. We are to hold fast, in the same way that we are to hold fast to our wives men, to our confession. Earlier in Hebrews 3 – Jesus is the apostle and high priest of our confession. It concerns and centers around Jesus Christ and our relationship with him. Just as we will hold fast to our wives in commitment, in intimacy, through thick and thin, till death due us part, God desires that we hold fast to Jesus Christ in all things – as he is the bridegroom and we are the bride. As we do that – we enter into his household, we enjoy intimacy and relationship with Christ, and we approach His throne of grace boldly – as we hold fast our confidence and our confession.
What does it look like to hold fast? Shammah (his name means waste/devastation or astonishment) was one of David’s mighty men. In 2 Samuel 23, we read about him. Not much is said, except that he was one of David’s top 3 – one of the best warriors among those who fought for David. He had a special place. I love his story. I can imagine him there fighting the Philistines, which happened from time to time. Being the great soldier that he was, he was likely taking down men left and right as his name points to, he was laying waste to the enemy, but soon he starts to notice that he is more and more surrounded by the Philistines. In the briefest of moments – between sword thrusts, he notices that the Israelite army is losing and starting to retreat and fall back. Maybe he sees them turning and running for their lives. My tendency would be to turn and run with them, but not Shammah, he took a stand in a lentil field and defended it and continued to devastate the
Philistines. I am sure the Israelites were astonished as his feat. The best part about Shammah, is he was one whom the Lord was able to bring a great victory through.
Am I, are you a man who takes a stand and holds fast to the ground that was taken – not losing it, despite what everyone else around you is doing? Are you, am I one that is willing to risk all to overcome impossible odds as the Lord works wonderfully through you or through me? I would like to be one who brings destruction to the enemy because I hold fast to what I am given, to where I am placed, to the ground that has already been taken.
More specifically, our verse talks about holding fast our confession, not just holding fast in life. What is our confession and what does it look like?
Romans 10:9-10. “Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
You cannot take verse 9 without verse 10. Verse 10 gives meaning and distinction to verse 9. I believe there is a separation of soul and spirit in this verse. Taking verse 9 & 10 together, belief is what is required for justification – our spirit to be one with Jesus our Savior. Justification is like “just as if I never sinned”. Confession is what leads to saving – saving what – our souls. We are already justified when we believe – nothing more is needed to have right standing before God the Father – who sent His Son, so that whoever believes (not believes and confesses) in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Saving – the saving of our souls (restoring as Psalm 23 talks about) is the same as working out our salvation.
The writer of Hebrews is talking about holding steadfast in their confession of Jesus, in who He is, in what He is, so that they would walk rightly, would work out their salvation well, would enter rest – all good things for them spiritually. How? It can come by confession. Confessing our sins. Confessing with our lips who Jesus is. Confession is an outward sign of what is inward in the heart, and it is evidence of whose we are. It also brings about something very interesting. As we confess it, it cements our belief, but if we are confessing Jesus, then we are confessing the truth, the Word. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. As we confess out loud our sins and our savior, we get to take in the Word of God at the same time – because we hear ourselves, and I believe there is great effect to simply hear the Word – even if it is just us hearing ourselves!
1 Timothy 6:13 says that Jesus made a confession before Pontius Pilate. He confessed the truth of who he was. His confession and confidence was holding fast till the end. He was about to die. He stayed committed to the mission that His Father set before Him and He didn’t bend under beatings, scrutiny, and the threat of a painful death.
We are being strongly encouraged to hold on the confidence and hope in Jesus and DON’T let go! These are not mere helpful hints, suggestions if we can handle it. They are mission statements, commands for our benefit! He speaks to us, he is the Son of God, He is the provider
of our salvation, He is the good Shepherd who came to be the lamb led to slaughter, He put aside his divinity to experience all things just as we would so that he could sympathize with our weaknesses, He is the rest that we long for. Hold fast to Jesus men! Great is His Grace!