Letter to the Hebrews Volume 116

 We 'the Just' Must Live by Faith Part 8

Hebrews 10:35-37 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. KJV Note:CEV=Contemporay English Version

The writer now encourages those Hebrew believers then and all of us who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ now and during every era and generation to not turn away from our boldness in Him because of reproaches and afflictions from the devil thnrough the human instruments in which he has control with these words in verse 35, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward." (Hebrews 10:35) (KJV). The English phrase 'cast not away' (that begins this verse) is translated by the Greek word apoballō which means to throw off; figuratively to lose: - cast away. The English word 'confidence' is translated by the Greek word parrhēsia which means (as used here) your assurance; your boldness in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. It was the objective of the devil during those early days of Christianity to stop its spread throughout the region and into the rest of the world by physically persecuting and afflicting the believers in our Lord Jesus Christ to spread fear among them in order to silence them. However, many of the early disciples of our Lord Jesus remembered His words to them before His death on the Cross such as, "Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:26-28) (KJV) and also these words, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name's sake, because they know not Him that sent Me." (John 15:20-21) (KJV). Here is what John Wesley said very simply of Hebrews 10:35, "Cast not away therefore this your confidence - Your faith and hope; which none can deprive you of but yourselves."

These words have been often times said, 'patience is a virtue', well in reality patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and is not a virtue that any human being can claim credit for having because our corrupt nature (that each human being receives from Adam) abhors patience and wants everything now. Today we see this played out every single day everywhere around the world. The writer of Hebrews, however, reminds the Hebrews Christians (back then) who were brought out of the Mosaic law and into the freedom of grace through faith in Jesus Christ that 'patience' is a must for them to be able to endure the reporaches and afflictions by having the reward of the presence and power of God resting upon them/us enabling them/us to endure and also encouraging them/us to remember their/our coming reward in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the writer of Hebrews declares to them, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." (Hebrews 10:36) (KJV). This English word 'patience' (in this verse) is translated by the Greek word hupomonē meaning cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting). We clearly see from the definition that this cannot be a human virtue, but instead it is a Divine virtue. Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 10:36, "For ye have need of patience - They were then suffering, and in all trials we have need of patience. We have need of it because there is in us so much disposition to complain and repine; because our nature is liable to sink under sufferings; and because our trials are often protracted. All that Christians can do in such cases is to be patient - to lie calmly in the hands of God, and submit to His will day by day, and year by year; see James 1:3-4. That after ye have done the will of God - That is, in bearing trials, for the reference here is particularly to afflictions.Ye might receive the promise - The promised inheritance or reward - in heaven. It is implied here that this promise will not be received unless we are patient in our trials, and the prospect of this reward should encourage us to endure them."

The writer next encourages them into this exercise of patience by reminding them of our Lord Jesus' coming back to take up or to gather up all of His children either at the Rapture right before His 2nd Coming to the earth to put down all rebellion or at each believers death with these words, "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." (Hebrews 10:37) (KJV). For these Hebrew believers back then, they were gathered unto our Lord Jesus Christ at their death, just as the Apostle Paul wrote with these words, "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:6-10) (KJV). We can see a detail, declaration, and description of this very thing being unfolded before our very own eyes as we listen to the words written for us by the disciple of Christ Luke in the book of Acts referring to the very first believer (Stephen) murdered, massacred, and martyred for his faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, as it is written, "When the council members heard Stephen's speech, they were angry and furious. But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side. Then Stephen said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!' The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, 'Lord Jesus, please welcome me!' He knelt down and shouted, 'Lord, don't blame them for what they have done.' Then he died." (Acts 7:54-60) (CEV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 10:37, "He will soon come to them at death, and put an end to all their sufferings, and give them a crown of life. He will soon come to judgment, and put an end to the sufferings of the whole Church (all His Mystical Body), and give them an ample and glorious reward in the most public manner. There is an appointed time for both, and beyond that time He will not tarry, Habakkuk 2:3. The Christian's present conflict may be sharp, but it will be soon over."
 
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…