"The Assurance of Faith"

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-35
The 6 chapters of Galatians that we have just finished are, basically, about faith. The people were beginning to put their faith in their works, those things that they gleaned from the law. Paul’s letter to them called them back to faith in Christ – the belief that Jesus has done it all for them, and away from trusting in their own abilities.
He wanted them to know that Jesus had to be their focus, and not the things of earth – even when the goodness that surrounded them seemed to be sufficient, they had to understand that they weren’t.

There was a sermon once titled “I Have Kept the Faith”. The preacher's first sentence was: “It was about the only thing Paul had kept.” He then went on to show how Paul gave up this; Paul gave up that; Paul sacrificed this; Paul surrendered that. But he kept one thing: He kept the faith.
We are called to surrender and sacrifice and give up. But we are called to keep one thing: the faith.
- Homiletics OnLine

For the next 4 weeks, we will consider what Hebrews has to say about the importance of our “keeping the faith”.

Read Hebrews 10:19-23

Remembering that Israel was the primary audience is for this letter, we find striking comparisons between Jesus Christ and the temple in Jerusalem – which in and of itself, is a comparison of our respective faiths. Let’s consider these references for a moment:
- “The Most High Place” was the area of the temple that was inaccessible by anyone other than the high priest, and then only on the Day of Atonement. It was the place where it was believed that Jehovah God existed on earth, and no one was allowed to desecrate this holy place by their unholy presence.
Jesus on the other hand, would come to us as God Incarnate, God present on earth, and anyone would be able to come to him, at any time and from any place.
- “The Blood of Jesus” is a comparison to the blood that came from the animals sacrificed on the altar to free the people from their sins. The difference is that the lamb’s blood was from a created being, and was taken without their consent. Jesus’ blood was offered by God and was never created – it is Divine.
- “A new and living way opened … through the curtain, that is, through his body.” The curtain was the fabric that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the court. It was that dividing line which no one could cross. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the curtain would be torn from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:45-54)
In contrast, the tearing of Jesus’ body allowed a perfect way to be opened for us, that all might approach Almighty God, no longer kept at arm’s length.
- “We have a great priest over the house of God”. The High Priest of Israel was chosen by lot to serve for one year, and was then replaced by another priest.
The High Priest Jesus is chosen by God, and will never be replaced.
- “our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience” – this may be an additional reference to the ritual of sacrifice. The animal or bird’s blood would be sprinkled on the altar as an act of offering to God, and as an act of contrition on the part of the individual. This would be, again, an act committed by the created order, and would have to be done over and over again.
But when Jesus’ blood was poured out on the new altar of Mount Calvary, it was a divine act that would never – could never - be repeated.
- “having our bodies washed with pure water” is about ritual cleansing. For Israel, it was an act that was followed several times each day – before meals, before going to temple, etc. It was a ritual intended to make the person clean and worthy of God’s blessing.
But in Christian baptism, we are washed “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, and following the administration of the water, we say “The Holy Spirit work within you, that being born through water and the Spirit, you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.” (UM Book of Worship, pg 91)

Washing several times each day, versus one holy washing for all time – routine acts committed over and over by other humans, or a single, holy act provided by God. Which would you choose?

Paul would have us know that the latter is the best option for us, and that we need to hold on to our faith with great hope and with absolute confidence.

Read Hebrews 10:24-25

Faith isn’t just for our own gratification and glorification - it is to help others to come to know the Lord! And if we are to help others, we can’t do it very well in a distant relationship. We need to be close to each other, we need to care for each other, and we need to be available to touch their lives just as Jesus did for us, and then challenged us to do the same for others.

Sometimes we joke about Methodist’s tendency to have covered dish suppers, but quite honestly, it shouldn’t be seen as a joke. Joining together for a meal is a tradition as old as our faith. Believers in the first century church were always getting together for a meal, to share their personal stories of faith, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and to encourage each other in their daily lives. (Acts 2:42-47)
We still gather for the meals from time to time, but how often do we follow the rest of our tradition?

Read Hebrews 10:26-31

The problem with not staying in contact with each other is the very issue that Paul is talking about now. When we are out on our own, making our own way and doing our own thing, sin has a free–for-all with us. Human memories tend to be, from time to time, very limited, and it is in those times that we begin to fall away from faith and into the throws of sin. Paul’s first words in this section should be frightening for every Christian on earth. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we know the truth, .. no sacrifice for sin is left!”
Now as a personal recipient of the mercy of Christ, I’m reluctant to say that for Christians who turn away from Christ, there is no hope. But Paul’s words certainly seem to imply this – that when we “trample the Son of God under foot”, release from sin is no longer available to us, and the only thing we can expect is judgment and destruction! In Matthew 12:30-32, Jesus tells us that we can speak against him and still be forgiven, but speaking against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven. Paul would have us understand that once we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, he falls into the same category as the Spirit.
There are all too many people today who are sinfully confident in their faith. It almost seems that their faith is saying “Once you have Jesus in your life, anything goes and nothing else matters.” We all need to remember Paul’s words "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

We are living in an age, not of faith versus doubt, but of faith versus belief. People are believing anything and everything. But they have faith in very little.
- Homiletics Online

Read Hebrews 10:32-35

“Do not throw away your confidence.” Faith in Jesus Christ isn’t a promise that pain will no longer be a part of this life – it is God’s assurance, and our acceptance, that there is no longer any obstacle, any hindrance, any rejection from eternal life with Almighty God. Our Christian faith isn’t about constantly having to prove our worthiness – it is knowing that it has already been done by Christ. Our faith isn’t about our inadequate efforts to gain God’s love over and over – it is about accepting the love that was proven on that rocky hill 2,000 years ago. Faith isn’t about making scripture warm and fuzzy – it’s about letting it warm our hearts and envelope our souls.

Professor and theologian Michael Horton writes:
If we're talking about God's Word, God's Word says that faith is the hope of things unseen. The essence of idolatry is demanding the beatific vision, demanding a direct encounter with the deity. Demanding that God make me happy right here and now, or demanding that God make me holy right here and now. Not being patient. Faith grasps the promise it has heard, whereas passion grasps that which it can feel and experience and see.
--Michael Horton, interviewed by Jamie Lee Rake, Door Interview: Mike Horton, The Door, March-April 1999, 22.

Faith may, indeed, be the hope of things unseen, but it is not the hope of things unproven! Scripture is God’s promise and proof and assurance that a life in Christ Jesus is all that we need, and that we can do nothing to make it any better. Follow the teachings of Jesus, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and allow the plan that the Father has prepared for us to work in and through our lives.

The assurance of faith? You had better believe it!
The hope of faith? It doesn’t get any better!
The love that faith brings to us? There is no doubt!
In Christ, all things are made new and all things are made right. Praise the Lord!