The Importance of Confidence and Rejoicing

“Whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” Hebrews 3:6
 
 
Here, as in other portions of Scripture, God’s people are likened to a house “Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20) with believers as “living stones. . . being built up a spiritual house” (I Peter 2:5).  This is a glorious picture and reality that reinforces to us God’s purpose to have a people for Himself, and to dwell among them.  In John’s Revelation of the new heavens and earth, a voice from heaven is heard saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people” (21:3).
 
But what of the conditional element to this hope and promise where the writer says, “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope to the end?”  In answering, we firstly know that true believers will be preserved to the end, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).  This is true because of the persevering work of the Holy Spirit in maintaining a believers’ new life in Christ.  Paul also wrote to the Philippians, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (2:12,13).  These promises of God’s ongoing work of grace in the life of the believer give us our only hope and are a source of assurance.
 
And yet, the writer in our verse deals with another dimension of God’s sustaining work.  As such, he deals with the experiential quality of that perseverance.  In particular, he writes that the life of the true Christian should, and must be characterized by “hold(ing) fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm till the end.”  This is not an elective for a Christian, but a necessary Christian responsibility.
 
But for many professing Christians, these qualities of Christian experience have not been held fast.  In fact, many professors’ lives are characterized chiefly by the opposite of these qualities: anxiety and grumbling.  It seems that some Christians are hoping to just get through this life, not concerned about their present demeanor.
 
However, by giving us this instruction, God has provided a kind of early warning system for professing Christians to examine their spiritual health.  This is because anxiety and grumbling are early symptoms of a more fundamental and serious spiritual problem.  The writer to the Hebrews revealed the problem in when he wrote, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (3:12).  There it is friends, unbelief!  And it is a serious and dreadful of sin.
 
 
What about you?  Is your life often characterized by being anxious and falling into grumbling about people or your circumstances?  If so, then you are exhibiting the outward signs of an unbelieving heart.  God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5), and yet you feel at times you have been abandoned and are filled with anxious thoughts for the future.  God says, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), and yet you are dissatisfied with your lot in life, believing that you deserve better.  God says, “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), but you’re unbelief in this provision for your preservation and growth causes you to be careless in your use of this means of grace for the growth and strengthening of your faith.  As such, you feel tossed about in life and anxious because your faith is weak.  God says “be holy for I am holy” (I Peter 1:16), and yet you disobey because of unbelief in the seriousness of this command.  Youi end up plagued with anxiety from the guilt of un-confessed and un-repented of sin.
 
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice! . . . Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:4,6).  Brothers and sisters, ask God today for grace that your life might be characterized by the two lovely qualities of confidence and rejoicing.
 
You have a great, sovereign and unchanging God.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit are fully committed and engaged in your salvation.  “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).
 
Such an awesome God is worthy of all praise, worship and the wholehearted sacrifice of yourselves in service to His glory.