Episode 127: Part 1 - God's Perspective on Steadfastness/Endurance - Hebrews 10, 11, 12, and 13

PART 1 – GOD’S PERSPECTIVE ON
STEADFASTNESS/ENDURANCE


 


hupomoné (Gk) - steadfastness,
constancy, endurance (Hebrews 10:36, 12:1)


In the N. T., the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from
his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even
the greatest trials and sufferings. Especially as God enables the
believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges in life.


 


Hebrews 1:1-10:18 – The Superiority of Christ,
the New Covenant, Only Salvation 



“His conclusion is clear: Christ is the ultimate and final plan
of God for Salvation…There must be no retreat in the Christian
life. Instead, believers must remain steadfast in faith, in
perserverance, and in holness in order to inherit the promises of
God…Faith is the entryway into Christ and all the spiritual
promises embodied in Him.”


 


Hebrews 10:19-22


 


19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the
holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way
that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His
flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water. 


 


Hebrews 10:23-31


 


23 Let us hold fast [*unswervingly] the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful. *to be firm, stable, steadfast


 


Faithful? 2 Tim. 2:13 – if we
are faithless/not steadfast, He remains faithful/steadfast) 


 


24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love
and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet
together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and all the more as you
see the Day drawing near. 


 


New Covid Variant – “End Times-itis” – “The Day…”? A Day? (There
are “Days”)


 


26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after
receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a
sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and
a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who
has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence
of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you
think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the
Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which
he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For
we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And
again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God. 



(1 Pet. 4:17 – “…judgment BEGINS with the
household of God”)



Hebrews 10:32-39


 


32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened,
you endured a hard struggle with
sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to
reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners
(companions/associates) with those so treated. 34 For
you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted
the plundering of your property, since you knew that you
yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great
reward. 36 For you have need of endurance
(hupomoné - Gk), so that when
you have done the will of God you may receive what is
promised. 


 


37 For, “Yet a little while, and the Coming One will come
and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live
by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in
him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back
and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and
preserve their souls.


 


Hebrews 11 = The Hall of Faith – Old Testament
Believers


 


Hebrews 11:1-5


 


1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their
commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was
created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out
of things that are visible. 


 


Creation ex nihilo – “Historic
Christianity has always maintained a belief in Creation ex nihilo
(CEN) as expressed in the ancient Nicene Creed: “We believe in
one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all
things visible and invisible.” Scripture teaches that there was
nothing but God, and that God by means of his incalculable wisdom
and infinite power alone brought the universe (all matter,
energy, time, and space) into existence from nothing. There was
no preexistent physical reality; therefore, nothing should not be
understood as an actual something.”


 


4 By faith Abel… 


5 By faith Enoch… 


 


Hebrews 11:6-8, 10-11, 13-16


 


6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for
whoever would draw near to God must believe that He
exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly] seek Him. 


 


PRESUPPOSITIONALIST – God exists, His Word is
inerrant


 


7 By faith Noah, being warned by God
concerning events as yet unseen, 


8 By faith Abraham
obeyed…And he went out, not knowing
where he was going… 10 For he was looking forward to the
city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is
God. 


 


11 By faith Sarah… 


 


13 These all died in faith, not having received the things
promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and
having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles
on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear
that they are seeking a homeland.  15 If they had been
thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would
have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a
better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a
city. 


 


Hebrews 11:17, 20-25,27,29-31


 


17 By faith Abraham…


20 By faith Isaac… 


21 By faith Jacob… 


22 By faith Joseph… 


23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was
hidden for three months by his parents, …and
they were not afraid of the king's edict. 


24 By faith Moses, …refused to be called the son
of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be
mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting
pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of
Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was
looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not
being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as
seeing Him who is invisible. 



29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry
land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were
drowned. (A “Day” of the Lord)


30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down…


31 By faith Rahab the prostitute... 


 


Hebrews 11:32-40


 


32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of
Gideon, Barak, 


Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets – 33
who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced
justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34
quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were
made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign
armies to flight. 


35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some
were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might
rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered
mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were
killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and
goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - 38 of
whom the world was not worthy - wandering about in deserts and
mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And
all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive
what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for
us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.





Hebrews 12:1-11


 


1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which
clings so closely, and let us run with endurance
(hupomoné - Gk) 
the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the
right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who
endured from sinners such hostility against himself,
so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the
point of shedding your blood. 


 


5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as
sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the
one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” 7
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is
treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does
not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in
which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children
and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who
disciplined us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be
subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they
disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them,
but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his
holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems
painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful
fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it. 


Hebrews 12:12-16, 22-24


 


12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak
knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is
lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 


 


14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without
which no one will see the Lord. 


 


15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of
God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble,
and by it many become defiled; 


 


16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, …


 


22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal
gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are
enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the
spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the
mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that
speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 


 


Hebrews 12:25-29


 


25 See that you do not refuse Him who is
speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused
him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we
reject Him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook
the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake
not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet
once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that
is, things that have been made—in order that the things
that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be
grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus
let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.


 


Hebrews 13:1-6,9


 


1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect
to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have
entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison,
as though in prison with them, and those who are
mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let
marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be
undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and
adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be
content with what you have, for he has said, “I will
never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can
confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”…


 


9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings,
for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by
grace, … 


 


Hebrews 13:12-16,20-21


 


12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify
the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go
to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He
endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we
seek the city that is to come. 15 Through Him then let us
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the
fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. 16 Do not neglect to do
good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing
to God…


 


20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the
eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that
you may do His will, working in us that which is
pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
forever and ever. Amen.