Enduring Hard Times

KEY VERSE: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.)” —Hebrews 10:23

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10:19-25, 32-39

OUR KEY VERSE is an admonition by the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews to hold fast to the new and living way established by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and preached to the Early Church by the apostles. Jesus had told his disciples to expect trials and persecution similar to his, even unto death. (John 15:18 to 16:3) Now Paul encouraged them to remain faithful to God, because God would remain faithful to them. Paul answers the question many Christians have asked during this Gospel Age, “What enables us to maintain our faith in this evil world, and through hard times?”

Paul’s first answer to this question is that we must develop a confidence in God. He said, “Having, therefore, Brethren, confidence respecting the entrance of the Holies, by the blood of Jesus …” (Heb. 10:19, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott) This is because Christ is now the great high priest who introduces us to God and tells us we should “draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”—Heb. 10:22

It is the new mind, the New Creature in Christ, that is true and sincere in its approach to God. The full assurance of faith, then, is the firm conviction of the will which results from the sprinkling of our hearts with the blood of Christ—that is, the merit of his sacrifice. We can cling to this hope because it is the promise of God, guaranteed by the faithfulness of God to his promises. Therefore we can maintain our faith through hard times with confidence based upon the new way to God opened up for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and guaranteed by Divine forgiveness.

The second answer Paul gives to maintaining our faith through hard times revolves around Christian fellowship. Christian enthusiasm for fellowship often begins at a fever pitch, and then it can, in some instances, cool off; so effort is required to build up the enthusiasm again. Christian believers are to “provoke [stimulate] one another unto love and to good works.” (Heb. 10:24) The thought here is of encouraging one another, which cannot be done apart from fellowship. The assembling of ourselves together should not be for display of bitterness or sharp criticism. Christian fellowship should serve to strengthen by exhortation and instruction. In this way it serves to comfort the brethren.

A third answer Paul provides is to recall the memory of past events as a guide and strength for difficult future events. The Christian Hebrews had endured many persecutions in the past, having been made a laughing stock, humiliated through insults and abuse, having been jailed and persecuted physically, losing property and jobs, and, in some cases, even being put to death. (Heb. 10:33,34) Through all of these hard times the Hebrew Christians had survived, and recalling God’s grace to them in the past would help them maintain their faith in the present. He again exhorted these brethren to bear up under difficult experiences, urging them to “Cast not away therefore your [their] confidence” (vs. 35), when a little more patient endurance would secure for them their reward.

Likewise, we too need to remember our promised share in Christ’s resurrection as the ultimate end of our suffering and trial, and to be encouraged with this thought during difficult times—especially as we see the Millennial Day approaching.—vs. 36

| Home Page | Table of Contents |