Conditions......

IF

I was behind in reading the New Testament from our daily reading. I started in Hebrews chapter 1. As I was reading through something stood out to me in chapter 3 that I would like to take a minute to share.

Hebrews 3:6 say’s….but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

It repeats in Hebrews 3:14….For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.

That word IF stood out to me and UNTIL THE END. I did a word study on it and here is what I found.

The word house in verse 6 is talking about us being the temple where Christ is supposed to dwell (1 Corinthians 3:16) as well as house of God which is the church and the word church is not a building but a people/called out ones “Ekklesia” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Here are the If’s:

1. IF…..We Hold Fast

2. IF…..We’re Confident and Rejoice or Boast

3. IF…..We Hope Until the End

I broke it down even more and looked at each one.

1. We Hold Fast

a. Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shall be cut off. We need to hold fast to His goodness. If you read the context of that scripture it talks about His goodness and how we were grafted in. It is His kindness that leads us to repentance.

b. Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. We need to hold fast to the beginning of our assurance where we became partakers of Christ.

c. Hebrews 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. We need to hold fast our confession of Christ and to Christ. Christ being the Chief Priest of our confession.

2. Confidence (trust) and Boast (rejoicing)

a. Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by faith in Him. Our faith in Him should give us confidence to have boldness and access.

b. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. We should have confidence to draw near to the throne of grace.

c. Hebrews 10:35-39 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Don’t throw your confidence away. Put it this way…Don’t throw your Trust in Christ away, because there is a great reward.

3. Of our hope firm (true, faithful, sure, trustworthy) until the end.

a. Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. We are to actively and effectively (not slothful) minister to the saints through faith and patience.

b. Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but it was the bringing in of a better hope, by which we draw near unto God. A better hope (the redemptive blood of Christ) where we can draw near to God.

c. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised. We should hold onto the hope of the promises of God, for He is faithful that promised.

d. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is NOW! What we hope for in Christ we can have now, even though we can not see it.

e. 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Say’s it all! We have a hope through the new birth where we die to self and resurrect a new creature in Christ.