January 13. Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10: Confidence

A word that stood out to me as I read this chapter is “CONFIDENCE”. It is used in vs 19 and 35. The Greek word means “a state of boldness and confidence, sometimes implying intimidating circumstances—‘boldness, courage.’”

What do you put your confidence in? What gives you boldness, courage, power, security and resilience? Is it your brainpower - how smart you are? How much you know? Is it how much money is in your bank account, your 401K? Is it how your family is doing spiritually? Is it your position at work? Is it how well YOU are doing spiritually? Is it in how people view you? If we put our confidence in anything else other than the Sacrificial Blood of Jesus Christ, we are on shaky ground.

Hebrews 10 tells us what we should put our confidence in.

Heb 10:10-14 says that we have been made holy by Christ’s sacrifice and that we have been made perfect by this sacrifice. Christ made us holy and perfect, once for all.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice for the sins of the world we have the “confidence” to draw near to God, being freed from a guilty conscience (vs 22). Our confidence is based on something stable, something that has already been done for us, not something we “hope” will be done. That confidence removes an unhealthy guilt that weighs us down. God frees us from that.

The writer says in vs 35 to “not throw away your confidence..”. What are some warning signs in your life that you could be “throwing away” your confidence? How can you combat that temptation? Write down some scriptures that can help remind you to persevere and be ResilieNT.

I hope you are as encouraged as I am to not “shrink back” and be destroyed (due to a lack of confidence), but to “have faith” and be saved! Vs 39