Hebrews 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
When a person is saved and excited about their salvation, which should be true of every born again Christian, you can be assured you will face persecution. When a person is saved, it is because their eyes have been opened to the truth. A person may hear the truth many times, but not accept it. The person may deny it, or disregard it. When you finally came to accept the truth as God declares it, there was a great fight of affliction.
In verse 33 we are told that those who were truly saved became a gazingstock to others. You became a spectacle. What God is declaring here is the opposite of what the New Evangelical crowd claims. They want to blend in with the world. They want to look like the world and they want to talk like the world. Purple hair and piercings all over along with immodest apparel are a common thing within the New Evangelical crowd. They claim that there is nothing wrong with these changes. This shows they do not know the Word of God, nor the God of the Word. Those who are saved will be seen as different. We do not need to go out and try to start a new trend. All we need to do is follow the God of the Bible as declared in the Word of God, and those you once associated with will notice the difference. Some will distance themselves from you. Some will start talking about you in a different way.
God does not want us to be discouraged by the negative way the world looks at us. We need to be encouraged in the Lord. In verse 34 the writer spoke of the compassion the saints had for him. The saints had faced the invasion of their goods by the enemies of God. The world comes up with all kinds of schemes as to how they can strip God-fearing people of the things they worked for. The world hates God and it hates God’s people. The New Evangelical crowd does not want to be hated, so they have redefined Biblical Christianity. They have developed a “christianity” that is not supported in the Bible.
However, the true child of God knows that they have been given a substance that is better and endures. That substance is found in heaven. Jesus stated:
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I received an ad recently encouraging me to look at investing in bitcoin. The article spoke of how the world is looking at taking money away from us and they suggested that bitcoin was a safer way to hold on to what you have. It does not matter what system you try to use to hang on to your earthly possessions, the devil is busy encouraging the lost to plunder what you have. Our governments never have enough money. They are always looking for some way to take what we have and wasting it on their foolishness. We should not be careless with what we have, but we also need to understand that a wicked system passes laws that favours their wickedness. They do not care about righteousness and they will do all they can to take away your hard earned money and possessions. Poor and hungry people are much easier to control.
God does not steal from us. He blesses His children with peace and joy that the world does not know and cannot take away. The apostle Paul knew this peace and joy. So did the other apostles. The saved of the first century also knew this. When Peter was imprisoned, the Christians did not look for a way to blend in with society. They held a true prayer meeting. Peter knew about that prayer meeting and he knew where to go after the angel of the Lord released him from prison. If he knew where to go, there would be others who were not friendly to the Gospel who also knew where that prayer meeting was being held. God protected them in a dark time.
In verse 25 we are reminded not to cast away the confidence we have in Christ. Facing persecution does not mean you did something wrong. It can mean that the devil is angry and wants to stop you from living for the Lord. If you submit to God’s Word you can be sure that the devil will not be pleased with you.
In verse 36 we are reminded of the importance of patience. Our time of suffering is for a short time. Eternity is a long time. The flesh does not like persecution. The flesh wants to be pampered. The flesh wants to live in comfort. God tells us that heaven is the place where we will be free from persecution and will be resting in the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s Word is sure. The promises of God are real.
In verse 37 the writer was reminded that the time on this earth is just for a little while. This was written almost 2,000 years ago. Many generations of Christians have come and gone in that time. All those who have gone before are now resting in God. Those of us who are alive now have the privilege of carrying the torch of truth for a short time. Then we too will be resting in heaven. Jesus Christ is coming soon. He will not delay His coming. His timing is perfect. God wants all to be saved. The day will come when He closes the door on this dispensation. The 7 years that follow that time will not be good. The antichrist will be a wicked man. His goal will shock many. Yet many will face his wicked rule because they reject the truth.
In verse 38 we are reminded that the just shall live by faith. Habakkuk was told to write that in chapter 2:4. God directed a couple of writers to repeat that truth in the New Testament. It is still true. We, the just, do not live by sight. We know this world is a wicked place. We can see the evil mounting all around us. We do not lose sight of the prize because we know Who holds the prize. God cannot fail. No man can interfere with His plan.
We dare not draw back. God will not be pleased with those who want to draw back. The New Evangelical crowd wants us to compromise. They are all about compromise. They are gaining numbers all the time. The Emergent church movement is part of that philosophy. The CCM music that is very common in most religious groups is a major tool of this movement. The perversions are very accommodating to this as well.
Be careful not to allow the world to define the Gospel for you. The news has been reporting on a plane crash that took place this past Friday. Three members of a “Gospel Music” group were on board that plane. They died along with four others that were on that plane. I had never heard of the group before but the internet will soon reveal who people are. They had a gospel to be sure, but it was not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a sensual, worldly gospel that was designed to make lost people feel good in their sin. The world loves that kind of music. God’s people reject that and they choose music that glorifies God, not the flesh.
In verse 39 we are further reminded that those who are saved are not of them who draw back unto perdition. The truly saved person cannot lose their salvation. When they sin, God chastens them. His goal is to bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Those who are truly saved have faith in God. They believe that God’s way is the only way of salvation. The devil will try to make serving God difficult. The saved person understands this and he or she is not deterred by that.
This is again why the true local church is so important. We need the fellowship of the saints to encourage us in our trials. God knows this and He is still working in true local churches today. Jesus Christ is still the Head of every true local church. He will never leave His child alone. Don’t isolate yourself from the truth. Follow God and obey Him. Let Him bless you. He will give you a joy and peace that will be a blessing and will keep you going in this wicked world.
Pastor Bartel