Persevering through love, hope, and faith
Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. Hebrews 6:11-12 CSB
We saw yesterday in verses 9 and 10 that the author commends their readers on their faithfulness, believing that they are truly followers of Christ due to their faith being manifested through their actions. After that word of encouragement, the author then wants the readers to continue on in the ministry, “now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end.” It seems that even though the author is confident that the readers are believers, he desires that progress in spiritual development should happen to all true believers. Yes, they are demonstrating Christ’s love to others, but there could be a tendency that some would start to wander away from the body of believers. The author emphasizes that they are to hold onto the hope of their salvation and let that motivate them, giving them the perseverance and confidence to continue on in ministry. The author warns the believers that if they allow this doubt to enter their hearts, it will lead to complacency, “so that you won’t become lazy.” We see this warning of laziness in spiritual growth in Hebrews 5:11-14, that laziness leads to immaturity. Instead, the author reminds the readers that there are other spiritually mature believers whose examples they can follow, “be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.” The author deeply cares for his friends, giving them words of encouragement and warnings to help them reach full spiritual maturity with Christ. So, for us, if you are a believer and are starting to waver in your spiritual walk, remember the joy of the moment of your salvation, seek out Christ diligently, and ask spiritually mature believers for advice on how to persevere in the Christian walk. Hebrews 10:24-25 emphasizes how we should encourage one another, “And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Let us desire and pray for one another as we diligently minister in love, that each one in the body of Christ will not be deficient in hope, and will be established in faith persevering to the very end.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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