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Hebrews 3:1
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 6:4
Forit is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Hebrews 12:10
For they verily for a few days chastenedus after their own pleasure; but he forour profit, thatwe might be partakers of his holiness.

if.

Hebrews 3:6
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Hebrews 6:11
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

if we hold firmly
The conditional "if" introduces the necessity of perseverance in the Christian faith. Holding firmly suggests steadfastness and commitment, echoing the exhortation in1 Corinthians 15:58 to be "steadfast, immovable." This perseverance is not merely human effort but is empowered by the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12-13). The historical context of Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians facing persecution, underscores the importance of remaining faithful despite trials.

to the end
This phrase highlights the importance of enduring faith. The "end" can be understood as the end of one's life or the culmination of history at Christ's return. The call to endure is a recurring theme in Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1-2) and throughout the New Testament (Matthew 24:13). It reflects the eschatological hope of believers, who look forward to the fulfillment of God's promises.

the assurance we had at first
The "assurance" refers to the confidence and certainty of faith that believers initially experience upon accepting Christ. This assurance is rooted in the truth of the Gospel and the witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16). The exhortation to maintain this initial assurance suggests a return to the fervor and conviction of one's early faith, as seen inRevelation 2:4-5, where the church in Ephesus is called to return to its first love.

The writer says believers “have come”––a present reality. Through faith we are already joined to the Son:

• “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (1Colossians 1:9).

• “The Gentiles are fellow heirs… and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).

• Peter speaks of becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

Sharing in Christ means:

– Union with Him in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:4–5).

– Access to His resources, love, and power (John 15:4–5).

– A secure inheritance as “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

The privilege just described is inseparable from perseverance. Scripture consistently ties genuine faith to steadfastness:

• “We are His house if we hold firmly to our confidence” (Hebrews 3:6).

• “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you” (1Colossians 15:2).

• Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples” (John 8:31).

Holding firmly is not a human achievement that earns salvation; it is the evidence that saving faith is real, the grip of a heart kept by God’s power (1 Peter 1:5). Practical ways to “hold firmly”:

– Daily intake of Scripture.

– Fellowship with believers (Hebrews 10:24–25).

– Immediate confession of sin (1 John 1:9).

– Remembering past deliverances (Psalm 77:11).

Perseverance has a finish line. The “end” may be the Lord’s return or our last breath, but either way Scripture calls us to endurance:

• “The one who perseveres to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

• “To the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations” (Revelation 2:26).

• Paul could say, “I have fought the good fight… I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Endurance is fueled by:

– Fixing our eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

– Encouraging one another daily so that none is “hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

True believers began with a vibrant confidence in Christ. The exhortation is to cling to that original certainty:

• “You have forsaken the love you had at first… repent and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:4–5).

• “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6).

• “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that your hope may be fully assured” (Hebrews 6:11).

Assurance thrives when we:

– Revisit the gospel often, preaching it to our own hearts.

– Recall answered prayers and transformations God has already worked.

– Celebrate the Lord’s Supper, a tangible reminder of covenant grace (1Colossians 11:26).

Hebrews 3:14 links present participation in Christ with ongoing perseverance. We already share in Him, yet that reality is verified as we keep clasping the gospel with the same confidence that first brought us to salvation. The call is clear: stay planted in Christ, press on until the finish, and keep your initial assurance burning bright—proof that you truly belong to Him.

(2) On the wordὑπόστασις (translated "confidence"), see what was said under Hebrews 1:3. All the ancient interpreters understood it here in the same general sense as in the former passage - that ofsubstance orsubsistence, either as denoting our subsistence as members of Christ, or our faith regarded as the substance of our Christian life, or with other modifications of the general meaning. Modern commentators agree in understanding merely the sense in which the word is found to be commonly used by the Alexandrian writers - that ofconfidence, derived from the physical conception of a firm foundation. It thus corresponds with theπαῥῤησίαν of ver. 6.

(3) "The beginning" (τὴν ἀρχὴν) of this confidence refers to the earlier stage of the experiences of the Hebrew Christians, before their faith had shown any signs of wavering. There is no sufficient ground for Ebrard's inference from this expression, that the Epistle was not addressed to the Hebrew Church at large, which was the oldest of all Churches, but to "a circle of catechumens and neophytes." The phrase does not imply that the "beginning" was recent. All it need mean is, "Go on as you began." Further, we find, inHebrews 5:12, a distinct intimation that the Church addressed is one of old standing.

(4) "Unto the end "may have an individual reference to the end of life, or (the Church being addressed as a community expecting the second advent) a general one to the close of the period of grace during which "it is called Today."

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