Hebrews 10:26-39

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,
“In just a little while, 
 he who is coming will come 
 and will not delay.”
38 And,
“But my righteous one will live by faith. 
 And I take no pleasure 
 in the one who shrinks back.”
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Questions to consider:

• What is the purpose of “for” in verse 26?
• What attributes of God are revealed here?
• Describe the good beginnings of these Hebrew Christians.
• What is their great need? Why?
• What is your plight if you throw away your confidence in Jesus Christ? How can you avoid this plight?

Possibilities for prayer:

I like the way in which the author of Hebrews ascribes to us the category of people who have faith and are saved--not to the category of those who “shrink back.” Hopefully, we all actually belong in that category, the category of faithful people. This seems to me to be a challenge to the way we live our lives. Today, let’s ask God for an increase of faith, that we might be appropriately labeled people of faith, not only by the author of Hebrews, but by those who encounter us today as well.