Holding Fast to the Faith - Hebrews 10:22-23
Jun 8, 2023 | by Teacher Michael Carter
This text instructs us to draw nearer to God, unwavering, holding fast to the faith.
The inference is that there will be troubles, challenges and things that would cause us to withdraw and tempt us to walk away from our faith. We are instructed to hold fast to the faith and not waiver. And that what God has promised us in this life and the one to come, He will do. However, we are to not waiver and hold fast to the faith until the end.
Statistics show that folks are walking away from the faith and church attendance is low.
It could be that some view the church as irrelevant, or it doesn’t appeal to them as it once did. Or some remain apprehensive to attend close quartered church because covid is still lingering. Yet, this trend was occurring before covid. Or what we are witnessing as wavering is the falling away from the faith. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 I think the later is occurring. This text is talking about a falling away from the faith prior to the return of Jesus to catch away His body. This falling away starts in the heart. It results in a decline in true spiritual things like obedience, sanctification, prayer, reading and yes, church attendance.
We are living in a time when we really need to hold fast to the faith.
There are two agendas taking place in the world. The enemy desires to separate people from God, to live worldly and prepare this world to except and receive the antichrist. God desires to save people from this world, influence them and prepare them for Jesus’ return and His kingdom.
One will cause you to fall away from the faith; the other will manifest God’s influence and salvation. We are living in a time when we really need to focus on holding fast to the faith.
We hold fast to the faith by contending for the Faith. Jude 1:3
This text is talking about the original gospel of the kingdom that’s established in God’s word through Jesus Christ. We contend for the faith by learning the true and rejecting error and deceit. The enemy has sown a lot of deceptions and error to pull people. It’s easy to be deceived or lead astray when you don’t know truth. Why do you think the enemy doesn’t want you to learn God’s word? Truth informs, empowers and liberates. However, it requires that we read and study God’s word for ourselves. We have to be intentional learners.
That way, you’re not the blind being deceived and led astray. And you are better prepared to contend for the faith when you know its principles and tenants. Read study and learn God’s word regularly for yourself. Be an intentional learner.
You want to be like the believers in Berea in Acts 17:10-11
They learned the word and subjected what they heard to it. They were committed to reading and studying the scriptures. Although they were instructed by the apostle Paul, they still compared what he was teaching them with the word that they had at the time. Today we have a lot more to compare what we hear with. As hear what is being taught and preached, compare it with the word of God. Apply this text 2 Corinthian 10:4-5.
Consider committing to a reading program and a biblical base study group. 1st Timothy 4:13-16
We hold fast to the faith by contenting for the faith through reading, studying and subjection all that we hear, believe and think we understand to the truth of God’s written word.
We hold fast to the Faith by loving God above all. Mark 12:30-31
The text is instructing us to love God with all we are above all. It determines the place God occupies in our hearts as the preeminence one. Therefore, nothing should be allowed to disrupt our relationship with god or come in between us and Him. Nothing else is worth our relationship with God. We are to anchor our hearts in him, loving Him above all.
We are to love God above this world. 1st John 2:15-17
The term world, is talking about the world’s culture, sin, fame, worldly success, pride, and lust.The enemy desires that people love this world more than God to capture their hearts. When people love this world more than God, they are apt to be lured away from the faith. God corrected the Ephesus church for leaving their first love, God. Revelation 2:4
Think about Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:26. Abram saw and approach a few angelical beings and inquired of their business. They advised him that they were going to judge Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins. Abram knew his nephew Lots and his family were down there in interceded for them. God determined to pull them out before judging the land. However, they were instructed not look back. Unfortunately Lot’s wife loved it more than God and looked back. It cost her he life, and possibly her salvation.
We are instructed to not love this world. Don’t anchor your heart in this world; it could cost you your soul’s salvation.
We are instructed to love God more than this world and anything.
The more we know who God is, and His heart towards us, the more we will appreciate and love Him. The less we will love this world. The more we come to know God personally and appreciated Him the more we will love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we will anchor our hearts in Him. And when our love is anchored in God, it minimizes the leverage the world has on us to lure us away from the faith.
Therefore, you are less willing to sacrifice your faith for the things of this world. Loving God empowers and frees us form the world. This enables us to hold fast to our faith.
We are to love God by recognizing His love towards us.
We are to appreciate all that He has done and is doing in our lives and anchor our hearts in Him and not in this world. The more we recognize God’s love, the more we will love Him. His love sent Jesus to the cross; forgives sin, redeems, blesses and influences our lives.
We hold fast to the Faith by focusing on the Lord. Hebrews 12:1-2
If we focus more on our failures, life’s situations and people and not God, we are open to being tempted to waiver, give up hope and walk away from the faith. We can become discouraged because of our failures, misled by comparing our lives to others and disengaged because of the things occurring in the world. We hold fast to the Faith by focusing on the Lord more.
We hold fast to the faith by focusing on the Lord and not our failures.
Yes, we all have sinned and have made mistakes. And guess what, you’re going to make some more. And if we focus on them, we are tempted to believe that we are failures and that we will never be able to live this faith in a manner that’s accepted to God. So why continue. The temptation is to just give up, walk away from the faith and live like the world.
Thankfully, we are more than our mistakes with God and a work in progress. Jeremiah 18:2-4. God is the great potter and we are on the potter’s wheels, being made over and perfected by God.
Don’t pay more attention to what’s on the potter’s floor, they represent our shortcomings. If you focus on your failures you will stay there and conclude that this Christian thing doesn’t work. The temptation is to give up, walk away and live like the world. Don’t walk away from the faith. Repent, get up, and learn from it. God forgives and puts us back in place to live forward according to His will and purposes. Don’t walk away from the faith. Focus on God, who leads and empowers us to grow, overcome and to become our very best rendition of ourselves.
We hold fast to the faith by focusing on the Lord and what He is doing, and not our failures. God is continually working a good work in you that glorifies Him. Philippians 1:6
We hold fast to the faith by focusing on the Lord and not others
Not only can people pull you away from the faith, but focusing on them can lead to envy or jealous. Or it can lead you to think that things are unfair and cause you to waiver in your Faith. Focus on God and what He is doing in your life, opposed to focusing on others situations and opinions. And consider not comparing your journey with theirs. 2nd Corinthians 10:12
Don’t compare your chapter one with someone else’s chapter 20. God’s steps for you are specific to you and your relationship with Him.
Focusing on God and what He is doing in your life helps to hold fast to the faith.
We’re not focused on others, comparing ourselves with them. We pray for them, or rejoice with them. But our main focus is on what God is doing in and through us. We’re working out our own soul’s salvation. We trust that God is working a work in our lives that leads to our growth, purpose and salvation. Our focus should be on God, and not so much on people.
Notice in this text Jesus told Peter to focus on Him and not others. John 21:20-22. We hold fast to the faith by focusing on the Lord and not others
We hold fast to the faith by focusing on the Lord and not this world
It’s easy to look at our world and what’s occurring and lose hope, become indifferent and waiver from the faith. We are to hold fast to the faith by focusing on the Lord in the light of His word. We are to subject what we are witnessing in the world to the word of God and live accordingly.
You’re not losing hope and tempted to walk away from the faith, you understand what’s occurring. We are witnessing this text on every media platform, TV and around the world. 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Understanding this informs us on how we should live. 2nd Peter 3:11-12
Keep your focus on the Lord by discerning the seasons and live accordingly. This empowers us to not lose hope, but hold fast to the faith.
Yes, there is a lot going on in our world and even in our personal lives.
We are to hold fast to the faith by focusing on God as our great potter, and on what He is doing in our lives and not others, and by focusing His word concerning this world. We hold fast to the Faith by focusing on the Lord, the author and finisher of our faith.
Holding fast to the faith is a fight for our souls. 1st Timothy 6:12
The fight is in our choice of which agenda to yield to and follow. The enemies that lead you away from God and the faith, or God are that that brings His influence and salvation into your life. Holding fast to the faith is a fight for our soul’s now and ultimately our eternal salvation.
In our opening txt, we are instructed to hold fast to the faith. Hebrews 10:22-23. We’re holding fast to the promises of God in this world and the next and our soul’s salvation. We do this by contending for the faith, loving God above all and focusing on Him.
Click the picture to view video teaching
