But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.
3 sermons cite this verse
… It was originally just one, this one long letter, each of these books. So Hebrews chapter 10 verse 39, we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Then it gets to chapter 11 verse number 1. Now faith is. Faith is. Everybody say faith is. Faith is. Now faith is. Faith is. Faith is. Faith is. It is. It's not like it's going to be. faith is right now. Faith is. I'm not just waiting for the future. Faith is. I know it might be easy just to go, well, God's probably not going to do it because I've been in this so long and I've been struggling with this for so long. It can be easy to get into that. It can be easy when it's been, you know, five years of asking God for something or 10 years or 20 years or 25 years of crying out to God just go, well, you know what? …
… Hebrews 10.25, let us not neglect to meet together as is the habit of some. That's one of the ways that we fail to finish the race. Hebrews 10.39, as the writer understands that they're facing persecution. Some of them are put in imprisonment. Some of them are facing shame and mockery for the name of Christ. He says, we are not of those who shrink back and are not destroyed. We don't flinch. Somebody comes at you with a fist and does one of these things and, ha-ha, made you flinch. Well, yeah, I don't like to be punched. Shrink back. They're shrinking back in the face of persecution. It's like you might be tempted to shrink back. No one else in my family is a Christian. Some parts of the world, you'll be disowned. There are Christians this morning facing threats on their lives. They've had churches burn down. They've had loved ones slaughtered. Most of us will face far less than that, but it hurts. It hurts to be ostracized. It hurts to be passed over. It hurts to think that everyone may be looking at us as something strange or backwards or bigoted. And so, we shrink back. I don't want to be it. It's not worth the cost. Here's the summary of what they're facing, these Hebrews. …
But here let the following things be particularly considered as motives to perseverance in this duty. 1. That perseverance in the way of duty is necessary to salvation, and is abundantly declared to be so in the Holy Scriptures; as Isa. lxiv. 5. “Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth, for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.” Heb. x. 38, and 39. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Rom. xi. 22. “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue, in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”—So in many other places. Many, when they think they are converted, seem to imagine that their work is done, and that there is nothing else needful in order to their going to heaven. Indeed perseverance in holiness of life is not necessary to salvation in the same way as the righteousness by which a right to salvation is obtained. Nor is actual perseverance necessary in order to our becoming interested in that righteousness by which we are justified. For as soon as ever a soul hath believed in Christ, or hath put forth one act of faith in him, it becomes interested in his righteousness, and in all the promises purchased by it. …