How does Hebrews 10:35 connect with Hebrews 11:1 on faith and assurance? Confidence Not to Be Abandoned Hebrews 10 : 35 – 36 “So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” • “Confidence” (Greek parrēsia) is fearless boldness before God, grounded in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ already laid out in 10 : 19-22. • The writer ties confidence to “great reward,” pointing ahead to the fullness of salvation Christ will unveil at His return (10 : 37). • Perseverance safeguards that reward; abandoning confidence forfeits it. Faith Defined as That Same Confidence Hebrews 11 : 1 “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” • “Assurance” (Greek hypostasis) overlaps conceptually with the “confidence” of 10 : 35. Both words speak of a settled inner conviction. • “What we hope for” aligns with the “great reward” just mentioned. • Faith turns unseen promises into present reality in the believer’s heart. The Flow of Thought from 10 : 35 to 11 : 1 • 10 : 35 urges believers not to discard bold confidence. • 10 : 38 cites Habakkuk 2 : 4: “My righteous one will live by faith.” The writer connects confidence with living faith. • 11 : 1 then defines that faith, showing that the confidence preserved in chapter 10 is precisely the assurance described in chapter 11. • Both verses stress future reward yet demand present perseverance. Scriptures Echoing the Confidence–Faith Link • Hebrews 4 : 16 — “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.” • Ephesians 3 : 12 — “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” • 2 Corinthians 5 : 6-8 — Confidence while “at home in the body” rests on unseen realities. • 1 John 5 : 14-15 — Confidence in prayer flows from trusting God’s promises. • Hebrews 11 : 6 — “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” reinforcing that faith-confidence is essential for reward. Living Out This Confidence Today • Hold fast to Christ’s finished work; He is the ground of bold approach. • Nourish confidence by regular exposure to God’s promises in Scripture. • Persist in obedience; perseverance proves confidence genuine. • Let present trials drive hope toward the “great reward” rather than weaken assurance. • Encourage fellow believers, echoing Hebrews 10 : 24-25, so collective confidence remains strong. |
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