Life is hard, and Christians are not unfamiliar with it. We make mistakes and struggle with sin. Things don’t happen the way we expect. People disappoint us. Situations become complicated. Everything else gets overwhelming.
When these happen, it’s no surprise for us to feel giving up. Worse, we sometimes begin questioning God and our faith in Him. Is God and His Word for real? Does life mean more than these trials and constant struggle with sin? Am I a Christian? Is following Christ worth it?
While this is our tendency, the Bible tells us to think and do differently. If left to our weaknesses, we’ll give up, turn away from God, and live the rest of our lives as practical atheists and agnostics.
But as the writer to the Hebrews keeps saying, “Hold fast to our confession.”
The early Christians faced trials and were tempted to turn away from Christ, abandon their faith, and return to their old lives. But as he explains the superiority of Christ and the complete salvation Christians possess in Him, the writer repeatedly says:
“… And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope” (Hebrews 3:6, ESV)
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” (Hebrews 4:14)
“… by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18)
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)
Hold fast. Hold fast. Hold fast.
To “hold fast” means don’t let it go. Hold it firmly. It’s like being stuck in the middle of a flash flood. The strong current would almost sweep you away, but you still hold on to a steel post. Hold tight. Don’t let go.
But the encouragement of the Bible is not to “just believe and keep believing.” That’s the modern mindset. Just believe. Have faith. Faith in what? “Hold fast to the confession… Hold fast to our hope,” the writer says. It means not letting go of the faith and hope we profess. And that is the confession that God is our God, Christ is our complete Savior, and everything God promised is true.
It’s not blind faith and groundless confidence. It’s a command to fix our eyes on God, His Word, and His faithfulness.
Without this hope and confidence in God, it’s easy to give up the fight and give in to overwhelming trials. Without this hope of complete salvation in Christ, it’s easy to think we’re not making any progress when we struggle with the same temptations and sins we vowed to forsake.
But we have this confidence.
“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward” (Hebrews 10:35). When life gets overwhelming, our thoughts are confusing, and our weaknesses are disappointing—our next move is not to give up and give in. Don’t wonder if God truly exists and cares for you. Hold on to Him. Keep tight and trust His Word.
Yes, trust Him even while things are hard, even while you feel overwhelmed, and even while you feel not making progress. God’s trustworthiness never rests on what we see or feel. It’s based on His perfect power, goodness, and faithfulness. So when life gets tough, keep hearing and reading God’s Word. Keep praying and asking for His mercy. Keep following His commands. Stay in godly fellowship for encouragement and advice. And wait on the Lord who promised to complete His good work in us (Philippians 1:6).
Then, sooner or later, you’ll see that “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:39).
