Over the weekend the UK Prime Minister announced another lockdown for England, starting on Thursday, which includes the closure of church services. These are challenging times, but today’s verse is an encouragement to hold fast, even though everything else is changing.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
There are many pressures on us to waver (waver means to change position, to flicker like a candle in the wind). Covid-19 has changed so much for us, even if we haven’t got sick ourselves. The future is uncertain and it is tempting to doubt God’s goodness and His perfect plans.
However, there is something that doesn’t change – the gospel. That is what the verse means when it says “the confession of our hope.” The “confession” is the truths of our salvation. They do not change.
It is a confession of “hope” because the future in Christ is certain. We don’t know the details of how things are going to work out, but we know the destination. We know that “grace will lead me home.”
So, the verse says: “hold fast”. Hold on, don’t let go. Even though the pressure is great, don’t turn away, don’t give up, don’t add other things to the gospel. You are saved by grace through faith and nothing can change that. So, don’t look elsewhere because you have Him, you have your salvation.
But we don’t hold on in our own strength. The verse ends with this: “For He who promised is faithful.” That is how we can hold on, because He is holding onto us. He has promised to keep us until the end. So, we hold on to Him, but even more than that, He holds on to us. Even when we do waver, He never lets go.
The best is yet to come 