Boastful Faith

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

BOASTFUL FAITH

Heb 3:1-6

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

NIV

Having considered that we have fixed our thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest, whom we confess, we should turn our attention to this idea of being faithful. First, we note that Jesus was faithful to the Father, and secondly, Moses was faithful in all God’s house. However, as we already know Jesus is worthy of greater honor than Moses. The reason this writer is making this point is the main reason for this letter. These Hebrews he is writing to had confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, but were beginning to look back at the law of Moses, which is the law given to Moses for the people, as it might be a better way. The law represented a more concrete form of religious activity, than just faith in Jesus. We have seen some believers, in some of the churches we have been in confessing Jesus as their Lord and Savior, however, it seems they have developed for themselves a way in which works has become more important than faith. We know that faith should produce some form of service to our Lord, doing something beneficial for the kingdom of God. But to be so invested in the do’s and especially the don’ts of Christianity might be close to what those Hebrews were doing looking at the law rather than faith, or putting their faith in the law, rather than Jesus. This truth about the house, and the builder has greater honor than the house, and being faithful to the house has a significant meaning in our lives. The reason for this importance is we are the house that Jesus built. This means we are God’s house, and we know that we are the house or the temple of the Holy Spirit who is God. However, the writer made the point we are God’s house if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. Interestingly, the Greek word translated as courage, parrhesia, has a direct meaning to be out-spoken, freedom of speaking, unreservedness in speech, and free and fearless confidence. So we could see this as saying if we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, becoming God’s house, we should be boldly proclaiming our faith with freedom and being out-spoken about our faith, not holding back, or just sitting in a pew within the walls of the church. We need to be out in the world where they need to hear our boldness, our unreserved speech about Jesus. If we want to be heard, then we must speak up and have boastful faith.