6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
and the rejoicing of the hope
The Greek word for “hope” does not mean wish; it carries the idea of confidence. It is the joy of keeping our confidence firm to the end. Confidence brings realization of our right to heaven.
The second thing that believers are to “retain” is the joy of their confidence; that is, their response to their right to go to heaven based on the finished work of Christ. It is possible to lose the joy of our assurance in Christ’s provisions for us.
firm to the end.
Everything in this verse is conditioned on retaining the believer’s confidence and joy in their assurance until “the end.” They need to be “firm” in these things. “Firm” is a word of certainty: steadfast, sure, stable. Christians are to be unyielding in the assurance of their salvation.
This phrase “firm to the end” is not found in some manuscripts (Codex Vaticanus, Chester Beatty Papyrus, etc.). It may be an interpolation from verse 14.
PRINCIPLE:
Those who hold to eternal security have confidence in their eternal future.
APPLICATION:
Our verse does not deal with loss of salvation but with loss of assurance in salvation. Those who have assurance possess “confidence” and “hope.” There is a danger in losing this assurance or confidence in our personal salvation. In context, if Hebrew Christians were about to revert to Old Testament beliefs and minimize the work of Christ for their souls, they would lose their confidence in the finished work of Christ.
There is a danger in toning down our convictions. Compromise always undermines the Christian life. It will stunt one’s growth in Christ. In doing this, we shift from trusting the trustworthiness of Christ to trusting our faithfulness. Only those who cast their full trust upon Him will grow in their faith. They will move from spiritual infancy to maturity.
