Christ & His Rivals: Hebrews 10:19-39

Faith in Christ is always contested. Ideologies clash, worldviews collide, and truth claims compete for allegiance in the marketplace of ideas, tempting Christians to abandon Christ for His rivals. This is the primary pastoral concern that Hebrews was written to address. The original recipients were being tempted by suffering and social pressure to turn away from Christ and go back to Judaism. Hebrews, then, is to show the supremacy of Christ over every rival claim and to urge Christians to persevere in wholehearted allegiance to Jesus.

Text: Read Hebrews 10:19-39 and pray.

Passage Summary: Because Jesus has opened confident access to God, Christians must draw near and persevere in faith together, warning one another against turning away and enduring in hope until the end.

Because of Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice and his ongoing priestly work, believers now have confidence to enter God’s presence. They are called to draw near in faith, hold fast to hope, and actively encourage one another in love and good works as they gather together (10:19–25). At the same time, the author issues a sober warning: to deliberately turn away from Christ after receiving the truth is to reject the only sacrifice for sins and to face God’s just judgment, a reality far more serious than disobedience under the old covenant (10:26–31). Therefore, the readers are urged to remember their earlier endurance in suffering, to refuse to throw away their confidence, and to persevere in faith, trusting God’s promise that the righteous will live by faith and that those who endure belong to the people who are preserved, not those who shrink back (10:32–39).

• Verse 22 calls us to draw near to God with “full assurance” of faith. What do you think it means to experience full assurance in your relationship with God? Would you say you experience “full assurance” in your relationship with God? Why or why not?

• What are some ways you can fight the fight of faith to deepen your relationship with God and increase your experience of assurance? [For an example of how to do this, read the lyrics to “Before the Throne of God Above” at the bottom of the discussion guide.]

• Verses 24–25 say that we are to intentionally help one another draw near to God in full assurance by stirring each other up with Gospel promises and encouragement. What are some ways your group can cultivate a more intentional culture of gospel encouragement?

• In verses 26-39, the author issues a sober warning against turning away from Christ. Those who do so trample the blood of Christ under their feet and will face God’s judgment on the final day. What do you think it looks like for a Fellowship Group to cultivate a healthy culture of confronting sin and “warning” one another? [Hint: See Matthew 18:15-20]

Before the Throne of God Above

Verse 1

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart.
I know that while in Heav’n he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

Verse 2

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God the just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.