Faith That Endures
Faith That Endures
The Living Word – Weekly Bible Reflection
October 29, 2025
Scripture: Hebrews 10:11–39
October 29, 2025
Scripture: Hebrews 10:11–39
Introduction
Each week, our Bible Study gathers to explore the same passage that will shape our Sunday message. It’s a chance to pause in the middle of the week, open God’s Word, and prepare our hearts for what’s ahead.
If you aren’t able to join us on Wednesdays, this blog is a great way to follow along. You can reflect on the passage, dig into Scripture, and come ready for Sunday’s message with a heart already stirred by God’s truth.
This week’s study comes from Hebrews 10:11–39, a powerful passage that reminds us that Jesus’ sacrifice was once and for all—and that through His faithfulness, we can live with confidence, hope, and endurance.
Each week, our Bible Study gathers to explore the same passage that will shape our Sunday message. It’s a chance to pause in the middle of the week, open God’s Word, and prepare our hearts for what’s ahead.
If you aren’t able to join us on Wednesdays, this blog is a great way to follow along. You can reflect on the passage, dig into Scripture, and come ready for Sunday’s message with a heart already stirred by God’s truth.
This week’s study comes from Hebrews 10:11–39, a powerful passage that reminds us that Jesus’ sacrifice was once and for all—and that through His faithfulness, we can live with confidence, hope, and endurance.
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your Word that reveals the beauty of Your plan — a plan completed through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. As we open the Scriptures today, help us to understand more deeply what it means to live in the freedom and forgiveness You have given us.
Quiet our hearts, renew our faith, and remind us that we no longer stand at a distance — we can draw near to You with confidence because of Christ.
In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your Word that reveals the beauty of Your plan — a plan completed through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. As we open the Scriptures today, help us to understand more deeply what it means to live in the freedom and forgiveness You have given us.
Quiet our hearts, renew our faith, and remind us that we no longer stand at a distance — we can draw near to You with confidence because of Christ.
In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.
The Old Covenant: A Temporary Solution
Hebrews argues that the old sacrificial system of the previous covenant never really fixed the problem. It had to be repeated. That’s why Jesus comes and offers himself as a single sacrifice for all time. The old system was meant to point to Jesus, it was never the true solution.
Endless Sacrifices That Could Never Take Away Sin.
Hebrews 10:11 – Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins.
The priests stand in the temple because their work never ends. It’s an endless cycle: people keep sinning, so they try and atone for what they had done. The priests sacrificed the same animals and offerings time and time again, to try and keep up with the sins, but they could only attempt to make up for the past. It’s a band-aid, not a solution. A symbol for what is to come.
Jesus’ Perfect and Complete Sacrifice
Hebrews 10:12–14 – But this man [Jesus], after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
Jesus can sit down, because after he sacrifices himself, the work is complete. Every sin has an offering to cover it. Jesus can now wait until the time when death and evil are finally crushed underneath him, and comes to usher in the new heaven and earth. By his one offering on the cross, he has perfected forever we who are being made holy.
The sacrifices were provided so that the people could draw near to God (atonement or at-one-ment) is about unifying us with God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we have perfect access to God, we do not need another sacrifice.
The Promise of the New Covenant
Hebrews 10:15–18 – The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.” Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
This is a quote from Jeremiah 31:33. God is telling his people in the old covenant that a new covenant is coming. Jesus brings that new covenant to us that changes everything. The Holy Spirit lives within us and encourages and convicts us with God’s law.
God doesn’t destroy the old covenant; he fulfills it and gives us a new covenant with a new way of coming to him. He chooses to forget our sins, and if he doesn’t remember our sins, why would we need another sacrifice?
A New and Living Way Through Jesus
Hebrews 10:19–22 – Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
When Jesus died, we read that the curtain was ripped in two. But what does it mean? The sanctuary was the part of the temple where God’s presence was. The only person allowed in was the high priest, and he was only allowed in once a year after very specific offerings and preparation.
There was a huge curtain that separated the most holy place (the sanctuary) from the holy place. Through Jesus, we have access to the most intimate presence of God. Jesus is now our high priest, and all of the rituals and sacrifices have been fulfilled through his sacrifice.
What does all of this mean? We have boldness to enter into God’s presence. We can draw near with full assurance of faith, because Jesus has removed the barriers. In the temple, things were sprinkled with blood to clean them from sin. Now, our hearts are sprinkled clean by Jesus’ blood, and our baptism washes our bodies clean as well.
This might seem like outdated history, but it was still very real to the people of the time. Hebrews likely written before 70 AD (when Rome sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple), which means there were still sacrifices at the temple. Believers had to decide whether it was still necessary.
Even today, we still naturally feel like we need to “clean ourselves up” before we can come to God. We feel a distance from God when we sin, or don’t believe that we’re good enough to really go to him. But this is why Jesus died: so that we could be made clean and draw close to God with boldness. Running up to God as a little child runs up her father, with no fear.
Holding Fast to Hope and Encouraging One Another
Hebrews 10:23–25 – Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Since we have full access to God, we are called to hold onto what we say we believe and hope in. We are encouraged not to be unsure or waver in our hope, because God has promised, and his promises always come true. God is faithful to us, and Jesus’ sacrifice is complete.
This means thinking about each other, not just getting caught in our own little worlds. “Provoke” is a strong word meant to show us how serious our calling is. It may not just be gentle reminders needed, but real and consistent encouragement to genuinely love one another and accomplish all of the good things that God created us to do.
Good words are a wonderful thing, they are what we are saved for, not how we are saved. We need to gather together and encourage each other, and to do it often, because on our own we slip and forget. We have been given a wonderful gift, and we are called to make good use of it, not to neglect it.
A Warning Against Deliberate Sin
Hebrews 10:26–27 – For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.
When we truly understand God’s goodness and his love, and we run to him, it changes who we are. He writes his laws on our hearts and minds. His Spirit lives within us and encourages and empowers us. If we really love God, it changes how we live because it changes how we see him.
But some will hear the truth and reject God’s goodness. If anyone refuses to accept Jesus’ sacrifice, there are no other options. If we choose sin instead of God, and choose our own attempts instead of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we are choosing judgement instead of grace.
When a person is given every opportunity to change and to be forgiven but deliberately turns away from that mercy we naturally long for justice. It becomes less about the specific sin, and more about the decision to reject Jesus’ sacrifice. If we choose to deliberately and persistently kick away the lifeboat, we cannot expect not to drown.
Rejecting the Son of God
Hebrews 10:28–29 – Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
In the law of Moses, many crimes resulted in death. There was no jail, or rehabilitation programs, just a group of travelling nomads who could not afford to have someone harming the people around them. But it wasn’t random. You needed multiple witnesses to be sure they were guilty.
How much worse is the punishment for disregarding not just Moses’ law, or another person, but a sustained, deliberate trampling of Jesus. This is the sin of pride that refuses to come under the mercy of Jesus, but wants to be god over him.
It is a rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice, trying to rely on something else. It is a rejection of God’s Spirit to work, which brings us new life. And if we refuse new life, then we choose to be dead.
Hebrews 10:30-31 - For we know the one who has said, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We long for evil to be destroyed in the world, but we also struggle with the idea of God’s judgement. But God’s judgement is a good thing. We see here as well that God does not judge and reject people who make a mistake, or don’t know what they’re doing. He judges those who know the truth, and deliberately choose to reject it.
Galatians 6:7 says “do not be deceived, God is not mocked.” Words like “vengeance” seem wrong to us in God’s mouth, but only because we don’t recognise how good and merciful he is. Our worry comes from a lack of trust: thinking that God might make the wrong decision, or be unfair. If we truly understand God’s mercy, we’ll trust that his judgement must be good as well.
God is not out to get us. If Jesus wanted to destroy people for no reason, he would not have died himself. If God wanted to catch us out for our sins, he could have left us as we are: we make mistakes all on our own. God is full of mercy, but he is not a fool to be taken advantage of.
It will be a terrible thing to fall into God’s hands if we have refused his kindness and grace. Our evil actions and thoughts deserve judgement, and God cannot be accused of being unfair when he has made every possible opportunity for us to receive his mercy and forgiveness and we trample Jesus into the mud.
There is true evil in the world—evil that seeks only to steal, kill, and destroy. Evil that laughs at and creates systems that leave people starving; women, men, and children dying; and sickness and suffering that could be avoided. Evil that loves to abuse and enslave.
There are also less obvious evils that we fall into: we might not create the systems that lead to starving, dying, sickness, and slavery, but we ignore them or support them with our money or votes. We choose to betray or ignore our family, friends, and neighbours. We choose not to help people who need things, even though we have extra in the name of security.
Enduring in Faith and Suffering
Hebrews 10:32–34 – Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.
In the beginning of their faith, the recipients of this letter were persecuted, made fun of, and abused, and so were the people who they were in community with. But in the middle of this they cared for people who had been imprisoned, and not just endured, but even found joy in the middle of having their property taken away.
That’s what it looks like to truly believe that what we hold onto here on earth isn’t all that there is. What we’re waiting for and holding onto is so much better than what we have, and it won’t pass away: we endure because our hope endures.
Encouragement to Persevere in Faith
Hebrews 10:35–39 – So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.
Our confidence in God's goodness is necessary for us to live faithful lives. We aren't just called to avoiding sin—Jesus has already taken care of that—we are called to lives that persevere so that we can experience the goodness of partnering with Jesus as he brings heaven to earth.
Faithfulness is not a once-off decision; it is ongoing, tested, and proved real when we stick it out under pressure. Jesus has been so unbelievably faithful to us, and shown us beyond a shadow of a doubt that his heart is for our salvation and our good. He literally gave everything for us. Now, he is calling us to respond in faith and show that we value his gift by living with the same fullness and faithfulness.
We are called to live out the genuine belief that what Jesus has done for us is enough. Belief that is only words is not belief at all. True faith is proved by how we live. If we shrink back and reject Jesus' sacrifice and don't trust that what he has done is enough, we cut ourselves off.
The point is not to scare or discourage us, but to clearly communicate the importance of our faith and life in Jesus Christ. Jesus has persevered for us completely. Now he calls us to respond by persevering in faith—not half-hearted, but genuine faith that understands what he has sacrificed.
We are shown the fullness of Jesus' love and sacrifice and "provoked" by it—drawn into genuine faith because we understand the cost of what he has done for us.
We live in confidence: because of Jesus' love and sacrifice, because of his Holy Spirit working in us, because of God's faithfulness and his persistent love for us, “We are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.”
Hebrews argues that the old sacrificial system of the previous covenant never really fixed the problem. It had to be repeated. That’s why Jesus comes and offers himself as a single sacrifice for all time. The old system was meant to point to Jesus, it was never the true solution.
Endless Sacrifices That Could Never Take Away Sin.
Hebrews 10:11 – Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins.
The priests stand in the temple because their work never ends. It’s an endless cycle: people keep sinning, so they try and atone for what they had done. The priests sacrificed the same animals and offerings time and time again, to try and keep up with the sins, but they could only attempt to make up for the past. It’s a band-aid, not a solution. A symbol for what is to come.
Jesus’ Perfect and Complete Sacrifice
Hebrews 10:12–14 – But this man [Jesus], after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
Jesus can sit down, because after he sacrifices himself, the work is complete. Every sin has an offering to cover it. Jesus can now wait until the time when death and evil are finally crushed underneath him, and comes to usher in the new heaven and earth. By his one offering on the cross, he has perfected forever we who are being made holy.
The sacrifices were provided so that the people could draw near to God (atonement or at-one-ment) is about unifying us with God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we have perfect access to God, we do not need another sacrifice.
The Promise of the New Covenant
Hebrews 10:15–18 – The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.” Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
This is a quote from Jeremiah 31:33. God is telling his people in the old covenant that a new covenant is coming. Jesus brings that new covenant to us that changes everything. The Holy Spirit lives within us and encourages and convicts us with God’s law.
God doesn’t destroy the old covenant; he fulfills it and gives us a new covenant with a new way of coming to him. He chooses to forget our sins, and if he doesn’t remember our sins, why would we need another sacrifice?
A New and Living Way Through Jesus
Hebrews 10:19–22 – Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
When Jesus died, we read that the curtain was ripped in two. But what does it mean? The sanctuary was the part of the temple where God’s presence was. The only person allowed in was the high priest, and he was only allowed in once a year after very specific offerings and preparation.
There was a huge curtain that separated the most holy place (the sanctuary) from the holy place. Through Jesus, we have access to the most intimate presence of God. Jesus is now our high priest, and all of the rituals and sacrifices have been fulfilled through his sacrifice.
What does all of this mean? We have boldness to enter into God’s presence. We can draw near with full assurance of faith, because Jesus has removed the barriers. In the temple, things were sprinkled with blood to clean them from sin. Now, our hearts are sprinkled clean by Jesus’ blood, and our baptism washes our bodies clean as well.
This might seem like outdated history, but it was still very real to the people of the time. Hebrews likely written before 70 AD (when Rome sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple), which means there were still sacrifices at the temple. Believers had to decide whether it was still necessary.
Even today, we still naturally feel like we need to “clean ourselves up” before we can come to God. We feel a distance from God when we sin, or don’t believe that we’re good enough to really go to him. But this is why Jesus died: so that we could be made clean and draw close to God with boldness. Running up to God as a little child runs up her father, with no fear.
Holding Fast to Hope and Encouraging One Another
Hebrews 10:23–25 – Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Since we have full access to God, we are called to hold onto what we say we believe and hope in. We are encouraged not to be unsure or waver in our hope, because God has promised, and his promises always come true. God is faithful to us, and Jesus’ sacrifice is complete.
This means thinking about each other, not just getting caught in our own little worlds. “Provoke” is a strong word meant to show us how serious our calling is. It may not just be gentle reminders needed, but real and consistent encouragement to genuinely love one another and accomplish all of the good things that God created us to do.
Good words are a wonderful thing, they are what we are saved for, not how we are saved. We need to gather together and encourage each other, and to do it often, because on our own we slip and forget. We have been given a wonderful gift, and we are called to make good use of it, not to neglect it.
A Warning Against Deliberate Sin
Hebrews 10:26–27 – For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.
When we truly understand God’s goodness and his love, and we run to him, it changes who we are. He writes his laws on our hearts and minds. His Spirit lives within us and encourages and empowers us. If we really love God, it changes how we live because it changes how we see him.
But some will hear the truth and reject God’s goodness. If anyone refuses to accept Jesus’ sacrifice, there are no other options. If we choose sin instead of God, and choose our own attempts instead of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we are choosing judgement instead of grace.
When a person is given every opportunity to change and to be forgiven but deliberately turns away from that mercy we naturally long for justice. It becomes less about the specific sin, and more about the decision to reject Jesus’ sacrifice. If we choose to deliberately and persistently kick away the lifeboat, we cannot expect not to drown.
Rejecting the Son of God
Hebrews 10:28–29 – Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
In the law of Moses, many crimes resulted in death. There was no jail, or rehabilitation programs, just a group of travelling nomads who could not afford to have someone harming the people around them. But it wasn’t random. You needed multiple witnesses to be sure they were guilty.
How much worse is the punishment for disregarding not just Moses’ law, or another person, but a sustained, deliberate trampling of Jesus. This is the sin of pride that refuses to come under the mercy of Jesus, but wants to be god over him.
It is a rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice, trying to rely on something else. It is a rejection of God’s Spirit to work, which brings us new life. And if we refuse new life, then we choose to be dead.
Hebrews 10:30-31 - For we know the one who has said, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We long for evil to be destroyed in the world, but we also struggle with the idea of God’s judgement. But God’s judgement is a good thing. We see here as well that God does not judge and reject people who make a mistake, or don’t know what they’re doing. He judges those who know the truth, and deliberately choose to reject it.
Galatians 6:7 says “do not be deceived, God is not mocked.” Words like “vengeance” seem wrong to us in God’s mouth, but only because we don’t recognise how good and merciful he is. Our worry comes from a lack of trust: thinking that God might make the wrong decision, or be unfair. If we truly understand God’s mercy, we’ll trust that his judgement must be good as well.
God is not out to get us. If Jesus wanted to destroy people for no reason, he would not have died himself. If God wanted to catch us out for our sins, he could have left us as we are: we make mistakes all on our own. God is full of mercy, but he is not a fool to be taken advantage of.
It will be a terrible thing to fall into God’s hands if we have refused his kindness and grace. Our evil actions and thoughts deserve judgement, and God cannot be accused of being unfair when he has made every possible opportunity for us to receive his mercy and forgiveness and we trample Jesus into the mud.
There is true evil in the world—evil that seeks only to steal, kill, and destroy. Evil that laughs at and creates systems that leave people starving; women, men, and children dying; and sickness and suffering that could be avoided. Evil that loves to abuse and enslave.
There are also less obvious evils that we fall into: we might not create the systems that lead to starving, dying, sickness, and slavery, but we ignore them or support them with our money or votes. We choose to betray or ignore our family, friends, and neighbours. We choose not to help people who need things, even though we have extra in the name of security.
Enduring in Faith and Suffering
Hebrews 10:32–34 – Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.
In the beginning of their faith, the recipients of this letter were persecuted, made fun of, and abused, and so were the people who they were in community with. But in the middle of this they cared for people who had been imprisoned, and not just endured, but even found joy in the middle of having their property taken away.
That’s what it looks like to truly believe that what we hold onto here on earth isn’t all that there is. What we’re waiting for and holding onto is so much better than what we have, and it won’t pass away: we endure because our hope endures.
Encouragement to Persevere in Faith
Hebrews 10:35–39 – So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.
Our confidence in God's goodness is necessary for us to live faithful lives. We aren't just called to avoiding sin—Jesus has already taken care of that—we are called to lives that persevere so that we can experience the goodness of partnering with Jesus as he brings heaven to earth.
Faithfulness is not a once-off decision; it is ongoing, tested, and proved real when we stick it out under pressure. Jesus has been so unbelievably faithful to us, and shown us beyond a shadow of a doubt that his heart is for our salvation and our good. He literally gave everything for us. Now, he is calling us to respond in faith and show that we value his gift by living with the same fullness and faithfulness.
We are called to live out the genuine belief that what Jesus has done for us is enough. Belief that is only words is not belief at all. True faith is proved by how we live. If we shrink back and reject Jesus' sacrifice and don't trust that what he has done is enough, we cut ourselves off.
The point is not to scare or discourage us, but to clearly communicate the importance of our faith and life in Jesus Christ. Jesus has persevered for us completely. Now he calls us to respond by persevering in faith—not half-hearted, but genuine faith that understands what he has sacrificed.
We are shown the fullness of Jesus' love and sacrifice and "provoked" by it—drawn into genuine faith because we understand the cost of what he has done for us.
We live in confidence: because of Jesus' love and sacrifice, because of his Holy Spirit working in us, because of God's faithfulness and his persistent love for us, “We are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.”
Reflection
Hebrews reminds us that the old ways of sacrifice could never make us truly clean — but Jesus could, and did. Because of Him, we are free to approach God boldly, to hold on to hope without wavering, and to encourage one another in faith and good works.
Even when life feels heavy or uncertain, we cling to the truth that “He who promised is faithful.”
We are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.
May this week’s passage strengthen your confidence in God’s love and renew your faith as you walk with Him day by day.
Hebrews reminds us that the old ways of sacrifice could never make us truly clean — but Jesus could, and did. Because of Him, we are free to approach God boldly, to hold on to hope without wavering, and to encourage one another in faith and good works.
Even when life feels heavy or uncertain, we cling to the truth that “He who promised is faithful.”
We are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.
May this week’s passage strengthen your confidence in God’s love and renew your faith as you walk with Him day by day.
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