4.3 Walking in Confidence
© 2018 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
The Seventh Most Important Verse
Hebrews 3:6/14 & 2 Corinthians 2:14 For we have become partakers of Christ – whose house we are – if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast – the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm – to the end. — Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
I have merged Hebrews 3:14 together with verse 6. Check out the chapter; you will see that this is an appropriate merging. The author of Hebrews is repeating the same thing twice with slightly different words, all of which we would include. Then, 2 Corinthians 2:14 is more than a companion verse to the confidence in which we walk. Because we are included in triumph, we see the extraordinary extent of that confidence.
Confidence. The preceding most important verses in the Bible are primarily verses we believe, because God says. This verse governs what we DO regarding our believing in Jesus. Any doing in our lives that does not flow out of this doing, falls short of faith.
The seventh most important verse is the greatest jeopardy verse in the Bible. We are partakers of Christ IF. Everything God speaks hangs on that one word “IF.” We will never know Him apart from the IF exactly as God speaks it. Yet what follows the IF of the gospel? CONFIDENCE. I am part of Christ IF I am absolutely confident that I AM part of Christ. But if I suppose that maybe I’m not, then, alas, I cannot know what is actually true.
Boasting in Our Hope. Now, the Greek word translated “rejoicing” actually means to boast exultantly. And what do we boast about? – Our hope. What is our hope? John tells us exactly what our hope is. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when [the word is actually IF] He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him… (1 John 3:2-3).
And thus God ALWAYS leads us in triumph, in the celebration of a victory already finished, foes already defeated, the riches of Christ already won, just like Jesus right now. We boast exultantly in our hope.
A Paraphrase. Let’s paraphrase the seventh most important verse, but as a declaration of personal faith (which is what this verse is about). I will also add some further extensions of our confidence as part of our confession of faith.
I declare with all confident boasting that I am just like Jesus before God right now. I partake of all that is Christ as I keep my confidence high all the way through. I ask all that God speaks to be fulfilled in fullness in me, and I know that I have already received ALL that I ask. I give thanks for all things, expecting God always to arise in me. I exult boastfully in the full victory of Christ in me, even if I may not see it outwardly. God ALWAYS leads me in triumph. I always speak Christ my life in all things and into all others in every place.
Our Jeopardy. The seventh most important verse in the Bible is the DOING by which we abide in Christ and by which Christ abides in us. Grace, the gift of God Himself in Person filling us full right now, is where we stand. Jeopardy, the IF, is what we do. Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29).
Seize absolute confidence and never let it go. Ask all that God speaks to be fulfilled in you and believe that you have received without limit. Exult boastfully in your absolute victory in Christ AGAINST what you see with your eyes. Speak Christ as your only life. Call those things that “be not” as they ARE.
The Expressions of Faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Faith has three expressions. First, faith believes that God speaks the truth concerning Christ our life. Second, faith IS daring boldness, assertive and overwhelming confidence, and third, faith speaks. Faith speaks Christ. The Greek work translated “confidence” means the freedom to speak with all boldness. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
Believe You Have Received. We are partakers of Christ by the confidence and the speaking of faith. But what is it that we speak? We speak all things that God speaks regarding Christ Jesus who is the only life we are. We speak, not to “make something happen”; we speak until we KNOW that what God says is true.
But God has given us another work of faith that enables us to know what to speak. Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:24). It’s not enough to ask God to fulfill His word in us; Jesus added this requirement – that we then believe we have received before our eyes see.
Ask God. The Lord Jesus Christ was conceived inside of Mary’s body BECAUSE she asked God to fulfill His word in her and then she believed that she had received ALL that she asked. We can ask anything God speaks concerning Christ our Life and God will fulfill His word in our lives – but only as we believe with all boasting confidence that we have already received ALL that we ask.
Have you asked God to fill, to saturate all that you are with all that He is in fullness, according to His Word? And having asked, do you believe that you already have all you have asked regardless of your present ignorance? Ask God to fill you with all of His fullness, and then obey Jesus by believing you have received all you have asked.
Let It Be to Me. Have you asked God to flow out from you in rivers of living water setting all creation free? And having asked, do you believe that it IS happening in all fullness regardless of your present blindness?
Let it be to me according to Your word. — Let it be to you according to your faith.
The Lord Jesus Christ was conceived inside of Mary’s body BECAUSE she asked God to fulfill His word in her and then she believed that she had received ALL that she asked. We can ask anything God speaks concerning Christ our Life and God will fulfill His word in our lives – but only as we believe with all boasting confidence that we have already received ALL that we ask.
Led in Triumph. God always leads us in triumph, in the celebration of our full victory – just like Jesus, right now BEFORE we see it with our eyes. Israel at the Red Sea waited until after they saw victory with their eyes before they danced in celebration. God will have a people upon this earth in this age who dance in celebration of all that God is resident in fullness in them before they see anything with outward sight. – Just because He says.
The word “triumph” does not mean victory, even though God has already given us the victory. Triumph means the celebration after the victory is won. God ALWAYS leads us in triumph; He never leads us any other way.
Hold Fast. Finally, this confidence, that what God says is already fulfilled in our lives because we believe in Jesus, is something we must “hold fast” all the way through. The writer of Hebrews also says it this way. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
“Hold fast” is to seize with all white-knuckled tenacity, with a grip that is unbreakable. “The confession” is to speak, to speak, to shout, to declare, to speak with all boldness, to speak out loud with the voice box, to speak against all other voices, against all wailing cries, against all “Christian” pretending, to speak.
Our Hope. “Our hope” is defined specifically by both John and Paul. Hope is as specific and as substantial as faith. Faith sees God. Hope sees what is not seen. Two sides of the same thing.
John states that our hope is that we are just like Jesus before God right now, though we see it not. Paul says that our hope is the redemption of our body, when our physical body is swallowed up forever in the life of Jesus’ resurrected flesh. These two things are the same. As we see the Lord Jesus Christ when look in the mirror in the middle of the night, we know that we are just like Him, flesh of His flesh, bone of His bone (Ephesians 5).
Speak Christ. Because we are full of God, we are full of faith in God for God is faith full.
So let’s paraphrase Hebrews 10:23. With all tenacity of grip, speak Christ, that you are just like Him before God right now, speak Christ your only life, Christ all there is in you, against all other voices. Speak that your flesh IS the very flesh of Christ, flesh of His flesh, and do not waver in your speaking. God does what He says.
We are partakers of Christ IF we hold our confidence and our boasting in hope firm all the way through. We enter into Christ entirely by boldness; we walk in life entirely by confidence.
Strengthened in Faith. On this faith, the gospel of Jesus Christ is founded.
(Abraham) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed… And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead… He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform (Romans 4:17-21).
Do you see how, if our confidence is the rule over how we read the Bible, we will receive every Word God speaks as Christ Jesus alive inside of us.
Daring Boldness. Daring, daring boldness, reckless assertion of all that God speaks, that Christ is true now, that Christ is true here, that Christ is true, personally, in all that is me, with no regard to any outward form or appearance – that faith is the ONLY thing that pleases God.
I have found a man after my own heart who will do all my will.
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The final three verses are not the “last.” Because of our human limitation, we must list things in some order. These verses are listed more in an order of understanding than any order of importance. The final three verses answer the questions – What? – What for? – and – Who?