Who Are You

 

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:5-6 ESV).

 

Today’s reading is one of those difficult passages for many people. In order to understand the principle the writer is introducing here, we must look at what seems to be a random inclusion in the last verse. Look at the last part of verse six. The writer draws us into the picture. He says to his readers that they (we) are the very house of God—the house his Son made and inherits—"if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end"—"Whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end."

 

Now this "if" is a tremendously serious thing. We are his household—we are God's people, we are God's possession and inheritance, that is, we are saved—if. This "if" is so serious and so important that the rest of chapter 3 is a support and explanation of it. In fact much of the rest of this book is meant to make this "if" plain. We will be looking at this in the days to come.

 

Notice first that this condition— "'if' we hold fast to hope"— is a condition for being something now. It does not say: you will become God's house if you hold fast to your hope. It says, "We are God's house" if we hold fast to confidence and hope. It's like saying, "You are a Aggie if your typical rally cry is 'Gig ‘Em!' or if your natural greeting is 'Howdy!' Using these phrases does not make you an Aggie; it shows you are an Aggie.

 

This verse, with the support of others in Scripture, shows that "if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end, we show that we are God's house." This is what defines the household of God: God's people hope in God. God's people are confident in God. They hold fast to God as their boast. That's the human trait and evidence of belonging to God's household. If you want to be assured that you are of God's household, test to see if you hope in God and have confidence in God and look to God for the security and happiness of your future and the satisfaction of your heart. It is who we are. It is not a condition for our salvation; it is a proof of our salvation. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV).

 

In those moments when your courage begins to fail, remember your hope is in Jesus’ work, not your courage! You are a part of the house of God!