ESOCS Devotional 18 November 2025 – Hold Steadfast to Christ
MEMORY VERSE: “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end….” Hebrews 3:14
TEXT: HEBREWS 3:1-END
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 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.
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but [b]exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
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The Book of Hebrews was written as an exhortation to those who were falling away from their original belief in Christ Jesus. The writer portrays the superiority of Christ over all Old Testament saints; he describes Him in many ways— ‘The Apostle and High Priest of our confession’ (Heb. 3:1); ‘the Author and Finisher of our Faith’ (Heb. 12:2); ‘the Great Shepherd of the sheep’ (Heb. 13:20). It is to Him, they are to hold steadfast till the end.
A believer is a partaker of Christ – participating in His life, sharing in His blessings and destined to reign with Him in eternity. 2 Timothy 2:12 reminds us that “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” The Israelites who were freed from Egypt had to undertake a wilderness journey until they reached the Promised Land; and only those who endured and did not waver with unbelief reached there. The same applies to the believer who is called to live a life of endurance till the end.
How do we hold our confidence STEADFAST to the end? A few thoughts from our reading itself:
Consider Christ Jesus who was faithful to the One who appointed Him (Heb. 3:1-2). He is our perfect example of being faithful to God’s calling and mission. Apostle means “sent one”- He was sent to fulfil God’s purpose of saving mankind from eternal death. In being the High Priest, He interceded on sinful man’s behalf before our Holy God – that we may be made accepted through Him! Jesus proved faithful to His Father. Looking to His example, we too are called to be faithful.
Beware of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God (Heb. 3:12) – Unbelief cost a major number of the Israelites losing entry to the Promised Land. They saw the “giants” bigger than the All-Powerful God who could deliver and fulfil all that He had promised them! The next verse speaks of the deceitfulness of sin, which can harden hearts! The lure of sin can easily pull one away from true belief in the Living God, leading one astray – far away from the ways of God. Do we doubt God and His promises over our lives? Beware of unbelief that takes you away from God!
“Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Heb. 3:15). In their rebellion against God, the Israelites’ hearts became hardened. They could not perceive what God could do for them, even though the way ahead looked hard. The attitude of their hearts defined their actions! They complained and murmured against God and Moses. They even said, “Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Numbers 14:3). They who had seen the mighty hand of God work on their behalf in parting the Red Sea and sinking their enemies, now could not believe what He could do for them. How about us?
CHALLENGES
- How are our hearts towards God? Is there a hardening that has happened to your heart that you now rebel against Him?
PRAYER POINT
- Father, please reconcile in my body your death and present me holy and blameless. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Job 22:1-21; 24:1-12; Hebrews 4:1-6
ESOCS Devotional 18 November 2025
