Daily Devotion

“In other words persevering in faith and hope, holding fast to your confidence in God, is not a way to keep from losing your standing in Christ; it is a way of showing that you have a standing in Christ. … In other words, my security and assurance is not a decision or a prayer that I remember doing in the past; my security and assurance is the faithfulness and power of God to keep me hoping in him in the future.”

John Piper · Sermon “Eternal Security Is a Community Project” (Hebrews 3:12–19), August 18, 1996

Scripture

Hebrews 3:14 If we hold firm to the end our first certain faith, then we have become partakers of Christ.

Reflection

Holding fast to faith is not about feeling strong, but about never turning away from Christ even in the darkest of times. Hebrews reminds us that only by holding fast to our initial certainty can we truly share in Christ. John Piper's words make clear that persevering is not a way to keep from losing our standing in Christ but a way of showing that we have one; our security is the faithfulness and power of God. In our stumbles and difficulties, we often feel weak and lost, but it is precisely in these moments that the foundation of our faith is firmly established. Perseverance is a response to God's faithfulness and a crucial sign of spiritual growth.