What does it mean that He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23)?

Again the word is, "Let us hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering," that is, firm and stedfast, not through our strength or courage, but "for faithful is he that promised." Power of continuance is in looking to and for Christ. In the A.V. of verse 23 "faith" is a strange if not unaccountable mistake. "Hope" is here right as "faith" in verse 22. Promise connects with the future, and hence calls for hope.

That is the first exhortation. Then he says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He is faithful that promised." Here is the hope set before us, the inheritance that awaits us in the future. He says, Let us not be uncertain, let nothing shake our confidence as to the future, as nothing can as to the past, or as to the sense of our present nearness to Him. If I am in the presence of God now, why should I be uncertain as to the future? Is He not fully able to carry us through, spite of all difficulties? So we are to hold fast that confession of hope, remembering that He is faithful that promised.

Verse 23. "Let us hold fast the profession of our hope," etc. The hope of the believer is according to the promises of God. The ground and reason upon which his future hope is based, is his acceptance of the present truth of God. It is the consciousness of justification that makes glory a near prospect to the saint. They had professed a hope of entrance into the rest which had been opened to them by the blood of Jesus. They are exhorted now to hold it fast. For God, who had promised, was both faithful and able to perform. The Lamb, who had redeemed them, would shortly be revealed in glory to fulfil the pledged assurance which He gave while yet on earth. They were to remember that the Hope which they professed would never make ashamed. For its fruition was dependent, not on their faithfulness, but on that of God. He would not deny Himself, although their faith might be but weak. Moreover, it was no new expectation that they now professed, although it might have lately dawned on some of them. God had designed it for His people, and had promised it in Christ before the world began (Titus 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:9). In the knowledge of the finished sacrifice, they had the certain evidence that He had verified His word. In Christ they knew that all His promises were yea and amen, that the God of promise might be glorified in them.

But it is hard indeed to maintain a profession contradicted, so far as sight goes, by every thing in us and around us. Jesus witnessed the good confession, before Pontius Pilate, that He was a king, without any mark of royalty about Him. His confession seemed contradicted by His appearance. Timothy had confessed a good confession before many witnesses (1 Tim. 6:12), and he needed to be reminded of it. And so do we. For how constantly do we forget that we are what we are, in hope! We could not give satisfactory proof to another that we are what we confess to be. We can indeed give the soundest reason of the hope that is in us, because the Forerunner is for us already entered within the veil; but we cannot satisfy the restlessness of our minds, or the minds of others, by evidence. No — blessed be God — He has provided for our hope on surer ground than any evidences could produce, even on the ground of His own immutability and faithfulness; for He is faithful that has promised.

(Vv. 16-18). Moreover, it was not for Abraham's sake only that God gave this twofold guarantee, His Word and His oath. Thus the principles on which God acted towards the fathers of old are applied to the children of faith now that “we might have a strong encouragement.” God, in His condescending grace, to convince the heirs of promise of the unchangeable character of His Word, confirmed His promise with an oath, even as men do in their dealings with one another. As He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself. Thus, by two immutable things, His Word and His oath, in which it was impossible for God to lie, He gives strong encouragement to all those who have fled to Christ for refuge from judgment, to lay hold on the hope set before them, instead of turning back by reason of the difficulties on the way. The allusion is to the city of refuge for the manslayer. The Jews had murdered their own Messiah and brought themselves under judgment. The believing remnant, separating themselves from the guilty nation, fled for refuge to the living Christ in glory.

Encouraged to draw near (22), we are next exhorted to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (23). Of the hope we have already read. To be in glory with the Captain of our salvation is part of it (2:10). To enter into God's rest is also a feature of it (4:5-11). To tread in person the floor of the Holiest in heaven is embraced by it (6:19-20). To be personally on high, forming part of the assembly of the firstborn ones, and therefore being near to God, the Judge of all (12:23), is also included in it. Such a hope then — a hope which will not fail those who are faithful — the Hebrews were exhorted to hold fast. For hope plays no unimportant part in a saint's history. It can nerve him for conflict. It can brace him up to face difficulties. It can keep him patiently waiting for its fulfilment. What indeed should we do without it? And "He is faithful that promised." So we have that which is sure to rely on, even the faithfulness of our God.

The first (and most important) exhortation therefore is to draw near to God. But there is more to follow: "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith (or hope) without wavering: (for He is faithful that promised)." If we have been given a solid basis for drawing near to God, to give up such a position would be impossible. Hebrew professors of Christianity were however exposed to particularly serious tests of their reality, and if the false turned back, this could but be expected; but such exhortations as this verse would strengthen those who were true in heart yet possibly shaken on account of the apostasy of some. "For He is faithful that promised." Blessed rock of certainty for the believer!

And what then? "Let us hold fast the profession of our hope (elpidos) without wavering (for he is faithful that promised)." Blessed parenthesis! We may well hold fast, seeing He is faithful. Our hope can never make ashamed. It rests, in holy calmness, upon the infallible faithfulness of Him who cannot lie, whose word is settled for ever in heaven, far above all the changes and chances of this mortal life, above the din of controversy, the strife of tongues, the impudent assaults of infidelity, the ignorant ravings of superstition — far away above all these things, eternally settled in heaven is that word which forms the ground of our "hope."

It well becomes us, therefore, to hold fast. We should not have a single wavering thought — a single question — a single misgiving. For a Christian to doubt is to cast dishonour upon the word of a faithful God. Yet sceptics, and rationalists, and infidels doubt, for they have nothing to believe, nothing to rest upon, no certainty. But for a child of God to doubt, is to call in question the faithfulness of the divine Promiser. We owe it to His glory, to say nothing of our own peace, to "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering." Thus may it be with every beloved member of the household of faith, until that longed-for moment "when faith and hope shall cease, and love abide alone."

This seemed to puzzle her, so I proceeded, “How could you be faithful to a promise you had never made? Impossible! But if I, who made the promise, was faithful to my promise you would get the five pound note. You see that would depend upon my faithfulness, not yours. “Now,” I said, “who made you the promises?” Her eyes lighted up, and she said earnestly and deliberately, “A faithful, covenant-keeping God.” “And who,” replied I, “will be faithful to these promises?” “A faithful, covenant-keeping God,” she again responded. Is there any doubt of His faithfulness?” “Oh! no,” she answered. “Then it is not you who have to be faithful to the promises, but the One who made the promises—EVEN GOD HIMSELF. “If that be so, then the promises are AS SURE AS IF THEY HAD BEEN ALREADY FULFILLED.”

But as usual in this marvelous epistle, the “strong consolation” stands in close and most gracious proximity to the awful warning. And, blessed be God, this same strong consolation is designed for us in connection with the very smallest measure of living faith in the Word of God. It is not a question of great attainments in knowledge, experience or devotedness; no, it is simply a matter of having even that measure and character of faith and earnestness pictured by the man-slayer as he flew to the city of refuge to escape the avenger of blood. How precious is this for every true and earnest soul! The very feeblest spark of divinely-given faith secures eternal life, strong consolation and everlasting glory, because “it is impossible for God to lie.” He cannot and will not deny Himself, blessed forever be His name! He has pledged His word and added His oath, the “two immutable things.” Where is the power, human or demonic, that can touch these two things?