What does it mean to hold fast to your confession (Hebrews 4:14)?

Having such an High Priest, we are exhorted to hold fast our confession. This is not simply holding fast to the confession that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, blessed and important as this is, but rather the confession that we are partakers of the heavenly calling. Our confession is that, as partakers of the heavenly calling, we are to enter God's rest. The danger is that in the presence of temptation we may, by reason of our infirmities, give up our confession of the heavenly calling and settle down in a round of busy service, if not in the world itself.

“Let us hold fast” (v. 14). To hold fast our profession is the very antithesis of apostasy, against which such solemn warnings are uttered in this Epistle. It implies steady perseverance, and maintenance of the Christian name and character in the face of both the opposition of Satan and the seductions of the world.

Recalling too to mind the double character of His priestly work as taught us in chap. 2:17-18, we are prepared for that which we now read: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into [rather, through] the heavens, Jesus, Son of God, let us hold fast our profession [or better, confession]" (4:14). The Christian faith was not to be surrendered, as assuredly it was not to be corrupted, by the admixture of Judaising principles. "Our confession," a well-known one, was to be tenaciously maintained. And the very exhortation warns of the danger there was of surrendering it. To hold fast the confidence and rejoicing (or, glorying) of the hope firm to the end (3:6) has been already pressed on these Hebrews, who have also been reminded of the importance of holding the beginning of their confidence firm to the end (3:14). Holding fast became them. Holding fast becomes us. And now we are to learn of the provision to enable us to do that, having free access to the throne of grace to receive there what the active intercession of the High Priest has procured for us.

The grace needed the High Priest procures. Able to succour them that are tempted (2:18), He is also able to sympathise with His people, having been in all points tempted like as they are - sin apart. He knows what is needed, and intercedes for us with God, that we coming to the throne of grace may reap the fruit of His intercession by receiving mercy and seasonable help. (4:14-16.) Having then a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, i.e. has gone up to the throne, Jesus, Son of God, let us hold fast the confession. A great High Priest He is called. Aaron was high priest. Jesus, the Son of God, is greater. The Hebrews then were in this no losers by embracing Christianity. The Jews might boast of the Aaronic line of priesthood; these Hebrews could say, "The Son of God is our High Priest."

The apostle was led by the Spirit to bring this great fact to their notice in view of their need of encouragement to "hold fast" their profession — a word better rendered "confession." The word "profession" refers more to their lips than to their lives, important as that is. They had publicly confessed their faith in the fact that Jesus was the Christ. This had cut them off from any benefits before obtained in the service connected with the temple, but in rich compensation they were brought into greater benefits as in the heavenly and spiritual sphere into which faith in the Lord Jesus had brought them.

What, then, should be the effect upon us of contemplating Christ as our High Priest? "Seeing, then," says the apostle, "that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession" (or confession) (Heb. 4:14). Again he says, "Let us hold fast the confession of the hope without wavering" (Heb. 10:23); and he also speaks of Christ within the veil being our Hope, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast (Heb. 6:18-20). The effect, therefore, should be to encourage us to confidence — confidence in Him — boldness, and perseverance. Christ is there before God as our High Priest; therefore let us hold fast, knowing that, spite of all our weakness and infirmities, and the strength, activity, and hostility of our foes, we shall be brought through all the perils of the wilderness into the possession and enjoyment of the everlasting rest of God.

The first practical lesson for our hearts suggested by the contemplation of this glorious High Priest in heaven for us, is, that He both demands and warrants our unwavering confidence. Hence the apostle says, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession," or let us hold fast the confession. This does not say, "Hold fast your faith," or "Hold on in faithfulness," blessed and important as it is to continue both in faith and faithfulness; but seeing that Christ has so taken hold of us, that, whether we are thinking of Him or not, He is faithful, He changes not — that His merciful and unwearying heart is continually taken up with us, in presenting us always before the face of God, — we cannot hesitate to confess Him as our life, righteousness, never-failing security and hope, spite of all the changes within and around in this chequered and sinful scene. Let us then "hold fast the confession." It is His faithfulness, His grace, His abundant goodness, which is the ground of true confidence; and especially when we see that Jesus our great High Priest is presenting us, in divine righteousness, in His own acceptance before God continually. Dear Christian brethren, we do well thus to contemplate the moral perfections and excellencies of our High Priest. When we grow cold and forgetful of Him, does He forget us? Never. Nothing can and nothing will ever cause Him for one moment to cease to bear us up before our God in the perfectness of His unchanging love, and in the almightiness of His everlasting strength. What an unspeakable basis of rest and confidence our God has given us in Christ Jesus! "I change, He changes not, My Christ can never die; His love, not mine, the resting-place, His truth, not mine, the tie. I know He liveth now At God's right hand above; I know the throne on which He sits, I know His truth and love."

Christ is shown to surpass Moses and Aaron next, as we have already seen the angels left behind in Heb. 1, 2. The contrast with Moses is traced in Heb. 3. That with Aaron begins in the latter part of Heb. 4. But it is well also to notice "our confession." It leaves room for such as turn out mere professors; for it is not even said "our faith," though this might soon become a lifeless creed. And this is borne out by the solemn warnings not to neglect, to hold fast, and the like, which abound throughout our Epistle, as we find similarly in the First Epistle to the Corinthians and in that to the Colossians.

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.

Let us therefore, beloved brethren, grasp and maintain this confession as our best treasure — Having present righteousness by faith, our hope is nothing short of the holiest of all; and there we worship in Spirit now. Our hope is independent of ourselves — it hangs on the immutable faithfulness of God — it is secured by the blood of Jesus, and it is already made fast within the veil; for Jesus is there, and there for us. Beware of mock humility, which is only the cover of unbelief and self-dependence. Look at yourselves and you are hopeless; yea, nothing is before you but a fearful looking for of judgment. Look at Jesus and know your hope; for where is he? In the holiest of all as the forerunner! Let this check all wavering, and answer every doubt and every difficulty. In spite of all appearances, hold fast the profession of the hope without wavering.