Hebrews 3:14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
The author begins to apply his illustration from the Old Testament to the lives of his readers. The readers had to make a decision, the same decision we must make today. What will we do with this Jesus Christ, Son of God? This verse gives both a promise and a warning. The promise is that we can “share in Christ.” This means to be in fellowship with Christ and share in the salvation he offers to us. By entering into a relationship with Christ, we will be able to participate in and receive the promises God gives. In the context of this verse and chapters 3 and 4, the “share” that we get is to enter God’s promised rest from sin and struggle. We can experience the promises now, in this life, though in part as we struggle on against the forces of evil and the world full of sin. But with Christ, we can have victory. This will be the key idea in Hebrews 12:1-2 and other passages.
The warning is that in order to participate in God’s promises, we must “hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” In other words, we cannot compromise or give in to temptation. We must remain true to Jesus and not be pulled away by temptation and sin. The good news is that we do not have to rely on our own strength. The author will remind the readers of this in Hebrews 4:16: because we have Jesus with us, we can approach God’s throne of grace and receive help during our struggles, temptations, and low points. We are not left on our own. The people of Israel looked at their own strength when they came to Kadesh Barnea and looked at the Promised Land. They thought they could never conquer the giants and fortified cities there. But Joshua and Caleb knew that they could obtain God’s promises because God was behind it. God would help them conquer the land. If the people trusted in God and relied on God’s grace, then they would receive the promise. If they forsook God, there was no hope. The implied warning in this verse is that we must not give up. We will experience many crossroads in life. The most crucial crossroad is whether or not we will commit fully to God and put ourselves in his complete trust. Our conviction must be that Jesus is Lord of all. We cannot grow weary in this but continue to trust in God’s protection and grace. This will require faith, another important idea the author will discuss later on in chapter 11. So much of this letter connects together.
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