We have been unemployed from our own efforts—crucified with Christ. This is not loss; it is liberation. God has decisively ended our striving to save ourselves. In death with Christ, our old life is dismissed, and His life becomes ours. This is the foundation of the Christian’s rest: not our performance, but His finished work.
The Captain Perfected for Us
Jesus was perfected through sufferings—not as punishment, but as God’s deliberate preparation. His suffering was the means by which He became fully identified with us, able to stand as our High Priest. Without the revelation of Hebrews, we miss the present, active ministry of Christ: He is not distant, but interceding, representing us before God, and leading us into glory.
Christ is our spiritual Joshua, the Captain of our salvation. He is not merely an example or a helper; He is the One who brings us into the inheritance. He leads us into glory, not as spectators but as those who will reign with Him. The world to come is subjected to us in Him. Even angels will be under our authority. We do not yet see all things under our feet, but we see Jesus—enthroned, victorious, and our forerunner.
One Life, One Nature, One Faith
We are united with Christ—not by analogy, but in reality. His life and nature are now ours. This is why He is not ashamed to call us brethren. He does not distance Himself from us in our weakness or foolishness. Even when we are despised by the world, He stands with us as family.
We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
—1 Corinthians 4:10
Our own faith is unstable—at best, a mustard seed. God does not build our inheritance on such a foundation. Instead, He gives us the faith of the Son of God. Christ Himself lives in us, believing God from within us. The life we now live in the flesh, we live by His faith, not our own. Our old life is over; His life is now the only life that counts.
From Foolishness to Glory
Christ’s work is not limited to forgiveness. He is declaring the Father’s name in us, bringing us into the knowledge of God as “Abba, Father.” He presents us to the Father as His own children, His treasure, the fruit of His accomplishment.
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
—Hebrews 2:13
This is not mere improvement—it is transformation. We are moved from foolishness to glory, from weakness to reigning. Our destiny is not to scrape by, but to be enthroned with Christ, reigning over all things. This is the salvation Hebrews proclaims: Christ brings many sons into glory, not by their effort, but by His life and priesthood.
What Is Lost If We Depart
If you reject this—if you return to your own faith, your own effort, your own striving—you forfeit the very ground of your justification, your inheritance, your sonship. You exchange the finished work of Christ for the uncertainty of your own performance. You lose the rest, the assurance, and the glory that are yours in Him. The error is not minor; it is catastrophic. It is not a secondary matter, but a salvific one.
The Invitation of Hebrews
Hebrews is not a call to try harder, but to see Christ—perfected, enthroned, and living in you. It exposes every system that puts the burden back on your shoulders and insists: your only hope is union with the crucified and risen Son. He is not ashamed to call you His own, and He will bring you into glory. This is the gospel. This is your inheritance. Do not settle for less.
