Let Us Not Waver: Three Stages of Holding Fast Your Confession

Sermon outline

Make your confession, hold it fast and refuse to waver, praying from your place seated with Christ rather than from the natural world, because like Abraham you can be fully persuaded that God will do what He promised.

1. Three successive stages of confession

   Taking the Hebrews passages in order gives three stages. First, make the confession: if the doctor has given a diagnosis, say, 'I hear what was said, but in the name of Jesus I resist this and believe the Word of God.' Second, hold fast to it, because the devil is a cunning strategist and may get more aggressive and the reports worse. Third, hold it fast without being unstable or unreliable.

   “Number one, make the confession. Number two, having made it, hold fast to it.”

   • Hebrews 3:1
   • Hebrews 4:14
   • Hebrews 10:23

2. We relate to a spiritual world far above

   We live in a natural world of what we see, touch and feel, but Christians also relate to a spiritual world of God, Jesus our High Priest and angels all around us. Satanists relate to an evil spiritual world, but ours is far above both the natural and the evil world, so whatever they do cannot affect you, because of the power in the blood and the name of Jesus. All things are under our feet, and we engage the eternal world to govern everything in the natural, from finances to marriages and children.

   Illustration: Sometimes your faith falters and you can't believe for something, and you ask the Lord to help; suddenly the God kind of faith hits your spirit and you can believe for what seemed impossible.

   “We are engaging the eternal world to control everything in the natural.”

   • Ephesians 1:22
   • Mark 11:22

3. Pray from where you are seated

   He came from a faith background and then spent time where prayer was the main theme, and his problem was that Christians were praying from this world trying to reach another world, which is what Satanists do. Because we are accepted in the Beloved and seated with Christ in heavenly places, he has learned to pray from that position. Prayer can then be short, sweet and powerful, and even your thoughts become prayers, because you and God are one and He calls you friends.

   Illustration: He has heard people scream, shout and kick in prayer and get no results, leaving him and themselves tired.

   “Make your prayer short, sweet and powerful.”

   • Ephesians 1:6
   • Ephesians 2:6
   • John 15:15

4. Treasure in earthen vessels

   God is not someone we are reaching for but someone who lives in us: He chose in His wisdom to tabernacle Himself in earthen vessels, whatever their creed, gender or background. So we should stop judging believers by their faults and struggles, because they are God's residence: divinity in humanity. The love of God shed abroad in our hearts is agape love, not fickle human love that gives only if you give, but love in spite of faults and failures.

   “This is what we call divinity in humanity.”

   • 2 Corinthians 4:7
   • Genesis 1:26
   • Romans 5:5

5. Abraham did not waver

   Romans 4:19-22: at about 100 years old Abraham faced the fact that his body and Sarah's womb were as good as dead, yet he did not waver through unbelief but was strengthened in faith, gave glory to God and was fully persuaded that God could do what He promised, and it was credited to him as righteousness. So do not waver: hold fast your confession.

   “It may take long, but sooner or later it has to manifest.”

   • Romans 4:19-22