December 30, 2025
— John Piper · Source: Sermon “Eternal Security Is a Community Project” (Hebrews 3:12–19), August 18, 1996
Hebrews 3:14 If we hold firm to the end our first certain faith, then we have become partakers of Christ.
Holding fast to faith is not about feeling strong, but about never turning away from Christ even in the darkest of times. Hebrews reminds us that only by holding fast to our initial certainty can we truly share in Christ. John Piper's words make clear that persevering is not a way to keep from losing our standing in Christ but a way of showing that we have one; our security is the faithfulness and power of God. In our stumbles and difficulties, we often feel weak and lost, but it is precisely in these moments that the foundation of our faith is firmly established. Perseverance is a response to God's faithfulness and a crucial sign of spiritual growth.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace of faith you have given me, enabling me to rely on you in trials. Help me not to turn away in times of despair and hardship, but to steadfastly hold onto my initial faith. Let me know deeply that I have nowhere else to go besides you, and that only by relying on you can I find strength and comfort. Lord, strengthen me and grant me joy, so that even in difficult times I may hold fast to your promises. May my life, through perseverance, reflect your glory and become your faithful witness. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.