Old/New Testament
So—come to worship!
19 So then, my brothers and sisters, we have boldness to go into the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus. 20 He has inaugurated a brand new, living path through the curtain (that is, his earthly body). 21 We have a high priest who is over God’s house. 22 Let us therefore come to worship, with a true heart, in complete assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold on tightly to our confession of hope, without being diverted; the one who announced the message to us is trustworthy! 24 Let us, as well, stir up one another’s minds to energetic effort in love and good works. 25 We mustn’t neglect meeting together, as some are now doing. Instead, we must encourage one another, and all the more as you can see the great day coming closer.
Warning of judgment
26 For if we sin deliberately and knowingly after having received the knowledge of the truth, there is no further sacrifice for sin. 27 Instead, there is a fearful prospect of judgment, and a hungry fire which will consume the opponents. 28 If someone sets aside the law of Moses, they are to be “put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses,” with no pity. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be appropriate for people who trample the son of God underfoot, and profane the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and scorn the spirit of grace? 30 We know the one who said, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will pay everyone back,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Suffering in hope
32 But remember the earlier times! When you were first enlightened, you went through great struggles and suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public reproach and physical abuse. Sometimes you stood alongside people who were being treated in that way. 34 You even shared the sufferings of those who were imprisoned. When people looted your property, you actually welcomed it joyfully, because you knew that you had a better possession, a lasting one.
35 So don’t throw away your confidence. It carries a great reward. 36 What you need is patience, you see; then, when you’ve done what God wants, you will receive the promise.
37 For in just a little while from now,
the Coming One will come, and won’t delay;
38 but my righteous one will live by faith;
and if he hesitates, my soul will not delight in him.
39 We are not among the hesitators, who are destroyed! We are people of faith, and our lives will be kept safe.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.