Don't Throw Away Your Confidence

A number of years ago I remember reading a testimony about Christians who lived under communist tyranny.
Just as we prayed that they would remain faithful to the Lord, so they also realized that Christians in the west faced a dangerous enemy – ease, spiritual laziness, and the pursuit of merely the cares of this world.
Isn't it amazing to see in our nation how many turn away from the truth, but not because of fiery persecution?
Recall the first parable Jesus gave in Matthew 13, the Parable of the Sower.
Recall that some seed fell into stony places speaking of tribulation and persecution.
Other seed fell into thorny ground representing the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.
Jesus was making a profound comparison.
We certainly don't want difficulty.
But do we realize the danger of the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches?
I have chosen for our main text Hebrews 10:32-39 because this is the third text in the NT that uses Habakkuk 2:4 and the precious truth that the just shall live by faith.
Last week our focus was on this verse related to justification. This is how this verse is used in Romans 1:17 and also in Galatians 3:11.
But Habakkuk 2:4 also has application in the context of what we could call sanctification and endurance.
This is the context of Hebrews 10.