Holding fast to your profession of faith—
Hebrews 10:23—means to hold fast to your confession.
The Greek word for profession is also
used for confession. The words of your mouth
are more powerful than you probably have ever
realized. Confess your healing…and your health.
Proverbs 18:21
KJV—Death and life are in the power of the
tongue: and they that love it shall eat the
fruit thereof.
Amp—Death and life are in the power of
the tongue, and they who indulge it shall
eat the fruit of it [for death or life].
Moffatt—Death and life are determined
by the tongue: the talkative must take
the consequences.
NE B—The tongue has power of life and
death; make friends with it and enjoy
its fruits.
Proverbs 10:11
KJV—The mouth of a righteous man is a
well of life: but violence covereth the mouth
of the wicked.
Amp—The mouth of an [uncompromisingly]
righteous man is a well of life, but the mouth
of the wicked conceals violence.
Moffatt—The talk of good men is a lifegiving
fountain: the talk of bad men overflows
with harm.
NEB—The words of good men are a fountain
of life; the wicked are choked by their
own violence.
Proverbs 13:3
KJV—He that keepeth his mouth keepeth
his life: but he that openeth wide his lips
shall have destruction.
Amp—He who guards his mouth keeps
his life, but he who opens wide his lips will
come to ruin.
Moffatt—He guards his life who guards his
lips: he who talks freely—it is ruin to him!
NEB—He who minds his words preserves his
life; he who talks too much comes to grief.
Proverbs 15:4
KJV—A wholesome tongue is a tree of
life: but perverseness therein is a breach in
the spirit.
Amp—A gentle tongue [with its healing
power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness
in it breaks down the spirit.
Moffatt—A soothing tongue means life and
peace, but wild words wound.
NEB—A soothing word is a staff of life, but
a mischievous tongue breaks the spirit.
Gloria Copeland
Ephesians 6:10-17
KJV—Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done
all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on
the breastplate of righteousness; And your
feet shod with the preparation of the gospel
of peace; Above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Amp—In conclusion, be strong in the Lord—
be empowered through your union with
Him; draw your strength from Him—that
strength which His [boundless] might provides.
Put on God’s whole armor—the armor
of a heavy-armed soldier, which God
supplies—that you may be able successfully
to stand up against [all] the strategies
and the deceits of the devil. For we are not
wrestling with flesh and blood—contending
only with physical opponents—but against
the despotisms, against the powers, against
[the master spirits who are] the world rulers
of this present darkness, against the
spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly
(supernatural) sphere.
Therefore put on God’s complete armor,
that you may be able to resist and stand
your ground on the evil day [of danger],
and having done all [the crisis demands],
to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore—
hold your ground—having tightened
the belt of truth around your loins, and having
put on the breastplate of integrity and
of moral rectitude and right standing with
God; And having shod your feet in preparation
[to face the enemy with the firm-footed
stability, the promptness and the readiness
produced by the good news] of the Gospel
of peace. Lift up over all the (covering) shield
of saving faith, upon which you can quench
all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
And take the helmet of salvation and the
sword the Spirit wields, which is the Word
of God.
NEB—Finally then, find your strength in the
Lord, in his mighty power. Put on all the armour
which God provides, so that you may
be able to stand firm against the devices
of the devil. For our fight is not against human
foes, but against cosmic powers, against
the authorities and potentates of this dark
world, against the superhuman forces of evil
in the heavens.
Therefore, take up God’s armour; then
you will be able to stand your ground when
things are at their worst, to complete every
task and still to stand. Stand firm, I say.
Fasten on the belt of truth; for coat of mail
put on integrity; let the shoes on your feet
be the gospel of peace, to give you firm
footing; and, with all these, take up the great
shield of faith, with which you will be able
to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil
one. Take salvation for helmet; for sword,
take that which the Spirit gives you—the
words that come from God.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: armour, devil, evil, flesh and blood, strength, strong, wickedness, Word Of God
Hebrews 4:14-16
KJV—Seeing then that we have a great
high priest, that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need.
Amp—Inasmuch then as we have a great
High Priest Who has [already] ascended
and passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession
[of faith in Him], For we do not have a High
Priest Who is unable to understand and
sympathize and have a fellow feeling with
our weaknesses and infirmities and liability
to the assaults of temptation, but One
Who has been tempted in every respect
as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then
fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw
near to the throne of grace—the throne
of God’s unmerited favor [to us sinners];
that we may receive mercy [for our failures]
and find grace to help in good time for every
need—appropriate help and well-timed
help, coming just when we need it.
Moffatt—As we have a great high priest,
then, who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast
to our confession; for ours is no high priest
who cannot have sympathy with our weaknesses,
but one who has been tempted in
every respect like ourselves, yet without
sinning. So let us approach the throne of
grace with confidence, that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in the hour
of need.
NEB—Since therefore we have a great high
priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to the
religion we profess. For ours is not a high
priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who, because of his likeness
to us, has been tested every way, only without
sin. Let us therefore boldly approach
the throne of our gracious God, where we
may receive mercy and in his grace find
timely help.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: bold, grace, high priest, mercy, Son of God, Temptation, throne of grace
Hebrews 11:11
KJV—Through faith also Sara herself received
strength to conceive seed, and was
delivered of a child when she was past
age, because she judged him faithful who
had promised.
Amp—Because of faith also Sarah herself
received physical power to conceive a child,
even when she was long past the age for
it, because she considered [God] Who had
given her the promise, reliable and trustworthy
and true to His word.
Moffatt—It was by faith that even Sara got
strength to conceive, bearing a son when
she was past the age for it—because she
considered that she could rely on Him who
gave the promise.
NEB—By faith even Sarah herself received
strength to conceive, though she was past
the age, because she judged that he who
had promised would keep faith.
2 Corinthians 12:9
KJV—And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.
Amp—But He said to me, My grace—My
favor and loving-kindness and mercy—are
enough for you, [that is, sufficient against
any danger and to enable you to bear the
trouble manfully]; for My strength and power
are made perfect—fulfilled and completed
and show themselves most effective—
in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more
gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities,
that the strength and power of Christ,
the Messiah, may rest—yes, may pitch a tent
[over] and dwell—upon me!
Moffatt—But he told me, “It is enough for
you to have my grace: it is in weakness that
my power is fully felt.” So I am proud to
boast of all my weakness, and thus to have
the power of Christ resting on my life.
NEB—But his answer was: ‘My grace is all
you need; power comes to its full strength
in weakness.’ I shall therefore prefer to find
my joy and pride in the very things that are
my weakness; and then the power of Christ
will come and rest upon me.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: conceive, Faith, grace, power, power of Christ, promise, strength, weakness
Romans 4:16-21
KJV—Therefore it is of faith, that it might
be by grace; to the end the promise might
be sure to all the seed; not to that only
which is of the law, but to that also which is
of the faith of Abraham; who is the father
of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee
a father of many nations,) before him whom
he believed, even God, who quickeneth the
dead, and calleth those things which be not
as though they were. Who against hope
believed in hope, that he might become the
father of many nations, according to that
which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead, when
he was about an hundred years old, neither
yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
He staggered not at the promise of God
through unbelief; but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded
that, what he had promised, he
was able also to perform.
Amp—Therefore [inheriting] the promise is
the outcome of faith and depends [entirely]
on faith, in order that it might be given as
an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make
it stable and valid and guaranteed to all
his descendants; not only to the devotees
and adherents of the Law but also to those
who share the faith of Abraham, who is
[thus] the father of us all, As it is written,
I have made you the father of many nations.—
He was appointed our father—in the
sight of God in Whom he believed, Who
gives life to the dead and speaks of the
nonexistent things that [He has foretold
and promised] as if they [already] existed.
[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being
gone, hoped on in faith that he should
become the father of many nations, as he
had been promised, So [numberless] shall
your descendants be.
He did not weaken in faith when he considered
the [utter] impotence of his own
body, which was as good as dead because
he was about a hundred years old, or [when
he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s
(deadened) womb. No unbelief or distrust
made him waver or doubtingly question
concerning the promise of God, but he
grew strong and was empowered by faith
as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully
satisfied and assured that God was able
and mighty to keep His word and to do
what He had promised.
Moffatt—That is why all turns upon faith; it
is to make the promise a matter of favour,
to make it secure for all the offspring, not
simply for those who are adherents of the
Law but also for those who share the faith
of Abraham—of Abraham who is the father
of us all (as it is written, I have made you a
father of many nations). Such a faith implies
the presence of the God in whom he believed,
a God who makes the dead live and
who calls into being what does not exist.
For Abraham, when hope was gone, hoped
on in faith, and thus became the father
of many nations—even as he was told, So
numberless shall your offspring be.
His faith never quailed, even when he
noted the utter impotence of his own body
(for he was about a hundred years old) or
the impotence of Sara’s womb; no unbelief
made him waver about God’s promise; his
faith won strength as he gave glory to God
and felt convinced that He was able to do
what He had promised.
NEB—The promise was made on the
ground of faith, in order that it might be
a matter of sheer grace, and that it might
be valid for all Abraham’s posterity, not
only for those who hold by the law, but for
those also who have the faith of Abraham.
For he is the father of us all, as Scripture
says: ‘I have appointed you to be father
of many nations.’ This promise, then, was
valid before God, the God in whom he put
his faith, the God who makes the dead
live and summons things that are not yet
in existence as if they already were. When
hope seemed hopeless, his faith was such
that he became ‘father of many nations’, in
agreement with the words which had been
spoken to him: ‘Thus shall your descendants
be.’
Without any weakening of faith he contemplated
his own body, as good as dead
(for he was about a hundred years old),
and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, and
never doubted God’s promise in unbelief,
but, strong in faith, gave honour to God, in
the firm conviction of his power to do what
he had promised.
Gloria Copeland
Tags: dead, Faith, father, glory, grace, hope, nations, promise