Hebrews 10:32

Hebrews 10:32 says, But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;  If we start to drift away from God, we need to remember life before we were illuminated, or saw the light of salvation through Christ.  We may endure all things through Christ Who gives us strength.  Before we accepted Christ, we were without hope, but through our faith in Him we have forgiveness and everlasting fellowship with God.  Verse thirty-three adds, Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.  Those in the early church were treated terribly.  They were laughed at and mocked at the best and beaten and killed at the worst.  Many times, this was done by those calling themselves God's people.  Those who were true followers of Christ identified with those suffering for their faith and had compassion on them.  We should be the same way today.  We should really be burdened by those who suffer for their faith in Christ.  Verse thirty-four continues, For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.  Those who were fellow followers of Christ had compassion on the writer, whether it was Paul or not, who was in bonds and joyfully accepted the loss of earthly possessions that were lost due to their faith in Christ.  They knew as should we, that they had a more enduring reward in heaven.  This is about as far from a prosperity gospel as we can get, but it is what God's word consistently proclaims.  Verse thirty-five states, Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  We should never lose our confidence in our salvation, no matter how bad things may get.  Verse thirty-six adds, For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  I believe that this is simply a call for us to be patient in our faith.  We will not receive the promise of God, of life without pain and struggling in this life, but we can be certain that it is coming if we have accepted the salvation of Christ.  Verse thirty-seven continues, For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  Even if it is another two thousand years before Christ returns, it is but a little while when compared to eternity.  The reason Christ has not returned yet is because people are still being saved.  Verse thirty-eight says, Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  The just are to live by faith, never wavering in that faith.  If we do, God has no pleasure in us.  If we doubt when things go wrong and then believe when things start to go well again, what kind of faith is that?  We are to live by faith in the good times and the bad, and if anything, even more so in the bad.  Verse thirty-nine adds, But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.  I believe that those who draw back are those who were never really saved to start with.  Those who are truly followers of Christ will never be sent away from God.  We have an everlasting salvation.