Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:35-39
It has been said that when Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led his men to begin their conquest of the Aztec empire in 1519 that he ordered them to burn the boats that transported them to the shores of the empire. Of course, such an order seems outlandish and insane, but Cortés had a strategic reason for the move. Addressing his men before the first battle, Cortés is quoted as saying, “You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win!” The story goes that, knowing they would either win or perish, they fought like never before and won the war against a powerful foe despite being greatly outnumbered. This story has motivated people in a wide range of contexts where they may be inclined to seek a way of escape rather than achieve the goals which they set out to achieve.
This concept has much spiritual application for us as well. So much of the New Testament is about serving the Lord faithfully in the face of opposition and danger. True Christianity keeps one in a state of tension with the world around, even within our closest earthly relationships, because of the nature of the gospel message (cf. Matthew 10:34-39). It is easy to see the motivation to retreat in such circumstances, but we must never give up on the objective we have been assigned.
The Hebrews writer addressed a group of struggling Jewish converts who were pondering a return to Judaism to relieve the pressure they were enduring. Throughout the letter we find constant reminders of the supremacy of Jesus over every other institution within which they might seek fulfillment. In chapter 10, the writer essentially orders them to “burn the boats” and fight this spiritual battle with no consideration of retreat. Beginning in verse 26, he laid bare the immense danger of trying to retreat from the battle against sin.
Often people frame the Law of Moses as stricter than the gospel of Christ, but the writer was emphatic that forsaking Christ and His will brings greater punishment than setting aside Moses’ Law (10:26-29). Indeed, it is more dreadful to face the wrath of God if we rebel against Him than it is to face the wrath of man who would attack us for submitting to Him (cf. Matthew 10:26-28). Conversely, if we hold onto our confidence, we have a great and enduring reward (10:35-36; cf. 2 Timothy 4:6-8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:3-6; Revelation 2:10). The harsh reality of this fallen world is that we cannot escape hardship, no matter how hard we may try. So, let us “burn the boats” and fight like our souls depend on it because, they do.