Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) —Hebrews 10:23
In Hebrews 10:23, the Bible explains this process well. Take a look at the phrase, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith.” Let’s look at the word “profession.” It comes from the Greek word homo and it means one of the very same kind. The second part of the word is logos meaning word. Together the words are homologia meaning “to say the same thing,” or so it seems until you look a little deeper. In the King James Version the word homologia translates as “profession” too. So, to really understand the meaning of the word you have to look at the word logos, or words. Let me illustrate and then we’ll come back to this point.*
As many of you know, I’m a public speaker. I spend time preparing messages and then share everything — my thoughts, convictions, and beliefs — with all types of different people. My words are what I believe, and what I think. They are what I’ve expressed. They are in essence me! Let’s say you have listened to me, you’ve heard my heart and my thoughts. You agree with me, maybe even quote me on occasion, but perhaps you’re not really changed by them. Now, the next time you hear me — after I declare my convictions and my beliefs — you feel connected. You agree and you find yourself inspired, or emotionally moved. At this point, you might say we are becoming aligned. We are aligning in our thinking and beliefs. Once you’ve repeatedly heard my words, agreed with them, and they have gone into your heart, you might come to embrace them, and allow yourself to be transformed by them. They will start to become your own words and convictions. All of a sudden they won’t be ‘Havilah’s” words any more, they will be yours! You will have a strong conviction about them and begin to express them, even to the point of not referencing me any more.
When you look at the word homologia in other Scriptures, you will see that it’s not talking about someone who just states something they’ve heard, repeating it or regurgitating it. It’s an individual who has heard the words, embraced them and has finally made them their own. When we as believers begin to live a homologia life we begin to experience radical change. When we read the Bible over and over, listening to the words God uses and embracing them in our ‘inner being’ , they finally begin to be our words. It’s our God who can accomplish it. It’s the Holy Spirit who is at work in us, but He needs us to read and absorb the words first.
* Renner, Rick. Sparkling Gems (Page 314) Published 2003. Print.
