Laying Down What Weighs Us Down

A little girl, in the days when the conversion of children was not the subject of as much prayer as now, applied for membership in a Baptist church. “Were you a sinner,” asked an old deacon, “before this change of which you now speak?” “Yes, sir,” she replied. “Well, are you now a sinner?” “Yes, sir, I feel I am a greater sinner than ever.” “Then what change is there in you?” “I don’t quite know how to explain it,” she said, “but I used to be a sinner running after sin, and now I hope I am a sinner running from sin.”[1]

Beloved, we, too, must continuously prepare for running in this race. One of the things that we also must do to improve our ability to run this race is to shed the dead weight. Shedding dead weight for us as believers can come in many forms. I know I addressed how to define dead-weight, but I do not want to take for granted that everyone here understands what it means to shed something. This term shed can be defined as to rid oneself of temporarily or permanently as unwanted. To run this race, we must get rid of some things that is hampering us. Here is my question for today: what is it that is hampering us while we are in this race? What is it that needs to be shed for us to be better contenders?

I believe that if I gave everyone a writing instrument and some paper to identify and make a list of what is hampering us, the length of our list may surprise us. There are all sorts of things, and even people they may be hampering us while we are on and in this race. No matter what it is or who it is, to stay in this race, some type of shedding needs to occur. Today I would not dare allow someone to incriminate themselves, by verbally saying what is or who is hampering them, but there is one thing I believe we could all agree on that is weighing us down. That is a sin. Sin the actions that we commit daily. Sin the very stuff that causes us to stifle our relationship with God. Everyone, whether we want to be honest or not, commits some sin in some way, shape, or form. Yes, even after we have professed Christ as Lord. Since we sin, the bible clearly states what we must do to sin to continue running in this race. Can I prove it to you? It is in our text.

We once again find ourselves in the writing of Hebrews. A letter written to a body of believers who were second-guessing their conversion to Christianity. Embedded in this letter to these believers were teachings that assured the readers that they made the right decision to submit their total being to the rule and authority of God through Jesus the Christ. Can I encourage someone today? If you are second-guessing your decision to follow Jesus the Christ, please allow me to inform you that coming to Jesus is the best decision that one could ever make in life. When we genuinely submit ourselves to the Lord, we now can deal with life and all that comes with it from a new perspective.

Now, as we engage our text, which is found in this 12th chapter, the author of this letter preferences it by stating, therefore. He says, therefore, because of the prior teachings that he did leading up to this 12th chapter. The teaching that was done was on the topic of faith. Faith what we as believers need to be in this race. The faith is to have belief, trust, and confidence in someone greater. Our someone is God! We believe that God is real. We believe in His Son and our Savior Jesus, the Christ who died for our sins and was resurrected from the dead. Moreover, we believe in the One that was sent known as the Holy Spirit. The One who takes residence within us and grants us power and authority. The author teachers about how the just shall live by faith. The author teaches about the faith of Abraham, our Patriarchs, and of Moses. I would like to encourage everyone when you get some time this week to go back and read the 10th and 11th chapters of Hebrews. This teaching will provide a better understanding of the faith we must have.

The author opens this 12th chapter by stating, “therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which easily ensnares us.” I like the way the NIV states this verse, “A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us to tightly.” Looking at the way the author opens this 12th chapter, he does it in a manner that offers encouragement and instruction. Can I prove it to you?

First is the encouragement. The author makes mention about those who have come before us and uses a metaphor as one scholar notes it of them being in the form of a cloud. If we were to connect the dots the witnesses that are highlighted in the text, they are those found in chapter 11. The author then paints a picture as those who are the cloud what they are doing. He uses this metaphor as one scholar notes, “of the ancient worthies who had so faithfully persevered and triumphed, as witnessess of their strife in the Christian race, and as cheering them on to victory.” Can I help someone on today. No, this race that we are on is not going to be easy. There are going to be some ups and downs. But we must continue pressing. We must continue running. There are people up high that have finished the face the are cheering us on. If I could imagine what they would be saying, I believe they are saying, “we can do it. We can make it. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Run, run, run.” For I am reminded as words of encouragement what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9, NIV“In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize.”

The author transitions from this metaphor of those rooting us on, to now giving instruction to us as the readers who are in this race. The author pens, let us lay aside every weight. The term weight in this context are the things that would slow us down. Remember the NIV states “Let us throw off everything that stands in our way.” As I read this verse this statement was very general. The author did not give any categories, he did not name any one thing but he does use the verbiage every weight. Again, I ask what could be standing in our way while we are running this race? What are the road blocks that are trying to keep us from making it to the finish line? Could it be the lack of spiritual hunger? Could it be past life’s baggage that we refuse to shed or let go? Could it be fear transformation? Could it be the people that we are hanging around? Could it be overindulging? Could it be the lack of prayer in our life? Could it be the lack of studying the word of God? Could it be believing false doctrine? Could it be our lifestyles? Could it be unbelief? Could it be our pride? Could it be things we are suffering from mentally? What weight can you identify that needs to be shed? All of it could be considered dead weight. There is something that needs to be shed from our lives in order for us to be better prepared to run this race.

There is nothing that is exempt from being shed from our lives while we are on this race. Everything means all things that make this race harder to run. I would like to encourage someone on today that there are things we must let go to run this race. If you do not know what needs to be let go, here now what the author states, The author presses forward from mentioning every weight to know mentioning the act of sin. Not just any sin but the sins that easily ensnares us or that holds on to us so tightly. If there is someone that does not know what to let go, then consider the things that we find comfort in doing that causes distance in our relationship with God. Whatever it is that we so easily engage in, that tempts us so easily and we fall for it every time it surfaces. I know that it is going to be a struggle. But we must let it go.

We must shed the dead weight of nasty attitudes. We must shed the dead weight of lying an backbiting. We must shed the dead weight of being cantankerous. We must shed the dead weight of spreading gossip. We must shed the dead weight of not being faithful to God.

[1] AMG Bible Illustrations, Bible Illustrations Series (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000).