Hebrews 12:1-11

Run the Life of Faith.

Hebrews 12:1–2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Hebrew Christians were living in a climate of persecution. They were being harassed mostly by other Jews who were mad at them for leaving behind the traditions of the Old Covenant. They faced social and economic pressure.

They were asking the question “Where is the God who supplies all my needs?”

They need a lesson in perseverance and to remember the lesson of Jesus that those who follow him will face persecution.

Therefore, one MUST remember that Hebrews 11 precedes Hebrews 12.1-2 because when it says therefore we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses it is talking about the heroes of the faith.

Witnesses - deceased heroes of the faith. Godly examples that are a pattern of how one lives by faith. I am glad that Abraham, Moses, and David make the list and it isn’t just Joseph Daniel and Job.

Actually the first three are highlighted and the second are hinted at more or less in Hebrews 11.

Let us... run.… The author is begging his reader lets get started running with endurance the race set before it. It’s like in the morning when I go running. I do it every day. I put the shoes on stretch and GO. When I actually convince a adult child to go with me (especially a daughter) it turns into quite the process. Let’s get on with it.

Get rid of Every weight..… What is every weight?

Weight is the Levitical system of harsh legalism.

Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

The law and sin are different.

Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

The law has it’s purpose and it is good but it condemns us and you can never fulfill the law so in the age of grace trying to fulfill the law as a means to appease God is an albatross around the neck of the Christian. Someone came down on me because our deacons aren’t wearing ties to church especially when doing communion. Now granted I don’t think that this person has ever worn a tie, and I think I have worn a tie every Sunday. That is wrong the constitution says that we should be wearing ties. Well first that isn’t true. I read through the constitution and it says nothing about ties. Also if it did. We are Christians the constitution is how we do business, not how we go to heaven. The constitution says that the board will meet every month. We meet most months but from time to time we don’t! Sorry, things come up. From time to time the ESV is used in church. No one is maliciously doing wrong, we are free. Not free to sin or free to completely ignore rules but they shouldn’t be weighing us down.

Get rid of the sin.

John 16:8–11 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

The Holy Spirit makes you feel the conscience that this is wrong. It is wrong because the Bible says that it wrong.

Sin ensnares you, it is a trap.

John 8:34–36 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

The Christian life is run with endurance.

Endurance is the steady determination to keep on going.

1 Corinthians 9:24–25 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

The word race is an athletic metaphor for the Christian life, but the word is also related to agony.

Sometimes running is agony and sometimes life is agony.

Matthew 7:14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The word difficult agony describes is related to the race of life that the author of Hebrews uses.

Looking to Jesus - Keep you eyes fixed on Him.

Like Stephen Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

Keep your eyes singularly focused on the finish line.

Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Jesus is the author of your salvation.

The word is originator or the main example. He is the one who purchased your salvation on Calvary and he also through election and predestination got the ball rolling so that you would be saved.

Finisher - Perfector

On the cross positionally and in your life practically.

Positionally

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Practically

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Jesus had joy in saving you.

Psalm 16:9–11 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

That doesn’t mean that dying on the cross was fun, but purchasing your salvation bought Christ joy.

Sat down at the right hand.

The job is finished, He completed what He intended and now He is right back where He belongs.

Jesus already endured it all.

Hebrews 12:3–4 “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

Jesus is the example of being obedient to suffering.

Galatians 6:17“From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

The Christian could become weary of the Christian life.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Just like a marathon runner gers tired of practicing and of doing the hard work every single day.

The Hebrews have not resisted to blood shed.

This letter probably did not go to the Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem.

They saw plenty of blood shed.

Stephen

Acts 7:60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Other Christians

Acts 12:1 “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.”

Fight against the sin holding you back.

Romans 8:2–3 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,”

God chastens His children.

Hebrews 12:5–6 “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

Parental discipline should be exercised with love and kindness.

The goal of discipline is to produce godly virtues in our children as adults.

Discipline should have the right motivations and appropriate severity.

What Father here has done that perfectly? I didn’t think so. The only Father who has completely appropriate discipline is God the Father. Is God’s discipline a absolute certainty that His adopted children will turn out right?

No people have free will. Some will face the chasening of the LORD and kick against His pricks, worse than Paul does.

Scourging is flogging with a whip.

Matthew 10:17 “But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.”

Jesus and Paul both endured this.

Sons.… All true children of god are chastened by Him properly.

Hebrews 12:7–8 “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

Illegitimate - The only place in the Bible this word is used. This is a child born out of wedlock.

The example is Hagar and Ishmael.

Genesis 16:6–8 So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

The illegitimate son is not without hope in God’s eyes.

Genesis 16:13–16 “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.”

Hebrews 12:9–10 “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.”

We respected our fathers (like in the ten commandments) even when they discipline us. If done well and not abuse they deserve our love. Have you ever talked to Dad after a spanking. Some time that is the best growing time for a relationship between Father and Child.

Subjection - Having respect for God’s will for His life. He is under His commands and in doing so the end will be better.

Subjection

Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.”

Father of Spirits - This is a confusing phrase but it is the opposite of father of flesh.

Our Dad is Father of Flesh and the Dad that provided your DNA and raised you in this world.

God is the Father of Spirits and HE gives us our spiritual life.

Chastening is temporary. Just like normal people the Father ends the days of punishment. One day we are going to be spiritually mature in glory and will no longer need more spiritual discipline. In Glory This world is like the grass here today and gone tomorrow. Heaven is eternal.

Our Profit - We are complete. The imperfect will become perfect in God.

Pain with a purpose

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

The persecution and punishment and life lessons that we endure in this life have a purpose. In the end it leads to peace!

Fruit of Righteous.

James 3:18 “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

The fruit of righteousness is always put together with peace. Bear fruit how many times in the Bible especially the New Testament people are told to bear fruit.

Trained - excercise

1 Timothy 4:7–8 “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Remember we are running a race. I wouldn’t suggest getting off the couch and running a half marathon. You have to excercise you have to practice you have to train.