Struggling Against Sin (Heb 12:3-11)

STRUGGLING AGAINST SIN Intro: Within the theme of faith, particularly endurance in the Christian race, now an added emphasis on the struggle against sin and discipline for being trained. Struggle Against Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 497 ἀνταγωνίζομαι ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnizomai): vb.; ≡ Str 464; TDNT 1.134—LN 39.31 struggle against, strive against (to exert strenuous effort against opposition) - You’re in a race, the race is hard enough, but now they’re also opposition? C’mon! We struggle against SIN: Sin’s effects on the world caused by the Fall Others sinning against us The evil remaining in our flesh (we are no longer OF the flesh but still IN it… until we reach the end) Endure Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 5702 ὑπομένω ὑπομένω (hypomenō): vb.; ≡ Str 5278—1. LN 39.20 resist, stand firm by holding one’s ground (Mt 10:22; 24:13; Mk 13:13; 2Ti 2:12; Jas 1:12+; Ro 8:24 v.r.), for another interp, see below; 2. LN 85.57 stay behind, remain longer than (Lk 2:43; Ac 17:14+); 3. LN 68.17 continue, stand firm, endure despite opposition (Jas 1:12+), for another interp, see above; 4. LN 25.175 endure, persevere in spite of difficulty (2Ti 2:10) Discipline Lexham Theological Wordbook παιδεία (paideia). n. fem. training, discipline. Refers to discipline or instruction used to train a person in the way that is right. Trained Lexham Theological Wordbook γυμνάζω γυμνάζω (gymnazō). vb. to train, to undergo discipline. Literally, to train for physical exercise but used figuratively of spiritual and mental exercise and thereby mean to train or undergo discipline. This verb is passive and it’s a participle - having been trained (so the state of being trained) - Discipline’s goal is this kind of maturity. To not grow weary in the struggle against sin, carefully consider our Savior’s endurance. (vv. 3-4) Hebrews 12:3–4 ESV Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. These verses form a transition: continuing the theme of eyes fixed on Jesus, and the need for endurance in the race, to not become weary and want to give up, but to keep struggling against sin… and they set up the lengthy encouragement and admonition in vv. 5ff to explain the loving discipline of God with regard to our endurance and battle with sin. Not Growing Weary When we face persecution at the hands of unbelievers (as these letter recipients… and those close to them), when we are just plain fatigued by the impact of living in a fallen world, and certainly as we struggle to walk not in the flesh but in the Spirit to pursue holiness... “Fatigued” and “weary of soul” - emotionally and mentally fatigued to the point of losing heart and becoming discouraged spiritually Clara and I facing and feeling suffering more acutely in recent days… Fighting to the Death Have we opposed sin to the point of our blood being spilt? Not yet. - Have some believers and will some believers fight against sin at the cost of their very lives? Yes. Philippians 1:20 NIV I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. In this fight to the death battle against sin within you, which side is doing more dying? Colossians 3:5 ESV Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. We as yet have much work to do in the struggle against sin. Consider Jesus for Confidence Hebrews 12:3–4 ESV Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. How do we not give up hope in the battle against sin? - We carefully consider Jesus. We do not lose heart because our confidence is in the perfect Son of God who DID endure in battling sin to the death, and through his sacrificial death (shedding of his blood), and by his resurrection victory, he secured our standing in Him! Hebrews 7:27 ESV He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Hebrews 9:12 ESV he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Hebrews 10:14 ESV For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. So if we are in Him by faith, our standing is secure. And as we abide in Him, he is our strength for present sanctification (growth in holiness): Hebrews 9:14 ESV how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. We have been set free from captivity (controlling power) of sin, death, and the law (Paul in Romans) to willingly and joyfully serve as citizens of heaven and co-heirs with Christ (our study in Ephesians). In the struggle against sin in this long endurance race, where will you turn for sympathy and strength, for comfort and correction? Because Jesus endured to the point of shedding his blood and secured redemption for us... Hebrews 4:16 ESV Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ​ Now that brings us to another point here from the author about our enduring in our struggle against sin: In our strained battle against the flesh within us, and with strong opposition from unbelievers, and with general earthly suffering… In our struggle against sin, do we doubt God’s loving concern for us? To not grow weary in the struggle against sin, be comforted and corrected by God’s loving discipline. (vv. 5-11) Hebrews 12:5a ESV And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. Have you so easily, so completely forgotten… the exhortation (word is encouragement - here with connotation for both comfort and admonition)… that describes us as sons? BTW, this encouragement and exhortation is coming from where? Scripture--God’s word. That means we must know it and listen to it and keep learning from it. You can’t forget what you don’t know from God’s word, and you most certainly can’t rightly apply the Bible to your heart and situations if you aren’t really listening to it. - Even as we struggle against sin, we must Know and listen to God’s word so that you will... ...find comfort in our loving Father’s discipline and to also submit to his corrective discipline (which is out of love and for our good) Find Comfort in Our Loving Father’s Discipline (5-7a) Bridging the gap btwn the context and a new cultural “norm” - the painfulness of discipline… and the fallibility of parents Our author quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12 Hebrews 12:5b–6 ESV And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Don’t esteem lightly, don’t undervalue God’s discipline. Don’t be weary when sternly admonished (rebuked) by Him. Why not? Bc God lovingly disciplines all His kids. The Lord disciplines (to gain control, to enforce obedience) the one he loves (agapao - love, show love, take pleasure in) He only chastises (beats with a whip) the son whom he receives - willingly giving us access to his company (Heb. 10:22a - let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith) The best parents discipline their children and comfort them in their love and in the purpose for the discipline. - Admitting, “I struggle with sin too and God lovingly disciplines and corrects me.” Hebrews 12:7a ESV It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? You can endure suffering as discipline when you trust God to treat you as his beloved child. So we should find comfort in our Father’s loving discipline. And because we know he is treating us as His own beloved children, we should joyfully submit to his discipline for our correction (to grow in Christ-likeness). Submit to God’s Corrective Discipline (7b-11) Necessity of Parental Discipline (7b-8) Hebrews 12:7b–8 ESV It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. It isn’t just necessary in the sense that we need it or else we’ll just be rotten kids. But it’s necessary bc And it’s necessary bc its the difference between being received as sons versus remaining objects of eternal punishment. - In Romans 1, because they choose not to acknowledge God, he gives them over to their sin to remain in it.... which we know ultimately results in punishment—everlasting torment in eternal separation from God. So discipline is different from punishment. - And sometimes it may look backwards in this life (with sinners sometimes reveling in their sin and seeming to succeed in it)… but God is not mocked. - Only those who aren’t his children don’t receive his discipline. But they will receive punishment. Right Response to God’s Loving Discipline (9) Hebrews 12:9 ESV Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? Submit - to whom (the Father of spirits - way of referring to his transcendent, supernatural status) Submitting to God’s discipline in the right way means: opposition/suffering perceived in the right manner - God is sovereign. (Guthrie reminds us) “[…] God, never the source of evil, can turn evil ‘inside out,’ utilizing it for greater purposes. No event bears witness to this truth more than the cross.” correction for sin… received in the right manner - So we are THANKFUL for God’s loving discipline. - Imagine yourself being like one of our own children who might actually be listening and learning to say, “Thank you for disciplining me Daddy so that I don’t let sin run my life and I learn to obey God and respond to His grace.” Benefits of Divine Discipline (10-11) Hebrews 12:10–11 ESV For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. For a time as they thought best - limited and fallible - But God disciplines us for our good (symphero): to our advantage for our benefit (in a way that isn’t temporally limited and is infallibly defined as “good.”) - and that advantage, that benefit is here expressed as sharing in his holiness - a unique quality of the character of God that we cannot have apart from his sharing with us (for us it is to be set apart to God and to be morally pure) You see where I’m getting that this discipline is both loving AND corrective - It is loving because it is for our good - We NEED God’s holiness. And it is obviously corrective because we LACK God’s holiness. Finally in v. 11 the author ends with an admission about all corrective discipline—that the immediate experience of it isn’t pleasant but painful (initially causes sadness rather than gladness/joy-chara)—but that’s the point bc, to those who have become trained by it (the exercise that produces maturity), discipline later REWARDS (pays back) with the joyful outcome (fruit) of peacefulness and righteousness. - Both huge benefits to us now in our present struggle as well as for our ultimate fulfillment of being with God. The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Hebrews D. Endure Discipline as Children, 12:3–17 The period of discipline is followed by one of joy, for it is linked to ‘the immediate enjoyment of peace and righteousness and the ultimate enjoyment of God’s character and presence’. [REVIEW] So strengthen your resolve to endure in combatting sin in life’s race, accepting divine discipline as confirmation and comfort of God’s love. (v. 12) God’s discipline is confirmation of our sonship, it is comfort in his love, and it is conforming us to be like Christ. ​ At the Lord’s Table: Carefully consider him who endured in the struggle against sin to the point of shedding his own blood… in exchange for your salvation, for you to belong to Him by faith!