The Fight to Move Forward

We Have Historic Witnesses

We Must Get Unloaded and Untangled

We Must Run With Endurance

We Must Focus on Jesus

We Have Historic Witnesses

The Hebrew writer positions our historic brothers and sisters of faith as witnesses in the stands. He gave a number of examples in Chapter 11 to encourage them not to shrink back, ch 10:39, because that’s what they were struggling with. The people of old, as he states, are not mere spectators, but it is as if they are in the stands cheering every child of GOD alive today. What is their message?

Who have faced hard times: One message they have for us is that they also dealt with many hardships in their lives. In other words, we are not alone, or the track we’re on is not unique to us. They want you to know that they have dealt with chaotic people, ill-treatment and oppression, barrenness, financial stress, pandemics, torture, tough life transitions, family problems, etc.

Who attest that faith works: It’s not the simple fact that they experienced with those things, the emphasis is that they pressed through them by faith. Thus their other message is that faith works, and it through their faith gained them approval with GOD.

We Must Get Unloaded and Untangled

The writer is thus building up an argument of encouragement for the believers. That is since God’s children of old times are rooting for you, as those who can attest to success of the faith life, there are some actions they needed to take. The very first action is casting something aside or off of them.

From Spiritual Baggage: The first object they needed to cast off was every encumbrance, which was any amount of weight. The idea is of a runner stripping himself of any heavy clothing or material. He is not specific with which ones, but just says all of them. It is speaking of any mental, emotional, or spiritual baggage which slows them down.

Application: That means we need to examine what we’re carrying around. And see these weights might be neutral with respect to right or wrong, but they make us drag along. What cares of this life, emotional ties to people that drain you, or unhealthy relationships, or complacency, or habits and hobbies.

From Sin: But not only those things, the writer speaks of the greatest impediment of the history of humanity, and that’s SIN. Sin being an improper relationship with GOD which manifests itself through attitudes or behaviors which violate God’s law or character, or ignore his instruction. And there is an emphasis in the text on the nature of sin, entangle. It is a constant threat of besieging or surrounding Christians to force them to surrender. And thus it trips up.

Application: The major object against us in this fight forward is sin! I know that sometimes we can get to a place that we are not acknowledging it, and sometimes like we’re beyond it because we’re not doing certain sins. But it has always been the principal enemy against humanity. We thank GOD for his grace, that forgives us, and I’ll address that more Lord willing. But John says if you think you are beyond it, we are lying to ourselves. See baggage slows us down, but sin trips us up and forces a halt. It is a threat to any forward progress. The one that had them stuck, and moving backward was apostasy. In fact, apostasy is turning back. But any sin can be a threat that entangles us. That’s the idea of easily in the text. It is those in which we are weak!! So we must get untangled!

We Must Run With Endurance

It is only under the condition of getting unloaded from spiritual baggage and untangled from attacking sins that the Hebrew writer says let’s run with endurance.

Application: See it’s difficult to face hardship with courage and not back down, when we’re loaded and tangled. Once we do the first, then we can move forward with endurance. And realize that GOD has marked off the course of our lives of faith so we can endure.

We Must Focus on Jesus

Lastly, we must run focusing on Jesus. Jesus cannot start with Jesus and not finish with him. The idea of fixing is not turning to the left or right or back, but looking forward. Because he is the pioneer or trailblazer for us. He had the joy, promised from his father as his focus, and because of that he did not place all his focus on the shame of the cross, and as a result he reached the goal of his life and ministry on earth, and that’s right beside his father!!

Application: In this fight forward, who has our undivided attention. When we stay focused by faith on Jesus, we can run against an army of hardships. As a matter of fact, David says by you GOD, I can run against an army, and I can leap over a wall!!