Living Out God's Grace

There’s a lot of people who are filled with all kinds of Bible knowledge. They are able to quote verses, explain the various theological nuances on various subjects, plus create a timeline on any subject. In other words, they know the truths of God’s Word and can even teach the truths of God’s Word. However, I’m convinced that the Word was given to us, along with the Holy Spirit indwelling all who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, for the purpose of living out the truth.

Interestingly, we don’t get to the point of learning it by osmosis. True learning is the application of truth. Try as they might, students who refused to study and apply what they were taught, discovered that they would not retain the information by putting the books under their pillow at night, hoping all the truths would soak through their pillow into their head. Still, it’s not our nature, on our own, to live out biblical truth. We need to be challenged, encouraged, exhorted.

That’s exactly what the author of Hebrews is doing in 12.12-17. It almost sounds like a parent giving instructions before their child goes out to apply what they’ve been taught. Look at some of the words: strengthen, make straight, pursue, see to it. That’s pretty strong language with some very specific expectations.

At Moody Bible Institute, I took a class that was called Practical Theology. This was after a lot of other classes that were full of information. The intent of this class was the daily living out of what had been learned, specifically in relation to pastoral ministry. In fact, all of my classes were such that the information that was taught was always with the intent of personal application.

For example, we believe that God is sovereign. Yet, are we willing to live our lives knowing that He’s totally in charge and there’s nothing that can surprise God?

We believe that the Bible is divinely inspired and is inerrant. Yet, are we willing to submit ourselves to its authority and live accordingly?

We say that Jesus Christ is Lord. Yet, are we willing to surrender our lives to His lordship, living under His authority? By the way, there is a thought that we are able to make Him Lord of our life. Let me explain something—He is already Lord, we don’t make Him so. What we need to do is recognize Him as Lord and surrender to Him and serve accordingly.

We even speak regularly about God’s grace and how we have experienced not only His mercy, but have been blessed with eternal life and every spiritual blessing in Christ. But does the world understand God’s grace as they watch us and how we live? Are we living our lives in such a way that it is obvious that we are recipients of God’s grace? Do we simply know how to explain and teach God’s grace? Or are we living out God’s grace for all to see, including our brothers and sisters, as well as the unsaved world around us?

Those who have experienced God’s grace ought to be living out God’s grace.

Personal Testimony - 12.12-13

It has often been said that if we don’t take care of ourselves, we will eventually be unable to care for others. It’s the same with our spiritual lives. If we’re not taking care of our own personal spiritual lives, then it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to help others in their spiritual journey. However, in these verses, we see that if we’re not looking out for others in their spiritual walk, then we will find ourselves so self-absorbed that we won’t be living out God’s grace.

Hebrews 12:12–13 (NASB95)

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

It appears that the author still has the running the race idea as he writes these verses. Many people think that running a race is all about the legs. The interesting thing to note is that the arms have a great deal with how a race is run. In a long race, it is commonly known that the first part of the body to feel tired would be the arms. Then the legs, in particular, the knees, begin to feel like jello. However, as soon as you start thinking about the arms being tired and weak and the knees hardly able to hold you up, you begin to lose the race. The focus has to be on the finish line. The Christian’s focus has to be on the goal of being in the presence of Jesus forever.

Did you notice something about these verses about the lack of a subjective personal pronoun in most instances? We have a problem in that it seems that we can easily get our focus upon our part of the race and what it means for us to be in the presence of Jesus. However, it appears that the author is telling the readers to strengthen others who are experiencing weakness and need encouraged. Spending time taking care of ourselves while someone else is struggling is really not a biblical concept. The world and modern psycho-babble tells us to look out for number one and take care of ourselves even if others are struggling.

But have you noticed that when you take care of others and strengthen and encourage others, you find yourself being strengthened and encouraged?! It’s been stated that one of the best ways to keep continuing in this spiritual race is to encourage others to continue.

Next, we are to make straight paths, in our race for the prize. I recall being in a blinding snowstorm and walking from the house out to the road to wait for the school bus, which was quite a long trek. This was back in the 60s, when school was rarely, if ever, cancelled. When I would try to look up, I could hardly breathe, nor could I see. But if I kept my head down and looked at the footprints in the snow which my father had made as he led us to the road, I could be assured that I would make it to the road alright.

You see, others are often following our path, our footprints. This principle being taught is especially important for those who would get sidetracked or easily tripped up in their race. They need our sure-footedness to help them as they live out God’s grace, following our example, even as we follow Christ’s example.

However, if we are wandering around, being inconsistent in our personal walk, not only can we cause fellow believers who may be struggling to be misled; it can cause those who are undecided as to whether or not to follow Jesus, or to choose to go their own way, rather than Christ’s way. That is the ultimate healing; to be saved from eternal damnation. My friends, take this as a warning—Don’t allow your personal walk or your running be such a poor example that it would cause an unbeliever to reject Jesus Christ.

Personal Lifestyle - 12:14

Sometimes, we reason that people ought to just know that we are Christians. Sometimes, we can forget how we’re to respond to others and to different situations. This can leave the world confused about who we truly are.

Hebrews 12:14 (NASB95)

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

This verse is a practical application of a positional truth. Because of Jesus, we have peace with God and can experience peace with others, though they might not want to respond accordingly. Because of Jesus, we have been made holy, even though Christ is in us, we don’t always act as though we are holy . This verse somewhat illustrates the idea of practice what we preach.

Pursuing peace with all men might be understood as loving humanity. I understand the idea that peace and loving one another requires two people. However, I’m responsible for what I do, not how the other person responds. Too often, we throw our hands up in frustration, thinking that if they won’t cooperate, why should we put forth any effort.

I recall once when I was leaving the hospital in our town in South Dakota, after finishing my chaplaincy duties. I pulled out into the street, not realizing I had looked right past an oncoming car that was forced to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting me. He followed me quite closely with his bright lights on till we got to the stop sign. As soon as I stopped, he jumped out of his car and ran up to my window, shouting all kinds of unpublishable words, none of which resembled, have a nice day. I rolled down my window and explained to him that I had looked right by him and hadn’t even noticed him. I told him that I was in the wrong and apologized to him. Not quite knowing what to do with my response, he stomped back to his vehicle, roared past me at the stop sign and proceeded to shake his fist and a pointy finger at me. I continued on home, feeling badly about how I had set him off. But I realized that I did do my part in trying to pursue peace, and was not responsible for how he reacted. Maybe he would rethink the situation one day and remember that I had not tried to blame him, nor justify what I did.

The sanctification which is in the next phrase, has to do with our love relationship with God. Remember, Jesus stated that If you love me, you will obey my commands. Think about it. If we are truly in love with our Savior, we’ll want to do that which pleases Him. This will be seen in our lifestyle; how we live our lives and how we respond to various situations, good or bad. This is then seen by others, which would hopefully cause them to want to know more about Jesus. You cannot say you have love for other people, and yet not show your love to God by your lifestyle. Neither can you say you love God, yet have no use for humanity.

Personal Attitude - 12.15-17

You are what you eat, is a quote that has been shared for decades. Which probably means, I’m some form of dessert. Have you ever considered that what we think or what we dwell on, eventually comes out in our actions?

Hebrews 12:15–17 (NASB95)

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

That phrase, see to it, is a phrase many of us heard in our childhood. For those who enjoy Star Trek: The Next Generation, you can hear Captain Picard saying, Make it so, which is a little softer version of see to it. The main idea behind the Greek word is that we are to have oversight of our brothers and sisters. We are to do whatever we can to help them to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And for those who are not saved, rather than look down upon them, we need to be sensitive and look for opportunities to point them to Christ, giving them the chance to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

This concept is seen in the phrase, that no one comes short of the grace of God. This is the idea of being left out. This is the picture of someone who dies before choosing Jesus as their Savior. After a person is dead, it is too late; they’ve come short. We must be ever so vigilant, watching for those who may have heard the message or not, and we must do all that we can to be that salt and light in order that they might see Jesus.

I would rather offend someone who says they are a Christian, but whose lifestyle totally defies knowing Jesus, by my sharing the Gospel with them and asking once again about their salvation. If I don’t, and they’ve been living a lie, I have allowed them to go to hell while they thought they were heaven bound.

Not only must we be diligent in sharing the Gospel so that no one comes short of the grace of God, but I need to do all that I can, with God’s help, in making sure that no root of bitterness spring up. This phrase, in its context, is not necessarily about bitterness in our lives toward others, though many of us may have used it this way. It’s actually still in the context of the grace of God. It portrays the picture of the Israelites when they would turn away from God, while continuing to say that they were His people. It carries with it the idea of insolence and arrogance, as that person acts like they’re a Christian, while behaving like a pagan or a person of this world. This person acts like they can do whatever they want, play the part of a Christian, and basically think they are in charge of their life and leaving out God.

This type of person causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. In other words, this person has a very negative influence and acts like dirt in water; they contaminate the body of Christ so that it is not pure. A person who is allowed to do this can destroy a local body of believers. We can understand why the author wrote, see to it?

There is an interesting discussion about Esau which might cause us to wonder what the author was intending. If you consider the fact that Esau had been born into a privileged family and had experienced so many blessings, then ended up turning his back on everything because of his own selfishness, it begins to make some sense. The author is quite blunt as he describes Esau as immoral, godless. Those are some pretty harsh descriptions.

Yet for those who think that his rejection of God wasn’t as bad as someone like Queen Jezebel or King Jeroboam, who blatantly worshiped false gods, they are misunderstanding God’s perspective. To have experienced the wondrous blessings of being a part of those who follow after God, yet choose the world and everything else, while trying to hold onto a semblance of belonging to God is an absolute abomination to God.

The interesting thing is that Esau did seem to get it towards the end, but not really. How do we know this? The author of Hebrews states, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance. Outward tears do not mean a genuine change of heart. He was extremely saddened by the way things turned out, but he did not have a repentant spirit. It’s like those who want God’s blessing, but they don’t really want God.

Conclusion

My friends, what does living out God’s grace mean to you?

Do you find yourself sorrowing over those who have rejected Christ? So much so that you are wanting to do everything possible to point them to salvation through Jesus Christ?

What about those who are struggling in their personal walk or race with God? Do you find yourself looking down on them, feeling proud about yourself in that you’re not going through those dark times? Or do you find that because of what you have experienced in God’s grace that you want to come alongside them and help them in their journey?

What about how you live your life, whether it be among the saved or those who are unsaved? Are you surrendered to God in such a way that He is genuinely ordering your steps so that everyone knows you belong to Jesus?

We need to be intentional in our walk with the Lord. We should be rejoicing that we are recipients of God’s grace.