Palm S. 03 INI Heb. 12:1-6

Dear Fellow Redeemed by the blood of God,

Once when Jesus was speaking about the way which leads to eternal life, He said: "There are few who find it." (Mt. 7:14) What a statement! How serious it is when the Savior Himself declares that there will be "few" who find eternal life. At another time He said: "Many are called, but few are chosen." (Mt. 22:14)

Why will so few gain heaven and eternal life? Our text suggests one reason. There are many who have believed for a while, but then grow weary, lose their first love, give way to spiritual sluggishness and sleep, trip and fall over their sins, and finally give up the race entirely. We all face this danger! Call it "spiritual burnout." But

When we become Christians we begin this spiritual race. We've become followers of Christ. We want to come to the place where He is -- in glory. Everything must now give way to this one great purpose of our earthly lives. So Jesus says in Matthew 6: "Seek first the kingdom of God;" and Paul writes in Philippians 3: "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus."

Therefore, let us "lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us." (v. 1) This is sin in general. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." -- I John 1:8 We may grow less sensitive to evil. We too need the warning that God gave Cain when he said: "Sin lies at the door." (Gen. 4:7) We need to follow the admonition of our Savior to His disciples in Gethsemane: "Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation, for the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mt. 26:41)

We are to lay aside also particular sins which may ensnare us. Is the love of money secretly growing in your heart? Are you gradually becoming a lover of pleasure? Do adulterous and fornicating thoughts plague your mind? Are doubt and unbelief making you thankless, and decreasing your prayers. Whatever the sin, away with it! Throw it off, repent and turn away from it! For like some large, flopping warm-up robe, sin of any kind can wrap itself around a runner's legs and trip him on the track.

Now notice that our text also admonishes every Christian runner to "lay aside every weight." "Every weight" means something that may not be sinful in itself; but still it interferes with our running the race so that we may not finally win and obtain the prize in heaven.

We may become so deeply engrossed in our business, our education, our association with friends or family that we pay less attention to the most important thing -- the race that is set before us. There are many such "weights' which may keep us from seeking the kingdom of God first. But if anything hinders us in this most important race to eternal safety and glory, then away with it -- cast it off!

Just think what people sacrifice for their idols or even for idle dreams! Eve laid aside paradise for the promise of "wisdom." Napoleon threw away his wife and family for the glory of world conquest! Mothers offer the blood of their own children in the worship of an idol called "Choice"! Tens of thousands in Iraq have thrown away their lives in order to please a ruthless leader and a worthless god!

But we have the true God and eternal life. What are we willing to lay aside to follow our Lord Christ to the glories of eternal heaven? Should we not join the Psalmist and say: "there is none upon earth that I desire besides You, O Lord"? (Ps. 73:25)

This throwing off of every weight and the sin that entangles us is no easy task! Running a race is hard work. The Greek word for "race" in v. 1 is the word from which we get the word "agony." The writer to the Hebrew Christians is talking about a constant contest -- "keep on running," he says. This race requires "endurance" or perseverance. It's not a mere 80 yard dash, but a life-long marathon! In this race we dare not slow down after a lap or two; we need to run full out, all the time!

That's what the O.T. heroes of faith mentioned in chapter 11 did -- men and women like Abraham, Noah, Sarah, Rahab, and David. Such a great "cloud of witnesses" offers encouragement to us. But we need more than encouragement; we need God's grace and strength or we will never finish this race. Therefore we are encouraged to

Keep our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith. By His suffering and death Jesus has purchased for us the pardon of our sins. By the preaching of this "good news" He has created and preserved our faith in Him as our only Savior.

Without Him there would be no saving message to preach. And without the preaching of this Gospel no one could believe in Him at all! For "faith comes by hearing, and the message that is heard is the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17)

But v. 2 says that Jesus is also the "Finisher" of our faith. What great comfort and strength we have in this word! Jesus brings our faith to its perfection and completion! It's an easy thing to be "the Author" of someone else's faith. Any fanatic can gain a following of faithful people for a time. We think of Mohammed, the self-proclaimed prophet of Allah, or of David Karesh who gathered disciples in Waco, Texas. But how can such men finish the faith of their followers? Can they save them from their sins, from death, from the power of hell? Can they bring their disciples to eternal paradise? Never! They could not save themselves, let alone those who have followed them.

But we are to "look to Jesus" Who "for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame" of it "and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The word "endure" used in v. 2 to describe Jesus' suffering is the same word used to speak of our own endurance in v. 1. The cross of torture and disgrace was before Him as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jesus knew He was beginning the last lap of His race to finish our faith and salvation!

See how patiently He ran to the finish line -- Patient with His disciples, with His enemies, with sinners, with ignorance, with contradiction, with misunderstanding, and with unbelief! What is our suffering and endurance compared with His? For we have "not yet resisted sin to the point of shedding our blood in death," as He did. (v. 4)

Let's look upon Him and see that He bore the eternal punishment and curse of our sin. Yet in all our earthly sorrows and trials we are only asked to bear the loving chastisement that God places upon His dear children. (vs. 5-6) Let's keep our eyes on Him as He is sitting "at the right hand of the throne of God," having finished our salvation and ruling all things for the sake of His believing people!

Why did Jesus endure it all? Why did He willingly and even joyfully go to the cross and the tomb. He did it all to redeem us that we might share His heavenly glory with Him forever! How can we find the words to praise Him, or the life to live for Him!

Such a Jesus we are to look over well, checking Him from all sides. When our feet feel like lead and we can't run another step, when our hearts are as heavy as our legs and our souls are ready to give up, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We must consider the "hostility He endured from sinners" -- even those He came to save -- and see His victory as our own! For where He is, there we shall be also!

Come then, brethren, let us run with patient endurance the race that is set before us, as the O.T. heroes ran it. Amen.