Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3
Sermon notes
The struggle to continue in the course of our heavenly calling is not new. It is not confined to the saints, like ourselves, who face the onslaught of apostasy in these last days. Sometimes it is easy to feel that the despair, loneliness and disillusionment we feel at times is unique. It is not! The Apostle references a whole cloud of witnesses who faced exactly the same struggle in the race of faith and became conquerors in it by the grace of God through faith.
The exhortation that comes to us from their experience is Let us run with patience… But the question is: How?
That question is answered in these verses. Essentially, he sets down the single thing that has always energized and motivated the people of God to go on.
I CENTRAL TO GOING ON IS LOOKING UNTO JESUS.
A single focus. We are to focus upon the Saviour alone. In these verses were are brought into the presence of a great crowd—but we must not be distracted from Jesus.
We are to look to Him in a very specific way. There are certain matters about Him that we are to consider constantly and very carefully, in order to press on.
He is the author and finisher of our faith. This references the Saviour as the originator of faith in us and the source of every spiritual resource that faith can access to fuel the Christian life. It further refers to Him as the One who will complete the work of grace which has begun.
The One who endured the cross. The crucifixion of Christ is the enduring focus of the Christian. We follow Christ crucified. Cp Luke 9:23, 1 Peter 2:21. Parallel to this is the expression the contradiction of sinners, v3. He was blasphemed and spoken against by wicked men. Even the use of His name Jesus is designed to concentrate on the humiliation He endured in His humanity.
Joy and reward. The sufferings of Christ are said to have meant nothing to Him. He despised the shame—set His mind against any negative influence of the suffering/shame. He did so on account of the joy that would follow. Cp 1 Peter 1:10-11.The joyful prospect of the glory that is secured by His successfully completing the work of redemption enabled Him to endure. Cp Is 53:11. One expression of this victory/joy is that He is set down at the right hand of God in the place of influence and power as the heir to the throne.
II LOOKING UNTO JESUS IS ACCOMPANIED BY A PUTTING OFF OF SIN AND WORLDLY BAGGAGE.
Things to be put away. Pressing on in the race requires us to set aside certain things.
Sin has to be dealt with. Sin is the great debilitator in the Christian life. He speaks here of a ‘besetting sin’. In a sense all sin is like this in that it hinders us going forward. We are often more prone to certain sins than others and they easily overcome us. The secret to pressing on is to deal with these sins. Sin is defined by God’s law and not by our own definitions. Cp Rom 13:12, Eph 4:22, 25, Col 3:8—all same Greek term as lay aside.
The baggage of unnecessary things must also be put off. Anything and everything that is a hindrance to going on in the race is in view. Cp 2Tim 2:4. This is just the self-denial that the Saviour says is necessary to following Him. Cp 1 Cor 10:23.
This is clearly a duty. There can be no pressing on in such a weighed down, hindered state.
The means to do so. Looking unto Jesus also qualifies this action. The desire and ability to put off sin and sacrifice what needs to be left behind, comes from this consideration of Christ. As we look at Him we will love Him and hate sin; we love Him sufficiently to sacrifice anything to go after Him. Even besetting sins have no power as we look at Christ. When we become weighed down and beset by sin, we have taken our eyes off the Saviour! The remedy is always to look again!
III A CONSIDERATION OF CHRIST PREVENTS A WEARY WITHDRAWAL FROM THE RACE.
Looking unto Jesus is not merely a remedial/restorative action—it is a preventative measure: lest…
Weary and faint. The Apostle speaks of being wearied and faint in your minds. How we think is impacted adversely and that affects our ability to press on. So much of the Christian warfare is a battle for the mind! The weariness the text speaks of is a spiritual ‘sickness’. Faint > ‘to unloose’. The imagery is of slackness, relaxation, taking off the girdle/yoke. Cp Gal 6:9. He is not addressing physical weariness. The Saviour Himself knew such weariness (John 4:6) but He never wearied in the way the text speaks of.
Inevitable outcome. This is the inevitable consequence of failing to look to Christ crucified. The reason for our spiritual weary fainting fits in the cause of God ultimately has only one cause.
Entirely preventable. The weariness and faintness here that halts progress in the race of faith is entirely preventable. It is prevented and cured very simply: with a look.