Joyful Followers Run The Race: Hebrews 12:1

This week’s hammer verse follows on the heels of the “hall of faith” chapter in Hebrews (chapter 11), a portrait of believers whom the author sets forth as examples of what it means to “live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38), that is, “those who [do not] shrink back,” but instead “have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:39). The hammer verse reads: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

We discover here that one of the results of our having so many people through history changed by the grace of God, people whose true stories motivate us, those who testify to the greatness and faithfulness of God, is that we should be strengthened to follow in their path, which means following our Lord in faith. More specifically we are motivated to run the race before us in such a way we don’t quit. What is this race? It is none other than striving after holiness (that is, putting God on display) with white-hot passion and zeal (Hebrews 12:14).

Yet, we also find out that if we are to run that race without falling from exhaustion midway, we must lay aside everything that will weigh us down—namely sin which clings so closely. Literally, what is written is “sin which does such a good job of standing around us”. The sense is that it is hard to get rid of and it entangles and weighs down so as to keep from running.

In the following verse (Hebrews 12:2) we find out how this is done. We turn our attention away from trusting in self, other people, or other objects, and we look trustingly to Jesus as both our example and the one who empowers us to run the race.

Bottom-line, then, Hebrews 12:1 calls us to pursue passionately Jesus Christ in faith to the glory of God and to be strengthened for this task as we learn from those who have gone before us and as we lay aside sin that entangles us and keeps tripping us. If we ever doubt whether or not continuing in sin harms us, we should not after understanding this verse. It hinders greatly our ability to put God on display!

We also do well to remember what was written earlier in Hebrews about how we must help each other deal with this horrible hindrance of sin. Hebrews 3:12-14 reads: Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Remember, this race is not merely an individual competition. Rather, it is a team “sport” wherein the Church helps each other run all the way through the tape!