The race marked out for us

Hebrews 12:1-13

Key Verse 12:1

This passage helps us to see our life as God's opportunity to train us to become worthy of the perfect world to come. The point of training is to help us grow in faith, believing in His absolute goodness. For this purpose the Lord sends us one difficulty after another, or depending on the case and on the way one sees, one good thing after another, so that through all of them our faith in Him would prove genuine and solid, as solid as gemstones, far better than even the strongest of them. 

In addition, as we keep our faith "no matter what" the Lord God naturally helps us to bear good fruit that lasts for ever, rendering glory to God, reaping lasting rewards for us from the Lord. 

This process or progress is described as a 'race' marked out for each person, for as John Bunyan described the Christian's life in his book Pilgrim's Progress as a spiritual pilgrimage, everyone must consider individually and independently the gospel message and consider what he or she wants to do with it and figure out how to apply it to his or her own life. He or she must do so until he or she finishes his or her own life here on earth while in his or her body. 

[Note: People sin when they do not know that God himself is sufficient for us to have all we need for life.]

1. Verse 1 describes the heroes of faith in chapter 11 as “witnesses.”  As witnesses, what testimony do they share with us?  How do their testimonies help us to run the race marked out for us?

** The point of their testimony is their relationship with the Lord, that is, despite many challenges such as the temptations of materialism or humanism, they kept their faith in the Lord, by putting the Lord first. The key then is their "faithfulness", being faithful to the Lord by demonstrating their faithfulness despite the hardships, trials and ordeals that were all designed to cause them to be unfaithful in their relationship with the Lord. Example: Abel, Noah, Enoch...

** They help us in that they set a good example, so we would have a clear idea of how to meet the challenges and overcome them. Sometimes they failed and even their failures (such as Abraham quickly agreeing with Sarah to sleep with Hagar) help us to know how to avoid making mistakes. Because they won so many victories in so many different trials and tests, we can draw upon their examples and learn how to meet the challenges coming our way and win. 

2. Verse 1 depicts the life of Christians as a “race marked out for us.”  Why is it called a “race” rather than a “walk”? (Ecc 12:14; Matthew 16:27; 1Cor 9:24)  What helps us run the race better? (2Tim 4:7)

** The word "race" has the component of "competiting" for a good purpose, such as in games like  basketball or track racing. Just as the brothers in   our Downey chapter enjoy soccer with each team struggling hard to win the game by scoring more goals than the other team, so also our Christian life is described as a spiritual race to earn fruit that lasts forever. 

King Solomon also affirmed this truth when he said in Ecclesiastes 12:14, "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

Similarly Jesus said in Mat 16:27, "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." 

In the same way, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

** Faith in the Lord.

3. Verse 1 names two categories to throw off, both “everything that hinders” and “the sin that so easily entangles.”  How are the two different?  Why is it that people are so reluctant (or find it so difficult) to throw them off?  Yet why is it necessary to throw them off?

** The first item is not sin; in fact it can even be something which is good. The New King James Version calls it "every 'weight'". In view of what Jesus said in John 6:63, it appears that this item refers to giving more concern, affection, or fondness to what is physical than is deserved. 

The second item is plainly sin, particularly the sin of "unbelief." 

** Those who are reluctant are so because they are unenlightened in regard to the deadness (or inability to give them life) of that which they are attached to. On most occasions they have been deceived by the devil's lies. For this reason when Jesus came, he kept teaching even his enemies (such as Sadducees) who were steeped in pleasure seeking lifestyles in order to enlighten them. 

For the same reason Jesus asked St. Paul to go and enlighten the Gentiles so they would be saved from the bondage to the power of sin and death. 

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

** Those who find it difficult do so because they try to get rid of them with their own abilities, rather than by faith in God's love and power. 

** It is to help us perform better in running the race marked out for us.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.

4. Jesus is described as “the author and perfecter” of our faith in verse 2a.  What does this description suggest about the reason for (or help we can get from) fixing our eyes on Jesus?

** The reasons (and therefore the needs) for fixing our eyes on Jesus are twofold:

1) The issue of what

To know what it is to believe in the absolute goodness of our Heavenly Father, for unless we see the original “specs” we might end up operating with the wrong kind of faith. The word "author" means "originator". This means that Jesus' faith is "original", and all the rest are copies. So we better go by the original. 

2) The issue of how

Jesus is the perfecter of faith, meaning that as we turn to Jesus Christ, he equips us to better believe in the Lord, until our faith in the Lord becomes perfected. We see this being the case in the life of Abraham. When Abraham trusted in the Lord and obeyed one thing after another, the Lord God led him to grow in faith, leading him from one level of faith to another. It has been said that the Lord God helped Abraham to go through ten trials. In a sense we can say that the Lord moved Abraham from Grade 1 (Gen 12) to Grade 10 (Gen 22). 

5. Verse 2 testifies that it is “for the joy set before him” that Jesus endured the cross.  What kind of joy is it? (Psalms 16:11)  What does this teach about the purpose of our race in the Lord?  How does this help us run the race better? (verse 3)

** This is the spiritual joy that comes from the Lord God. Unlike other kinds of joy, such as the joy of playing soccer that last only for a short time, this joy lasts forever. 

** It is to participate in God's eternal joy which is eternally and perfect.

** V. 3 says that this joy helps us to not grow weary or lose heart, for the heart functions better as it feeds on joy. Note: Joy is an acronym of Jesus first, others second, and yourself third.

6. Verse 3 talks about joy whereas verse 4 talks about the sin that needs to be fought against.  How are the two related to one another? (Psalms 51:12; 1Pet 2:11)  What does it mean to struggle against sin “to the point of shedding your blood”? (Luke 22:44)

** Sin separates man from God who is the source of real and everlasting joy. For this reason we say, "Sin destroys joy." 

So the two are enemies to one another. 

** Of course we cannot shed our physical blood. If our body looses blood, we die. 

It then means that we must fight against sin until we get sin out of the essence of our being. Blood is the seat of life. 

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

Practically it means for us to believe in Jesus, until Jesus becomes our blood, bones, and flesh, as Jesus said in John 6:54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

7. In verses 5-13 discipline is referred to ten times.  What does this passage tell us about: 1) the Lord’s motive and 2) purpose in disciplining His children? 

** His motive is "love". Love wants to give what is best. And the Lord Himself is the best of all the best. So, his real motive is to share Himself with us, and us with him.

** His purpose is for us to receive God's healing, and become His children, not only in title but in substance, bearing the image of God as each of us was originally created in Genesis 1:26-28.

The end.