Hebrews 12:1-3(NKJV) 1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Yesterday we saw that the resurrection is an ongoing source of power in our lives. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead works in us to cause us to walk in what Paul called “newness of life.” The power that raised him and can energize us is the Glory of God. (Rom 6:4)
The next question we need to ask is how do we access that power in our daily lives? Although that is a much large topic than I can cover here, I believe the scripture above can give us some direction. In these verses the writer of Hebrews is describing Jesus going through the crucifixion. If there had been no crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection. You might say that enduring the crucifixion released the power of the resurrection.
Here Jesus is called the “author and finisher of our faith”. This is a very descriptive term. The faith we walk in was defined by Jesus. He set the standard of how this faith works. As the finisher of that faith, he not only shows us how it works, but also proved that it does work. We must look to him if we are going to learn how to be successful in our faith walk.
Thankfully we do not have to go through a physical crucifixion. This section of scripture is specifically talking about overcoming the sins and weights that hold us down in life. Paul calls that “crucifying the flesh.” However crucifixion was the great trial of Jesus’ life. Looking towards that trial in the Garden of Gethsemane is what caused him to sweat drops of blood. In Gethsemane he cried out to God, asking to be released from having to go through it. There is no trial you or I will face that is worse than what Jesus faced.
If we can understand how he successfully faced such a trial, ending in the release of resurrection power we can learn how to do the same. If I can follow the example of Jesus during my times of “crucifixion” I will see the release of the power of resurrection. If that power can raise a man from death, it can surely meet my need.
Let’s look unto Jesus.
First of all we need to look at verse 1. There are a couple of things I want to point out. This verse says we have a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. Who are these witnesses? In chapter 11 of Hebrews we read about the great hall of fame of faith. This is a list of people who also endured many things but, by faith, gained great victories. It is these people who watch us in our trials today. There is no trial we face that one of them did not overcome.
It is one of the devil’s favorite tactics to make us think that no one has ever been through what we have been through. Even if we don’t think this way it is how we feel. The pressure seems so great that we cannot believe even God could get us through. However there is a great cloud of witness that have gone before us who have already won the same battle. Nothing is new to God.
The writer also points out that we must lay some things aside if we are going to successfully go through our “crucifixion” and release the power of resurrection into our circumstances. We must lay aside the sin that “so easily besets us.” What sin could that be? It is the one we like. You say, “I don’t like sin! I hate it.” Of course you do. You hate all sin accept the ones you like. The bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. (Heb 11:25) Sin pleases the flesh and there are some that are more of temptation to you than others. We must be willing to lay them aside.
This sounds easy enough, however we all know that there are some things that we are so attached to that we will rationalize the fact that they are sin at all. We will make excuses and delay confronting the problem because we cannot imagine how we could do without it. We must be willing see those things as sin and lay them aside.
I think “lay aside” is an interesting choice of words. To me this does not mean we have to be perfect and never do them again. I think it means we must be willing to see them as sin and “lay aside” any justification for them. We may not be perfect in overcoming them, but if we see them for what they are we are taking the step of laying them aside as acceptable behavior. When we do that we are much more likely to stay away from that behavior.
We also must lay aside the “weight.” What is the difference between a sin and a weight. A sin is just wrong. It goes against some commandment or law of God. A weight may not be, in itself, sinful. It just holds us down. It keeps us from doing what we should do. As such it will make it impossible to endure our “crucifixions” and thereby make it impossible to release our resurrection power.
What are some weights? Do you really need me to tell you? We all know the things that hold us down. They are the things that take so much time and attention that we do not give the proper time and attention to the things of God. They can be anything from recreation to work. Anything that makes it difficult to apply the Word of God in our lives is a weight. Anything that keeps us from the house of God is a weight. Anything that makes it difficult for us to pray or worship is a weight.
These things are not sins. That is part of what makes them dangerous. However Jesus carried no weights to the cross. He took no sin into that battle but ours. We must follow his example. Does this mean you cannot overcome if you do not perfectly set aside weights and sins. No. It does mean that the degree you lay them aside will be the amount of resurrection power you see released. It also means that the less you lay them aside the more difficult it will be to successfully negotiate your “crucifixion.”
There is tremendous power available to us through the “crucifixion to resurrection” process. Jesus showed us the way. Let’s follow him to victory.
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