seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
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Being a Christian is not all "Hallelujah" and "Glory" and "Praise".
Back in the days when this was written, a Hebrew Christian stood out like a sore thumb. They were Hebrew but they didn't take any sheep, goats, or oxen, to the Temple for Sacrifice. They didn't even offer any herbs or a chicken to the barbeque. Their neighbors began to notice their absence, and then their neighbors started to worry about them, out there with those Crazy Christians. Their neighbors were afraid God would do something horrible to them for leaving the Temple. They would tell the priest and the priest would tell the Roman Soldiers. They would be labeled "terrorist", hunted down, and jailed. They might have been hung on a cross for leaving the Temple.
The author of this book says, "don't sweat the small stuff". Jesus "went to war" for you. Jesus gave His Life for you, don't quit on Him now!
Being a Christian does not mean everything is slick calm smooth from now on.
We are the Children of God. God will correct us. Trouble will not avoid us. Outsiders will attack us.
There are people in churches all over the world who really despise the "goody two shoes" [as we are labeled] because they are Pew Warmers and they are jealous of our bond with God.
Now, we get put in the category of Joel Osteen, the Bakers, or Robert Schuller. These are just some of the televangelists who drive Cadillacs, cheat on their wives, and build Crystal Churches with the tithes and love offerings their preaching brings in. They pay themselves so well they live in luxury, but they don't feed the people anything but high expectations and twisted gospel, written solely to get you to take out your wallet.
Non-Believers say all Christians are like Osteen, the Bakers, or Schuller of the pulpit.
Then bad stuff happens in our lives, we can't afford to feed our babies, or we can't afford to take our babies to the doctor, or we have nowhere to live while they live in luxury and we question our decisions.
What's more important, feeding a baby, driving a new Cadillac, or living in a crystal palace? Ask them and they will choose the Cadillac because they say people should expect everything to be luxurious here on earth for the Children of God.
Christians don't have to live in luxury. We're only here for a little while. We choose to feed the babies. We choose to love one another.
The Children of God know God exists because He corrects them and keeps them on the right path. Like a good Father!
Do you choose Cadillacs, crystal palaces, or children?
If you don't drive a Cadillac, do you still get to Heaven?
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Here's a link to the commentary I read.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses: In the mind’s eye, the author pictured these previous champions of faith as spectators from the heavens, cheering us as we press on to overcome present discouragement as in an athletic competition.
Looking unto Jesus: The New American Standard Version translates this beautifully as, fixing our eyes on Jesus. We can only run the race as we look to Jesus and have our eyes locked on to Him. He is our focus, our inspiration, and our example.
You have forgotten: One great reason for the discouragement among these Jewish Christians was because they saw no reason why God would allow difficult times to arise. They forgot principles regarding the chastening of the LORD.
God deals with you as sons: A fundamental fact of the believer’s relationship with God is that He is to His people as a loving, good father is to a son or daughter. Some have trouble receiving this because they never knew a loving, good human father in their own experience. Yet, even these can still receive the love of God the Father.
We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect: We should be even more submissive and respectful to our Heavenly Father’s correction than to an earthly Father’s correction.
Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live? Therefore, we must never despise God for His chastening, though it is unpleasant at the moment. When we resent it, we consider ourselves virtual equals with God instead of His children.
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down: Almost like a coach or a military officer, the author told his fellow followers of Jesus to take courage and be active. He gave exhaustive reasons to be strong in the Lord and to put off discouragement, the time had now come to do it.
