12:1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses,
lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
12:2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
throne of
God.
12:3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of
sinners
against himself,
that you don't grow weary, fainting in your souls.
12:4 You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin;
Endure Discipline
12:5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you
as with children,
"My son, don't take lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by him;
12:6 For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, And scourges every son whom he receives."
12:7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as
with
children,
for what son is there whom his father doesn't discipline?
12:8 But if you are without discipline, whereof all have been
made
partakers,
then are you illegitimate, and not children.
12:9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten
us,and
we paid them respect.
Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of
spirits,
and live?
12:10 For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed
good to
them;
but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his
holiness.
12:11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous
but
grievous;
yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to
those
who have been exercised thereby.
Live a Holy Life
12:12 Therefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble
knees,
12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, (Is
35:3)
so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification
without
which no man will see the Lord,
12:15 looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short
of
the
grace of God;
lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and
thereby the
many be defiled;
12:16 lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane
person,
as Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. (Gen 25+)
12:17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to
inherit the
blessing,he was rejected,
for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it
diligently
with tears.
12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that might be
touched,
and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, tempest,
12:19 the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words;
which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be
spoken
to them,
12:20 for they could not stand that which was commanded, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be
stoned;" {TR adds "or shot with an arrow" [see Exodus 19:12-13]}
12:21 and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling." (Ex 19:16)
12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the
living
God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels,
12:23 to the general assembly and assembly of the firstborn who
are
enrolled in heaven,
to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made
perfect,
12:24 to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of
Abel.
12:25 See that you don't refuse him who speaks.
For if they didn't escape when they refused him who warned on
the
Earth,
how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who
warns from
heaven,
12:26 whose voice shook the earth, then, but now he has
promised,
saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also
the
heavens." (Is 13:13)
12:27 This phrase, "Yet once more," signifies the removing of
those
things that are shaken,
as of things that have been made, that those things which are
not
shaken
may remain.
12:28 Therefore, receiving a kingdom that can't be shaken,
let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with
reverence
and awe,
12:29 for our God is a consuming fire. (Deut
4:24)
Discussion Questions
vs 1 What is the race? What is the Objective?
What kinds of things can hinder us from accomplishing the objective?
vs 2 What does it mean to fix our eyes on Jesus?
vs 3 Do you find that the people around you discourage you (directly
or indirectly) from running the race?
vs 5-11 How have you benefited from the discipline that you received
from your parents?
Have you respected them more as a result, or resented them more?
Or, as a parent, how and why do you discipline your children?
vs 12-13 What does it mean to "make level paths for your feet"?
How would you know if your paths weren't level?
vs 14 Do you find there to be a conflict between living a holy life
and living at peace with all men?
Did Jesus ever run into this conflict?
vs 15 What's an example of a "bitter root" that causes trouble?
vs 16 How might sexual immorality be likened to what Esau did?
Considering the contrast between vs 18-21 and vs 22-24, how might a
Christian's attitude differ from a Jew living under the old
covenant?
How do the facts that God is a consuming fire and the earth will be
shaken give a positive attitutde of hope for the future to the
Christian?
Comment
How does this section describe the quality of faith characteristic
of
Christians?
It seeks to extricate itself from anything that hinders it from
following
Christ, particularly those things which tend to lead to sin. And
in
this
context, it welcomes God's discipline - whether such be hardships
in
one's
life due to our own sin or those that God introduces into our
lives to
prevent sin from taking a hold on us. It submits itself to the
Word of
God - as found in the Bible - never refusing to listen.
vs 1 In living the Christian life we should have the sense
that
we are trying to achieve an objective. We need always to have
applications
of faith in mind, for we are servants of Christ.
2Co 5:15"And that he died for all, that they which
live
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which
died for
them, and rose again."
Therefore we should consider what unnecessary things are hindering
us
from
serving Christ. Also what causes us to get entrapped in sin. We
should
avoid such things. And we should not be satisfied with mediocre
service,
but persist day after day. What can I do today to serve Christ?
Develop
a ministry and persevere in it.
vs 2 On the other hand, our primary focus shouldn't simply
be
on ministry. It should be on Christ. Practically speaking I would
recommend
studying the gospels periodically to make sure our concept of
Christ is
consistent with the Bible and to identify with Christ in our
practical
living.
Jesus endured a great deal of humiliation, but he looked beyond
the
cross with joy. Yet if you examine the gospel accounts, he wasn't
jumping
for joy to be crucified. Biblical joy is not the same as the
world's
joy.
And even Christians can have a misconception about joy as an
emotion.
Despite
what some claim, Christians can indeed be joyful without smiling.
Joy
is
a profound and deep feeling and it produces confidence in spite of
persecution.
vs 3 If you are ministering correctly, you will face
opposition.
This can be discouraging, but it's part of the ministry, and gives
us
an
opportunity to identify with Christ.
vs 4 The fact that they hadn't experience the shedding of
blood
would indicate this was written before there was major persecution
of
the
Christians.
vs 5,6 When God disciplines us, we shouldn't take it too
lightly.
Sin can have a corrupting influence on our life. If our behavior
is
significantly
deviant from that expected of a child of God, we may even question
our
salvation status. (2Cor 13:5) But on the other hand, we
shouldn't
take it too seriously. For if we have been saved, we need not
worry
about
losing our salvation. For those born of God are not destined for
wrath,
but for glory.
vs 7-11 God's discipline could be either to experience
the
result
of our sin directly, or He could warn us indirectly through
circumstances
and people. Fathers can understand the frustration that God must
face
in
trying to discipline his children. If fathers love their children,
they
will develop in them convictions and habits which are edifying and
stir
them away from things that are harmful. If children don't
cooperate,
then
stronger measures will be taken.
Some fathers may be surprised at the idea that their children
respect
them for disciplining them. In many families, it seems that many
children
are left to simply raise themselves. And it seems politically
incorrect
for parents to discipline their children. With "freedom" as an
idol,
discipline
is often viewed as something evil. But in the end, proper
discipline
gains
respect.
Pr 13:24 "He that spareth his rod hateth his son:
but he
that
loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
Pr 19:18"Chasten thy son while there is
hope,
and let
not thy soul spare for his crying."
Pr 22:15"Foolishness is bound in the
heart
of a
child;
but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."
Pr 23:13"Withhold not correction from the
child:
for
if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die."
Pr 29:17 "Correct thy son, and he shall give thee
rest;
yea,
he shall give delight unto thy soul."
vs 12-13 We should try to make our Christian lifestyle
easier
to
live both for ourselves and others. Thus we should remove things
which
cause us to become unnecessarily distracted and sin. We need to
develop
habits that are edifying. And beware of inappropriate relationships.
vs 14 Although Christians will face opposition, we
shouldn't
try and generate unnecessary conflicts. It is seldom necessary to
break
the law or even be rude to others in practicing the Christian
life.
Consider
Jesus. His country was under occupation by idol worshipping
Romans. Yet
he was not hostile towards them. His main opposition came from the
religious
leaders because he humiliated them through his teachings.
Also, it's easier to be martyred than it is to live a holy life.
So
we must make great effort at separating from sin.
vs 15 Bitterness is often a reaction to God's discipline,
especially
when people are in the process of coming to Christ, but lack the
proper
humility to respond correctly to God's leading. For God often
brings us
through humiliating circumstances so as to develop humility in us.
But
if we don't react properly, others may use it as an excuse to also
be
bitter
at their circumstances.
Consider some source of humiliation in your life and thank God
for
that
source of humiliation. For through it God is developing in you a
Christlike
character. Remember Paul's affliction:
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the
abundance
of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the
messenger
of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure."2Cor
12:7
So God may bring affliction to us through Satan or other people, yet
these
are for our good if we respond to them properly.
vs 16-17 Licentiousness is what it's talking about. A
licentious
person rejects the Lordship of Christ, refusing to recognize
boundaries
of right and wrong either from the Bible or from his conscience,
and he
becomes corrupted in his heart to do shameful things without
feeling
shame.
The effect is a corruption of the mind and the conscience such
that
repentance
may not be possible.
vs 18-24 God does not approach the believers as he
revealed
Himself
to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai when he gave them the Law.
That
event represented a pre-salvation stage in the process of
conversion.
For
"Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be
justified by faith." Gal 3:24 It does this by revealing
God's
holiness
and standard of justice, thus giving us conviction of sin and
ultimately
revealing our need for a Savior.
Rather believers are like those who are acceptable to God, who
crossed
the Jordan and took the promise land. Our names are written in
heaven.
And we are justified by the blood of Christ. Abel's blood cries
out for
justice, but Jesus' blood satisfies the need for justice.
vs 25 But we should make sure that we have responded
properly
to the gospel. For it is not sufficient to accept Christ as
Savior, but
not Lord. There are many nominal Christians who will go to hell
because
they had not responded properly to God.
vs 28 All sin will be removed from the Christians and the
effects
of sin from creation.
vs 29 "Our God is a consuming fire" sounds like we're back
at
Mount Sinai. But actually the believers view this in a positive
way.
For
God is going to burn up their sin. We see this in the judgment of
Christians
mention in 1Cor 3:11-15
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is
Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver,
precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made
manifest:
for
the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire;
and the
fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's
work
abide
which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any
man's
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall
be
saved;
yet so as by fire."1Cor 3:11-15
It is not the believer who is burned, but his sin. Our lives are
like a
book, God burns up all the pages which represent our acts of sin and
whatever
remains we get rewarded for. Thus our loses are only loses of
potential
rewards.
Literally God forgets our sins. This is the New Covenant
mentioned
in
chapter 10.
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days,
saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in
their
minds
will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember
no
more."Heb
10:16,17
Another aspect of God as a consuming fire is the fact that
the
closer
we get to God, the more our sin is revealed and God's holiness
becomes
more clear to us and what idols we hold in our hearts. The quote
from
Deut
24 in context says:
"Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the
LORD
your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image,
or the
likeness
of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. For
the LORD
thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." Deut
4:23,24
Throw
off
Hinderances
Heb 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.
By "great cloud of witnesses" he is not referring to people looking
down on us from heaven, but rather those, as in the previous chapter,
who have walked by faith and witnessed God grace and faithfulness. They
serve as an example for us to follow.
We are to throw off everything which
hinders
us in the race and the sin in which we are easily entangled. "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."1Cor 9:24
Now there
are things which would hinder us which of themselves may not be sin.
Paul says to Timothy, "No one
serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs— he wants
to
please his commanding officer." 2Tim
2:4
Consider what may be hindering you from living effectively
and fruitfully in service to the Lord. While eliminating unnecessary
responsibilities may help to this end, it may also be a matter of
prioritizing one's responsibilities. For example Paul writes, "From now on those who have wives
should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did
not;
those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something,
as
if it were not theirs to keep those who use the things of the
world, as
if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is
passing
away. I would like you to be free from concern."1Cor 7:29-32a He then speaks of
the
benefit of singleness to this end and goes on to say, "I am saying this for your own
good,
not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided
devotion to the Lord." 1Cor
7:35 While he's not speaking by way of command here, the
principle is to seek circumstances which allow for
undivided devotion to the Lord.
Again, this is not to avoid responsibilities, but to avoid
unnecessary
responsibilities. In fact professional Christians have chosen to
leave
the secular workplace and get paid for doing ministry, but in fact
this
is something that Paul advises against. For it may hinder others
from
coming to Christ, and sets a poor example. (2Thess 3:7-10) For this reason
Paul refused to exercise his right to get paid for ministry saying, "we did not use this right. On the
contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of
Christ." 1Cor 9:12b
Beyond our rights, freedoms and responsibilities there is also sin
in
which we are easily entangled. It is not difficult even for those
born
of God to get unintentionally entangled in sin, though not overcome
by
it, but rather persevere to the end. But there are also those
"Christians" who "if they have
escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are
worse
off at the end than they were at the beginning."2Pet 2:20
1Ti 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine
closely.
Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself
and
your hearers. Both behavior and doctrine incorporate
running the
race. False doctrines can be stumbling blocks. Paul writes of the
false
doctrine of the circumcision which was influencing the Galatian
churches and says, "You were
running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying
the
truth?" Gal 5:7
While
the circumcision advocated legalism, there is also the heresy of
licentiousness. "Do you not
know
that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived:" 1Cor 6:9a
and he goes on to speak of lifestyle behaviors of the wicked.
But perseverance is the measure of the true believer, thus John
writes, "They went out from us,
but they did
not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they
would
have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them
belonged to us." 1John
2:19Fixed
on
Jesus
Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author (Prince) and
perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God.
Here "author" is an incorrect translation. The word means "leader",
as
is indeed it's sole usage in the 23 cases in which it is used in the
Old Testament LXX and of the few cases it's used in the New we have
for
example Acts 5:31a"God exalted him to his own right
hand
as Prince and
Savior" He leads, we follow. And part of
what is involved in following is following his example. Thus the
verse
which follows speak of the example he set, which again affirms that
this
speaks of his leadership, not his authorship. And it is by following
him our faith is perfected.
What it means to have our faith "perfected" is to develop a matured
faith, one which is application oriented and stands in face of
opposition. Peter speaks of
adding
these qualities to one's faith, "make
every
effort
to
add
to
your
faith
goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance;
and
to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness;
and
to brotherly kindness, love."2Peter
1:5-7 And by exercising our spiritual gifts we can help to
perfect the faith of others. Paul writes, "night and day praying exceedingly that
we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?"1Th 3:10
But as for the phrase "for the joy set before him endured the
cross",
one would not get that impression from reading the gospel accounts.
However it does not say that he endured the cross joyfully, but
rather
one could say that he endured the cross in light of the joy which
was
to come as a result. The joy of saving people from sin, which is
consistent with Ps 22, part of which Jesus quoted on the cross and
ends
with a joyful note.
Another possibility noted by one commentator, John Gill, that the
Greek
work "for" (anti) can mean "instead of". In that case, he says, "instead of living a joyful and
comfortable life on earth, he suffered a shameful and an
accursed
death; and instead of the temporal joy and glory the Jews proposed
to
him, he endured the shame and pain of the cross:"
In any case the example he set was to exercise faith in the face of
difficulties and opposing circumstances.
An
Encouraging
Example
Heb 12:3Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and
lose
heart.
The opposition he faced ranged from apathy to open physical
hostility. "He was despised and
rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom
men
hide their faces" Is 53:3"Even his own brothers did not
believe in him."John 7:5
His family considered him crazy,
"Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that
he and
his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard
about
this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out
of his
mind.""Mark 3:20,21
He
was slandered. He was humiliated and mistreated.
"Let us not grow weary while
doing
good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."Gal 6:9"For you have need of endurance, so
that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the
promise"Heb 10:36
Resist
to
Death
Heb 12:4In your struggle against sin, you
have
not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
This is mentioned in contrast to Christ an in contrast to those
spoken
of in chapter 11 who "were
stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the
sword." Heb 11:37a In
other words, God
expects us to endure more suffering and trouble as a consequence of
our
faith than we have experienced so far. We should be willing to die
for
our faith. Concerning the end times Jesus said, "they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for
My
name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one
another,
and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up
and
deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of
many
will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Mt 24:9-13 So do not presume
that
you or anyone else is saved if they are not willing to endure such
things.
Receive
Discipline
Heb 12:5-8And you have forgotten that word of
encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the
Lord’s
discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because
the Lord
disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts
as a
son."(Proverbs
3:11,12) Endure
hardship
as discipline; God is
treating you as sons. For
what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not
disciplined
(and everyone undergoes discipline),
then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
In regards to the Lord's disciple, his rebuke, it's much like a
father
disciplining his son. Often children overreact in two ways. Some
will
just brush it off, making light of it, not taking it seriously. "He who ignores discipline
despises
himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding." Pr 15:32 Others may lose heart,
get
totally discourage, which is why fathers are instructed, "Fathers, do not exasperate your
children."Eph 6:4a by being
over demanding. Or "fathers,
do
not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." Col 3:21 Yet the instruction
here in
Hebrews shows us that such a reaction is not necessarily the
father's
fault. Else, seeing as God is the perfect father, such would never
occur in his case, and yet we have this instruction indicating that
in
fact there are those who overreact to God's discipline and lose
heart.
Being receptive to rebuke should be part of the Christian life. God
may
bring that rebuke through one's conscience. It may come from one's
own
personal reading of the Bible. But it may also come through other
Christians pointing out what the Bible says. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and
if he repents, forgive him."
Luke 17:3 One cannot overstate the importance of being open
to
correction. This subject dominates the book of Proverbs from which
the
author of Hebrews is quoting. Even Prov
1:7 says, "fools
despise
wisdom and discipline." Christians who are easily offended,
who
are overly sensitive to criticism are so because of pride and show
themselves fools if they discard criticism or critique offhandedly.
The New
Testament is filled with examples and rhetoric of rebuke, discipline
and correction. It's part of the Christian life, just as in raising
children, "He who spares the
rod
hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him."Pr 13:24"Discipline your son, for in that there
is hope; do not be a willing party to his death."Pr 19:18 Those not open to the
Lord's discipline refuse to be treated as his children.
Discipline
is
a Pain
Heb 12:9-11 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 our spirits and live! Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God
disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 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.
Being a "disciple" involves "discipline".
One type of discipline is a consequence of misbehavior. As an
example,
there was a situation in the Corinthian church of which Paul noted,
"When we are judged by the
Lord, we are
being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the
world." 1Cor 11:32
The situation was
Christian's were getting sick and actually dropping dead because of
their hatred for their brethren in Christ. Likewise earlier in
1Corinthians Paul instructs the church to hand a sexually immoral
Christian over to Satan for discipline. "Hand this man over to Satan, so that
the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day
of
the Lord."1Cor 5:5
In fact Paul himself was handed over to Satan for discipline at
another
point, which shows another type of discipline. There's a disciple
which
not a consequence of misbehavior, but rather one which helps one to
maintain one's humility and to grow in Christian character. Paul
says, "To keep me from becoming
conceited
because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given
me a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." 2Cor 12:7 Satan is not as much
our
enemy as is our own pride. God will even use Satan to bring
affliction
upon us just so that we may develop and maintain a healthy level of
humility.
Along these same lines comes SELF-discipline, where we discipline
ourselves. If we exercise self-disciple we won't fall under the
Lord's
discipline, which is what Paul meant by saying, "if we judged ourselves, we would not
come under judgment." 1Cor
11:31 And he says, "Everyone
who
competes
in
the
games
goes into strict training. They do it to get
a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will
last
forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do
not
fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it
my
slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not
be
disqualified for the prize."1Cor
9:25-27 Are you a disciple or merely a spectator?
Self-discipline
also goes hand in hand with self-control. God's grace should teach
us
self-control "It teaches
us
to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."Titus 2:12
Yes disciple is painful. If it's not painful, it's not discipline.
For no discipline seems
pleasant at the
time, but painful. Human nature seeks for pleasure, and
pleasure-seeking is particular pervasive in many cultures today,
such
as the fun-loving American culture, which is why drug abuse and
sexual
immorality is so rampant along with obesity and laziness. But the
Christian must not make pleasure seeking a priority, but must be
subject to painful discipline. To
avoid hardship is not necessarily the best thing to do, neither for
oneself nor for one's fellow Christian.
"Let us not become weary in
doing
good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give
up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Gal 6:9,10
Prepare
the
Way
Heb 12:12-13Therefore, strengthen your feeble
arms
and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," (Pr 4:26)so that the lame may not be disabled,
but rather healed.
You can easily hurt yourself - break your ankle - running on rocky
or
bumpy ground. What is your path? It is firstly your direction in
life
and your walk is your lifestyle. If your goal is at the end of your
path, then you will attain it most effectively by removing obstacles
and making your path straight and narrow. The context of the quote
in
proverbs follows:
Prov
4:20-27"My son,
pay
attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let
them
out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they
are life
to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.
Above
all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Put away
perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your
lips. Let
your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before
you. Make
level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do
not
swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
In considering one's chosen lifestyle, avoid unnecessary
circumstances
that lead to temptation. A person's not going to be healed from
addictions if they continue to subject themselves to circumstances
that
lead to temptation. And there are many unnecessary distractions we
subject ourselves to. If texting while driving is dangerous enough,
how
much more dangerous are the things that distract us from living the
Christian life.
The Christian's way is to be straight and narrow. "Enter through the narrow gate. For
wide is the gate and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But
small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few
find
it." Mt 7:13,14 And
with
regards to influencing others for Christ, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make
straight paths for him." Mt
3:3b
Be
a
Holy Peace Maker
Heb 12:14Make every effort to live in peace
with
all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Paul writes, "If it is possible, as far as it
depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Rom 12:18
However I take this to mean to purse peace on God's terms, not on
man's
terms. For peace with God is the priority, and such can only be
gained
in view of God's holinesss. "You
know
the message God
sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace
through
Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."Acts 10:36 And "since we have been justified
through
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" Rom 5:1 "All this is from God, who reconciled
us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in
Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed
to
us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s
ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We
implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."2Cor 5:18-20
Christ died for his enemies to make peace with them. And yet also
conditioned peace upon his enemies pledging allegiance to him.
Likewise
when we pursue peace with all men, we must do so zealously, but on
God's terms, not compromising our convictions.
"Peacemakers who sow in peace
raise a harvest of righteousness."Jas
3:18
As for holiness, we learn just a few verses ago "God disciplines us for our good, that
we may share in his holiness." Heb
2:10 He's not talking about mere positional holiness. He's
talking about actual behavior. Holiness is a lifestyle. "As obedient children, do not
conform
to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just
as he
who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is
written:
'Be holy, because I am holy.'
(Lev 20:26)" 1Peter 1:14-16
As for "without holiness no
one
will see the Lord", it is of course inevitable that the
saints
will be made holy, just as "flesh
and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption
inherit incorruption."1Cor 15:50 But
the
saints will be sanctified to enter. But another way of looking at
this
phrase is the idea that our effort to reconcile people with God is
partly dependent on our personal holiness. For without holiness they
will not see the Lord through us. Thus if we are living an unholy
life
we will have less influence.
"Since we have these promises,
dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that
contaminates
body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."2Cor 7:1 Beware
Poisonous
Roots
Heb 12:15 See to it that no one misses the
grace
of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and
defile
many.
As much of Hebrews alludes to the Old Testament, here also. In this
case he's alluding to the terms
of
the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites
in
Moab. mentioned in Deuteronomy 29. "Make sure there is no man or woman,
clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD
our
God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there
is no
root among you that produces such bitter poison or wormwood." Deut 29:18b This kind of
bitterness
is associated with turning away from God. It can be contagious.
Let us look at a couple of examples where this word "bitterness" ("pikria" in Greek) is used in
the
New Testament. Foremost is Simon the Sorcerer in Acts chapter 8. He
performed magic tricks and all
the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and
exclaimed,
"This man is the divine power known as the Great Power."Acts 8:10 But he then came to
hear
the gospel. Simon himself
believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere,
astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. Acts 8:13 Now when Peter and
John
arrived they laid hands on the people and they received the Holy
Spirit. When Simon saw that
the
Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he
offered
them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone
on
whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered:
"May
your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the
gift
of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry,
because
your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and
pray
to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought
in
your heart. For I see
that
you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."Acts 8:18-23
It's not that Simon was "bitter" in the normal sense of the word
today.
But rather he was full of poison - the poison of envy, poison which
is
contagious. Therefore
"bitter" in these references is more accurately "poisonous", as we
see
the word also used in Rev 8:11 "The name of the star is Wormwood.
A
third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the
water,
because it was made bitter."
Envy among Christians is one of the bitter roots, as is greed.
Christians have developed false doctrines which have defiled much of
the history of post-Biblical Christianity and have even led to
Christians murdering other Christians along with other atrocities
and
ungodly acts, and worldly philosophies infiltrating the Christian
community, causing great troube and defiling many.
Regrets
as
an Incentive
Heb 12:16,17 See that no one is sexually
immoral,
or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his
inheritance
rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted
to
inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no
change
of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
Sexual immorality is another poison root that defiles many a
Christian."The
lips
of
an
immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is
smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged
sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell."Pr 5:3-5"It
is God’s will that you should be
sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality" 1Th 4:3 And "Do you not know that the wicked will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the
sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes
nor
homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."1Cor 6:9
In Esau's case he took lightly that which should have been taken
seriously. Paul speaks of many who lived as enemies of Christ. "Their destiny is destruction,
their
god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their
mind is
on earthly things." Php
3:19
Such was Esau. His stomach was his god and his mind was on earthly
things.
As for Esau this again goes right along with Deut 29. For as the
previous verse alludes to Deut
29:18,
these
verses
may
allude to Deut
29:19,20 "When such a
person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on
himself
and therefore thinks, 'I will be
safe, even though I persist in going my own way.' This
will
bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD
will
never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn
against
that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him,
and
the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven." While "no one who has been born of God will continue to sin" (1John 3:9) due to the nature of regeneration, yet
there
is many a "Christian" today who figure,
"I'm saved and now it doesn't matter how I live. I can go on
and
live a lifestyle of sin and not worry about going to hell."
As for finding no place for repentance, in Esau's case the paper was
signed, the vow was taken. There was no rescinding the deal.
Likewise
there are times when the consequences of sin cannot be reversed. We
learned in Heb 9:27 that
judgement follows death, and there are no second chances. There are
also sins which have natural consequences. Sexual immorality may
lead
to pregnancy or sexual disease, so also many other sins have natural
consequences. Also while God does forgive the sins of the repentant,
there is a difference between repenting from sin and regretting the
consequences of sin.
Greater
Implications
Heb 12:18-21 You have not come to a mountain
that
can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom
and
storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that
those
who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,
because
they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches
the
mountain, it must be stoned." The sight was so terrifying that
Moses
said, "I am trembling with fear."
Heb 12:22-24But you have come to Mount Zion, to
the
heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the
church of
the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to
God,
the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made
perfect, to
Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood
that
speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
The writer is contrasting Old and New just as he has been doing
through
much of Hebrews and much as Paul did in Gal 4:24-26These
things may be taken figuratively,
for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears
children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for
Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of
Jerusalem,
because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above
is free, and she is our mother.
Here in Hebrews 12 he is contrasting the heavenly Jerusalem which
cannot be touched against the earthly, quite literally Mount Sinai
which can be touched, though at the time you would die doing so. The
earthly appearance of God was associated with fire, darkness, gloom,
storm. But heavenly is associated with joy and praise, the spirits
of
men made perfect as opposed to the flesh of men being destroyed. The
heavenly Jerusalem is life while Sinai brought the law of sin and
death. In heaven the names of the
righteous are written in the book of life, while "no one will be declared righteous in
his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become
conscious of sin."Rom
3:20
Now
is
the Time to be Shaken
Heb 12:25-29See to it that you do not refuse
him
who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who
warned
them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who
warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but
now
he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but
also
the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what
can
be shaken— that is, created things— so that what cannot be shaken
may
remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be
shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with
reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."(Deut 4:24)
One may be reminded of what Jesus said to Nicodemus, "I have spoken to you of earthly
things
and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of
heavenly things?"John
3:12
Or what the angel said of the rich man's brothers in Luke 16, "If they do not listen to Moses and
the
Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from
the
dead.’"Luke 16:31
Again - the warning on earth speaks of Sinai, the giving of the Law
of
Moses. Those under the Old Covenant who violated the law suffered
severe consequences, but it allude to this life. The gospel message
is
about eternal life and eternal death. The Law is not the final
thing.
At Sinai the voice of God shook the earth. That which is earthly can
be
shaken. It is corruptible and not meant to last. While the kingdom
of
God has a firm foundation and will last forever in the new heavens
and
new earth. "The day of the
Lord
will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar;
the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything
in it
will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way,
what
kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly
lives
as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That
day
will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the
elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a
new
heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." 2Peter 3:10-13
There's an upside to God being a consuming fire - for he consumes
all
that is corruptible, including our sinfulness along with the guilt
of
our sin and the memory of our evil deeds (Heb 8:12).And "If any man builds
on this foundation
using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work
will be
shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It
will
be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each
man’s
work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
If it
is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but
only
as one escaping through the flames."1Cor 3:12-15