THIS ONE THING

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 set out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfected 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 (Heb. 12: 1-2).

Why did the writer call the people he had written about in chapter 11 “witnesses”? Witnesses can be one of two things – people who are the process of seeing something happen, or people who bear witness to what has already happened. Are these witnesses those who sit in the grandstand and watch the readers perform or are they those who bear witness to what they have already experienced in their lives of faith?

I believe that these witnesses are people who trusted God and obeyed Him in spite of adversity and opposition. They have gone ahead and are even now reaping the reward of their faith. They bear silent witness to us who are still in the arena of life that God’s promises are true and that there is a life beyond the grave which is worth the suffering.

To run the race of life as winners requires letting go of the encumbrances which hinder us, whether they be legitimate or illegitimate. There are many things that entangle us and hinder our progress towards the goa. Legitimate things can become distractors which pull our attention away from our purpose – activities, money and possessions, friends and even family, books we read or programmes we watch on television can so occupy our attention that we drift away from the Lord and become entangled in the affairs of this life.

There is nothing wrong with any of these things in themselves but, when they take our attention away from Jesus, they slow down our progress and even cause us to veer off course and lose sight of the one who has called us to follow Him

Of course there are also illegitimate interests and activities which we must shun at all costs – anything and everything that goes against the nature of God. On this race course of life there are many “No entry” signs which warn us of danger if we trespass in these areas. They are clearly spelled out for us in God’s word. Sin not only takes us off course, it also ensnares us so that we become slaves to its power all over again.

The writer warned us not to allow ourselves to become entangled in the things of this life that are necessary – we must do what we must do, but no more – and we must avoid at all costs those things that ensnare us and pull us back into slavery again.

How do we do that? He gives us a simple prescription for staying on course – keep looking at Jesus. He is both the pioneer and perfecter of faith. What is a pioneer? One who goes ahead and charts an unknown way. He is the way to the Father and, by His life and example, He opened the way to the Father through His death, He showed us how to live to please the Father and He gave us His Spirit to live within us so that we have the power to do as He showed us.

In every awkward and difficult situation He shows us Jesus if we are willing to pay attention. Instead of going it alone and living out of our old sinful nature and reacting in our old fleshly ways, through the Holy Spirit God provides the grace to die to our sinful ways and to live out of our new nature which is a reflection of Jesus. Instead of worrying, we trust; instead of bearing grudges, we forgive; instead of hating, we love; instead of getting even, we respond with kindness because Jesus showed us how to be true sons of God.

How did Jesus overcome? He kept His eye on the goal. What people did to Him because they hated Him paled into nothing compared with the reward that lay ahead for Him because He persevered and endured. Every marathon runner keeps going because he wants to win the prize. No matter how long the course or how many obstacles he has to overcome, he keeps going because the reward far outweighs the suffering.

So it was with Jesus, and so it is with us if we want to gain the eternal prize. There are others who have gone before us who bear witness that it was worth it. The worst that human beings could do to them could not deter them from trusting God and believing His promises. What about us?

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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