Hebrews 12
In our last hymn service, Bro Hon Chew picked a seldom-sung hymn ‘”Almost Persuaded” Now to Believe’ in line with the incident of Agrippa’s ‘near’ conversion to Christianity. I must admit that as we were singing the hymn, guilt and shame made my eyes just that little bit more watery than usual. Suddenly, the word ‘almost’ seems to be the saddest word in the English Language.
However, wallowing in guilt and misery is not fitting for a Christian who must look upward, look forward and strive on towards the ultimate goal.
Today’s chapter serves as a good follow-up reminder, rebuke and revival to help us in ‘the race that is set before us’ so that we can complete it fully and not be one of the sad ‘almosts’.
Bible Passage: Hebrews 12
Like Pr Shee mentioned on Friday night, faith that saves must be faith in action. ‘The just shall live by faith’ meaning the just receives life through faith as well as the just live their life by faith is truly a very valuable and applicable teaching.
This is why the chapter exhorting us to complete the race set before us is rife with imperatives:
…lay aside every weight…
…run with endurance…
…look[ing] unto Jesus…
…consider Him…
…be in subjection…
…strengthen…
One of the pictures I was considering putting above is the one below:
Because don’t you think our lives and our faith are pretty pointless if we do not get to heaven? Some things really are ‘either or’ and entering heaven is one of them. In the end, I decided not to use the above picture to start off with because it is not totally accurate.
Like I said, entering heaven is an ‘either or’ thing, which pretty much means an extremely uncomfortable alternative awaits us if we do not enter heaven. Meaning to say, you still go somewhere, just not the somewhere we want to go. This is really sad considering that we have already started this race towards heaven so why not run it with endurance and to the end?
The same chapter, while reminding us of the terrifying alternative of not completing the race, also encourages us to look beyond the difficulties and entanglements around us towards the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus, who started this work of salvation in us, is more than capable of completing it. His blood speaks of grace and redemption so that if we fix our eyes on Him, we follow Him to receive ‘a kingdom which cannot be shaken’.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, let us strive to complete the race that is set before us so that instead of “‘Almost Persuaded’ Now to Believe’, we are fully convicted, ever to live.
2 Comments
appleofHiseye
The mentioning of the word “almost” rings a sense of urgency once again.. thank you aquillofGod for the encouragement, reminding us of our life as a race of faith. Knowing that Japan, Brisbane and so many other places in the world have experienced disasters makes it feel as though the end of days are near. But then again when the busy-ness settles in, its a struggle to break away from daily habits-bad habits. I like this verse…
“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” (Hebrews 12:12)
A reminder to continue to pray when God seems near or far away…we cannot neglect prayer.
PS
Hebrews 11:35-38 described the difficulties which the believers of old went through. Then the author remarked that the world was not worthy of these people. In Hebrews 12:5-11 the author continued to encourage the readers to esteem the chastening of God.
Does it mean that the difficulties of the believers in Hebrews 11:35-38 were chastisements from God?
A careful reading of Hebrews 12:4 states that the striving is against sin, not against God. And the bloodshed is a resultant of resistance against sin.
Then where does God’s chastening come in? When we resist against sins, our arms and knees begin to wobble, God’s chastening comes in to strengthen us for our profit that we may be partakers of His holiness.
We are partakers of God’s holiness!!!
The holiness is not ours but God’s. The more we are connected to God’s holiness (ie train by it Hebrews 12:11), the more we can resist sin even in the face of extreme hardships as mentioned in Hebrews 11:35-38.
Hebrews 12:12-13 produces an interesting picture:
– Therefore strength the hands which hang down –> serve God ceaselessly
– and the feeble knees–> pray ceaselessly for the full infilling of the Holy Spirit
– and make straight paths for your feet–> to make straight the path, the hands and other members of the body must work. Interestingly the work is carried out by other members rather than the feet.
After the reconnection to God again:
Serve God + pray + receive lamps and light from His words = we receive spiritual helps to keep to the straight spiritual path and not deviate.
– so that the lame may not be dislocated but be healed–> without God we are lame, limping to hell. His salvation locks in the dislocation and joins us back to the true vine so that we can approach God boldly (Hebrews 10:19-20) to serve Him with reverence and godly fear.
This world is not worthy of reverent and god-fearing children of God. He is not using it to train us.
God is chastening us to focus on Him.