Throw off sin and fix your eyes on Jesus

Hebrews 12:1-3 says this:
"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."

These few verses would be well worth taking a close look at, for they contain such wisdom and encouragement. They are, after all, part of God's word. I thought I'd do a few posts going through them bit by bit.

This passage follows right on from Hebrews 11 (surprise surprise), which gives an inspiring list of people from the Old Testament who demonstrated faith, from Abel to the prophets. So as we come to read chapter 12 we should have that in mind (go read 11 now!).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses," Since we have the whole Old Testament, with so many people who demonstrated faith and Christ-likeness at whatever point(s) in their lives, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles". These guys endured hardship, torture and exile for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the kingdom that they were looking ahead to. For something that's worth all that, that's so good that you're prepared to be sawn in two (check out the end of Hebrews 11), why bother with sin? It just drags us down, entangles us, and tries to stop us running to God, to our amazing Father, Saviour, Redeemer, Friend, Husband, Creator, God and King, so why have anything to do with it? And how does it say we should get rid of sin? Does it say slowly? Does it say that we should gently brush it off? No! It says throw it off! And how much of it? Everything, all of it! There's determination in that phrase. Have nothing to do with sin, or anything that hinders you running for Jesus!

Are you dabbling in sin? Are you engaging in things with blurred lines, which might be alright or you might not? Have you completely crossed the line into sin? Can these things that you run after, which drag you down, which aren't Jesus, really compare to him?? No! So...

Let's cast away sin! "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus". Sin looks good, it looks tempting. If we face sin rather than Jesus then we will get entangled, we will get dragged down. But if we throw off sin and focus on Jesus, refusing to be turned aside from him, we can run into his loving arms, which are open wide for all who come, and as Romans 8 says:
"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Let's run the race of this life, prepared to face all opposition, just like the guys from chapter 11, because we're completely focused on and obsessed and in love with Jesus. Let's completely get rid of our sins and the things we let get in the way, so that we can have no obstacle, no distraction, in a race to Jesus, in our living for and glorifying him.

Have a think about what might be dragging you down, that might be so easily entangling you. What are you watching that you shouldn't be watching? What are you listening to that you shouldn't be listening to? What are you doing that you shouldn't be doing? What are you thinking about that you shouldn't be thinking about? Stop these things!

And then "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ," (Ephesians 3) and, "know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Praise God for being so good!