(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Spiritual Healing: The Surrender That Brings Victory, Chapter 11)
If we put together all of the words and phrases from Hebrews 12:1
that we have looked at in the Greek, we are able to write the verse with
even greater clarity.
"Putting all of those definitions together, we will see an
'amplified' version of what it is really telling us." Let me show you.
Considering that God has designed for us a particular race to run, one in which we are to lay aside the things that trip us up on our journey to Him, we should set our minds on giving the race a strenuous effort so as never to surrender to our stumbling blocks and sin. We should attack this race as our course on earth, one of mastery and victory over satan and sin.
If we do not live out this verse in our daily walk of obedience to
God, our sins and our encumbrances will keep us from the kind of
runner's race of faith that could influence others. Have you considered
what effect your sin and 'allowances' have had on those around you?
What impact could it have if you continue in your disobedience? Do you
remember the legacy left to us by the great cloud of witnesses? What
legacy do you really want to leave behind for others to follow? Do you
want your legacy to be that you tolerated your own disobedience to your
Creator while He abhorred it, or that your fought the good fight, that
you ran a great race, that led you to the surrender the brought victory
into your life?
Do you find that you now have a course correction to make? The
masterful author of Hebrews has the 'how to' in verse 2 of Hebrews 12.
He says to 'fix your eyes on Jesus' because He is the Author and
Perfecter of faith. Our faith began at our salvation, with Jesus and
our belief in Him. Though we are a character in the book He is writing
of our faithful journey, He is the Author of it, not us! He is also the
One who is doing the perfecting in us. We would never be capable of
heart transformation on our own!
As a reminder, let's revisit the 'let us' phrases and what they are telling us to do:
- Lay aside what is holding us back.
- Run with endurance.
The 'laying aside' of our sin and heavy encumbrances is a call
to Lordship in our lives. As we begin to walk in the Spirit and lay
aside our stumbling blocks, we are actually making Jesus the Lord of
those particular areas of sin and barriers to holiness. In surrendering
them, we are giving Him His rightful seat in our hearts, which allows
Him full control over the things that can entangle us and get us off
course."
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