Making A Course Correction

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(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."

Are You Laying Aside Your Sin . . . Or Are You Storing It Up?

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Spiritual Healing:  The Surrender That Brings Victory, Chapter 11)

'Storing up' is a very good thing to do when it comes to pantries. But at other times what we 'store up' becomes a hindrance to us.  Take for instance our sin.  God doesn't want us to store up our sin because it will become a stumbling block to us.  When we store it up, we become more comfortable with it.  It can even become our security, and what we trust in when push comes to shove.  God wants us to lay aside our sin because it encumbers our walk with Him. 

Do you remember the story of David.  As a young boy, he took it upon himself to stand and fight a giant who had ridiculed David's God.  King Saul thought he had the solution, or at least a small help for David.  He offered him his King's armor to wear as he fought.  David obliged, but not for long.  It only took moments for David to realize two things.  The armor was too cumbersome for him, and it took his eyes off of trusting God and walking through this battle with Him alone.  David defeated the 9-foot tall giant, but only after he laid aside the armor.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.  (Hebrews 12: 1-4)

"Did you notice the 'let us' phrases?  Whenever you come across a 'let us' verse, you need to read it a 'I must.'  It is a gentle command; it is not a suggestion!  What did the 'let us' phrases tell us to do?

       1.  Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us.

       2.  Run with endurance the race that is set before us.

If you have been in church, participated in Sunday school, attended a small group, or just read your Bible, you know that eventually you will hear or see something that has to do with how we are to be dealing with our sin.  But in this chapter [of Spiritual Healing] we are going to discover our need to deal with all things that hinder our walk.  We are going to use the Greek definitions of certain words in our passage to help us gain a better understanding of what Hebrews 12: 1-4 is actually telling us, and what was originally intended by its author.  Read the verses above again."

We will continue with this tomorrow.  Be sure to check back in!