Hebrews Chapter 12
Hebrews 12:1 “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 of us."
THEREFORE....
Previously, the writer of Hebrews listed dramatic examples of God's use of faith. Amazingly, God's love for us—those who are still able to hear and respond to the gospel today—is the reason He has waited to fully deliver His ultimate victory over sin and suffering (Hebrews 11:39–40). These faithful ones endured hardships during their earthly lives, and even now are waiting to see God completely fulfill His promises (Hebrews 11:35–39). That delay is for our sake—so that those of us hearing the gospel now will have an opportunity for that same reward. This is why this verse begins with the appropriate word "therefore." All of the prior reasoning, including chapter 10's warning about falling away, the definition of godly faith, the catalog of heroes, the list of victories, the reminder of suffering, and the encouragement of God's love, has led to this point: an application of the truth. What should we do with this awesome information? The proper response of a Christian, given all of the "witnesses" to godly faith, and their success despite their hardships, and in light of God's loving patience, is to purposefully shed our sins and selfishness and "hold fast" as we strive to fulfill the plans God has in store for us. All we know of God's former work should inspire us to complete, dedicated devotion to His will. We ought to make every effort to "hold fast" (Hebrews 3:6; 10:23), setting aside sin and selfishness as we pursue whatever path God has placed in front of us. This is the essence of godly faith: to trust God with our future, despite how hard it might be in the present (Philippians 4:12–13). |
Hebrews 12:2-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Jesus, the Ultimate Example
Christ also suffered hardship and persecution (Philippians 2:8-11), as well as temptation (Hebrews 4:15), but never wavered in His resolve to do the will of God the Father (Hebrews 5:8). Christ's entire ministry and the superiority of the new covenant (Hebrews 10:12–14) are grounded in His example, which we should strive to follow (Hebrews 2:10–11). Fix our eyes.. So, as we run, we must fix our eyes on Jesus. In doing so, we will keep our eyes on the ultimate prize. The end goal of Jesus' obedience was to establish the purpose we should be striving for: the "city with foundations" (Hebrews 11:10), our ultimate victory and reward in God (Hebrews 11:13–16; Revelation 21:1–14). Consider Jesus
We are to be intentional and attentive in reflecting on Christ's example that we may be able to bear our trials in a proper manner. Jesus will furnish us with the same Spirit, and will support us with the same strength. He dealt with continual opposition but he conquered by meekness, patience, and perseverance and He has left us an example that we should follow his steps. If we trust in him, we will receive strength no matter how great our opposition may be. We will not be weary if we confide in and attentively look to him, we will have continual courage to go on, and never faint in your minds. |
"As you continue in your race, refuse to focus on what you are not, what you cannot do, and what you do not know. Rely on God's power. Rely on God's resources. Rely on God's ways. Focus on who Christ is in you. This is fixing your eyes on Jesus!" Christine Caine, Unstoppable. See excerpt: Transformation Part 4.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 1 Peter 2:20-23 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[a] 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. |
Hebrews 12:4-6 “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son."
Have you forgotten?
The general sense of this passage is, “you have not yet been called in your Christian struggles to the highest kind of sufferings and sacrifices. Great as your trials may seem to have been, yet your faith has not yet been put to the severest test. This exhortation is found in Proverbs 3:11-12. The object of the apostle in introducing it here is, to show that afflictions were designed on the part of God to produce good in the lives of his people, and that they ought, therefore, to bear them patiently. |
Hebrews 12:7-11 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
God Disciplines Us For Our Good
Never from passion or from the love of power or superiority, but always for our good. The exact benefit which he designs to produce we may not be able always to understand, but we may be assured that no other cause influences him than a desire to promote our real welfare, and as he can never be mistaken in regard to the proper means to secure that, we may be assured that our trials are always adapted to that end. While good fathers always try to act in love, they often fail. But God always acts in love, seeking our highest good. Earthly fathers can be mean or angry, but God is never temperamental. Earthly fathers have jurisdiction over us during childhood. But God’s authority and discipline extends over our lifetimes. Good earthly fathers seek to prepare us for life on earth. But God is preparing us for eternity. |
John 15:2
"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." |
Submit to the Father
If we resist and harden our hearts, we will miss the purpose of the discipline. If we are truly God’s children, this will result in more discipline. God’s intention is that we respectfully submit to it . We should submit to God because He has the sovereign right to do with us as He pleases. And so faith submits to the Father’s discipline, trusting that He administers it perfectly for His eternal purpose and for my eternal good.. |
James 4: 4-8b You adulterous people,don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you..... |
Sharing in His holiness
Without examining this verse more closely, we can easily skip over the significance that "God disciplines us for our good SO THAT we can SHARE in His holiness." The Greek word used for share is metalambánō. Strong's 3335 defines metalambánō as derived from 3326 /metá, "change after being with," and 2983 /lambánō, "aggressively take or receive") – properly, to lay hold of with initiative which prompts "a change afterward," i.e. to show real interest which brings certain change. We can't come away from spending time with God without affecting an inward change in our lives if we purposefully seek to be changed by Him. 2 Peter 1:3-4 " His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." The Greek work for knowledge is 1922 epígnōsis (from 1909 /epí, "on, fitting" which intensifies 1108 /gnṓsis, "knowledge gained through first-hand relationship") – properly, "contact-knowledge" that is appropriate ("apt, fitting") to first-hand, experiential knowing. His divine power gives us everything we need to participate in the divine nature through our knowledge of Him gained by first-hand experience. We are called to be holy because He is holy and through His discipline, when He lays hold of us, we are prompted through His Spirit to change to reflect Him and His nature. We are made to be completely set apart from the world in our conduct which is why disciplines those He loves. Our heavenly Father who has made us his children, instructs us by various means so that we become even better fitted to share in His holiness. We are traditionally accustomed to equate holiness with a pious, religious outward morality. But being called to holiness is to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out so that we desire to do what pleases Him so that we live by God's standards, not the worlds. |
1 Peter 1:15-16 "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”' See: We are called to be holy |
Hebrews 12:12-13 “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 'Make level paths for your feet,' so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."
THEREFORE....
In view of the facts which have been now stated - that afflictions are sent from God, and are evidences of his paternal watchfulness. Strengthen Your Feeble Frame This is a call to renew your courage. When we are exhausted and worn down, we droop our shoulders and let our hands/arms fall by the side. The knees also become enfeebled by long effort, and tremble as if their strength were gone. We are to make every effort to bear up under our trials. The hope of victory will do much to strengthen one almost exhausted in battle; In persecution, and sickness, and bereavement, he may be ready to sink under his burdens. The hands fall, and the knees tremble, and the heart sinks within us. But confidence in God, and the hope of heaven, and the assurance that all this is for our good, will reinvigorate the enfeebled frame, and enable us to bear what we once supposed would crush us to the dust. Make Level Paths Our walk and conversation in the church and in the world should be kept on a straight path free from obstacles that can trip us up. Whatever is defective we should endeavor to restore to soundness, rather than to suffer the defect to be increased. Whatever is feeble in our faith or hope; whatever evil tendency there is in our hearts, we should endeavor to strengthen and amend, lest it should become worse, and we should entirely fall. |
Isaiah 35:3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Praise: Everlasting God, Lincoln Brewster Proverbs 4:25-27 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. |
Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Make every effort
How easy it is to feel a self-righteous indignation when we are offended or wronged.. But the Greek word used here means to earnestly pursue or aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch (prize). How convicting as that is not my default approach....and if I do attempt to be at peace...it is more often half-hearted. God uses difficult experiences to "train" us into a deeper, stronger faith. As believers, we are commanded to seek peace between believers and others (Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:13). In fact, this capacity to "get along" is tied closely to our spiritual maturity (James 3:17; 1 Timothy 3:3; Galatians 5:22). This is especially important when it comes to relationships between other Christians. Not only does mutual love serve to build up the church, it is a primary sign to the world that we're disciples of Christ (John 13:35; 1 John 3:14; 4:21). (Bibleref) Romans 12:14 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" 2 Timothy 1:7; 9 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline......He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus..... |
Be Holy, No one will see the Lord without holiness
Instead of yielding to a worldly haughtiness...instead of seeking revenge on your persecutors and foes, make it rather your aim to be holy. The holy life is not an elective or optional matter for Christians, but is demanded and required of all who hope to enter heaven. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8); Bibleref says: Along with mutual peace, the writer encourages a life of holiness. Again, this is a common theme of New Testament teaching. Christians are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live godly, righteous, moral lives (2 Timothy 1:7). Sin is always the result of rejecting that power, in some way (1 Corinthians 10:13). Those who persist in sin are proving that they don't have the influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives (1 John 1:6). At the same time, this verse does not mean we're meant to be saved based on our "good behavior." It is impossible for an imperfect, unholy sinner to stand before God (Isaiah 6:5) — we must be perfectly righteous to be in His presence (Exodus 33:19–20). [As believer's when God looks upon us, He sees Christ's righteousness which Jesus exchanged for our sin when we accepted His gift of salvations through grace by faith.] That exact point will be made later in this chapter when the writer refers to God's display at Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12:18–29). That ability to stand in the presence of God, however, is exactly what we gain from Christ's finished work on our behalf (Hebrews 9:11–12; 1 John 3:2). The holiness we need to "see the Lord" comes from Christ, by His grace, and through our faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). Striving to live according to that standard should be the natural desire of every saved believer (John 14:15). |
Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."
See to it......be diligent, focused with genuine care and concern
---that no one misses the grace of God We are a witness for or against our beliefs. Our conduct bears witness as a fruit in our own lives and we should examine ourselves daily; but we should also be aware that our conduct influences others and their view of Christ. ---that no bitter root grows up A root of bitterness signifies a poisonous plant. The root of bitterness is here used metaphorically for a bad man, or a man holding unsound doctrines, and endeavoring to spread them in the Church. |
Deuteronomy 29:18 so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. |
Hebrews 12:16-17 “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears."
See to it......be diligent, focused with genuine care and concern
---that no one is sexually immoral Do not allow any promiscuous person who would profain the Gospel of the grace of God and corrupt the church. ----that no one is godless like Esau Allusion is made to Esau as an example, who, himself a corrupt and profane man, for a trifle threw away the highest honor which as a son he could have. This remarkable incident (Genesis 25:29), involving the transfer of the birthright for the smallest considerations, only a pot of lentils. But the lesson in this is very pointed for the readers of Hebrews. They too were on the point of giving up something even more valuable than the bartered inheritance of Esau in their threatened return to Judaism. Furthermore, if they went back, it would prove to be just as irrevocable as was the tragic decision of Esau. The irreversible nature of such a defection would have sprung not from any inability of God to forgive and restore them, but from the very nature of people themselves. In the course of man's moral defections, there are some thresholds which, once crossed, admit of no returning. |
Hebrews 12:18-21 “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded:'If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned" The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, 'I am trembling with fear.'"
He is speaking of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. The people trembled in fear at approaching God. God was not easily accessible and the people had to hear from God always through a mediator.
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Hebrews 12:22-24 “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels, in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."
These verse provide a contrast to the previous verses. What a difference Jesus has made! Before Jesus came, God seemed distant and threatening. After Jesus came, God welcomes us through Jesus and into His Presence.
The sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks a better a better word than the blood of Abel. Abel's voice crying from his spilled blood spoke against Cain. But Jesus' blood spoke for us and not against us! It did not speak worse things, as it might well have done, but better things than that of Abel. It did not demand fiercer vengeance than what fell upon Cain, it did not ask that we might be driven as vagabonds and fugitives upon the face of the earth, and to be at last banished from God into hell for ever, but it cried, “Father, forgive them,” and it prevailed, and the curse was taken away, and a blessing came to the sons of men. [Charles Spurgeon] |
Hebrews 12:25 “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?"
God had addressed “them” in the gospel as really as he had done the Hebrews on Mount Sinai, and that there was as much to be dreaded in disregarding his voice now as there was then. He does not speak, indeed, amidst lightnings, and thunders, and clouds, but he speaks by every message of mercy; by every invitation; by every tender appeal. He spake by his Son Hebrews 1:1; he speaks by the Holy Spirit, and by all his calls and warnings in the gospel.
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Hebrews 12:26-27 “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' The words 'once more' indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain."
Eventually, the world as we know it will come to an end but God's kingdom is everlasting! Those who follow Christ are part of this unshakable kingdom and they will withstand the shaking and sifting! No matter what happens on this earth, our future is certain and is built on a solid foundation that cannot be shaken!
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Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
Just think about this....we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken! For everything that Satan tries to do to get us to shake in our boots we are residents of an unshakable kingdom! This thought should propel us to thankfulness and worship!
Our thankfulness should demonstrate an acceptable well pleasing- form of service...of worship. The word used for worship is Strong's 3000 and it speaks of an acceptable act of service from someone qualified and equipped. For our God is a consuming fire. This is first noted in Deuteronomy 4:24 in regarding to being warned against idolatry; "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." God IS God and will not share His glory with worthless substitutes. Jesus said in Matthew 4: 10 "For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve (3000) Him only." God’s holiness is the reason for His being a consuming fire, and it burns up anything unholy. The holiness of God is that part of His nature that most separates Him from sinful man. God has provided the righteousness we need by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of all who would ever believe in Him. In that one act, Christ mitigates God’s wrath, exchanging His perfect righteousness for our sin. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). |