*Hebrews 12:1-13
The author of Hebrews encourages believers to persevere through trials, considering God’s discipline as a sign of his love and a means for their growth.
- Encouragement to Persevere in Faith:
- The chapter begins by comparing the Christian life to a race, urging believers to run with perseverance, laying aside every weight and sin that clings closely.
- Believers are encouraged to look to Jesus as the perfect example of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross and despised its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Focus on Jesus’ Example:
- Christians are reminded to consider the opposition Jesus faced from sinful people to avoid growing weary and losing heart.
- The passage highlights that the struggles faced are part of discipline, indicating God’s love and concern as a father has for his children.
- Understanding Divine Discipline:
- The text draws an analogy between human parental discipline, which is temporary and flawed, and divine discipline, which is perfect and aimed at yielding peaceful righteousness.
- It emphasizes that God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
- Response to God’s Discipline:
- The author encourages not to be discouraged by God’s discipline or lose heart, but rather to endure it as an expression of God’s love and as training.
- The discipline, though painful at the moment, will later produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
- Call to Strengthen Spiritual Resolve:
- The passage urges believers to strengthen their weak hands and feeble knees, and to make straight paths for their feet.
- This metaphorical language suggests that believers should correct what is wrong in their lives and pursue a path of holiness, ensuring that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Hebrews 12:1-13 encourages us to keep going in our faith, even when life gets hard. It compares life to a race, reminding us to stay focused on Jesus and not give up. Sometimes, challenges and discipline help us grow stronger, just like training makes an athlete better. We can apply this by trusting God in difficult times, learning from our struggles, and staying committed to doing what is right. God is guiding us, and if we keep our eyes on Him, we will grow in faith and strength.
Hebrews 12:1-13 (WEB)
12:1 Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. 5 You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children,“My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord,nor faint when you are reproved by him;6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines,and chastises every son whom he receives.”7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed good to them, but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. 11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.