*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.
12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.