Hebrews 12:1-11 'Needing
Some Spiritual Exercise?'
In (v.1a) the writer stops to look around at the perspective or position
we as saints of God are in, with the multitude of those who have gone on
before, and their testimony of faith in the midst of testings, sufferings,
victories and in some cases death in their march through the ages for the Lord
Jesus Christ. His immediate response, to these unique surroundings we are given
the opportunity to enjoy, is the clarion call to each of us.
1.Let us lay aside every weight, and the
sin which doth so easily beset us'
2. 'Let us run with
patience the race that is set before us'
3. 'Looking unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith...'
We are exhorted, yea even commanded to not only look around and
appreciate God's perspective , the Big Picture if you will, on our blessed
position in the midst of not only what has gone before, but most of all, the
importance of what the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished for us on the Cross
of Calvary.
He is the Ultimate Example of the Hall of Faith as the Author and
Finisher of our Faith! Fix your gaze upon Him Who only is worthy to be exalted
even though it may seem that the previously mentioned Old Testament saints were
in some way exalted, it was only to bring us to a place of understanding the
glorious position and purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes these saints of old
are great examples of faith, testing, victory and suffering, but they pale in
the presence of the Light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, in order to fix our gaze upon Him, in order to completely focus our
spiritual eyes on Him, and 'consider Him', we must of necessity follow the
instructions given in v. 1-3. Total absence of sin in our hearts and lives will
bring our spiritual eyes of understanding into focus on the One Who alone can
provide us with the ability to 'run with patience the race' while we 'consider
Him'!
Fixing our gaze upon Him Who willingly suffered and died for us will
reveal the 'goodness of God' (Romans 2:5) and bring us to repentance and
humility, recognizing the excruciating spiritual pain and physical suffering He
endured! However, as our Example, He had His eyes on the 'Joy that was set before Him' which could well be referring to the
joy in Heaven which is expressed when just one 'sinner repents'!
His Omniscient Eyes could have been beholding the multitudes of
victorious men, women and children who were hopelessly bound in the strong
chains of bondage to Sin, Satan and Self seeing them rejoicing in the 'so great
salvation' they would enjoy due alone to His suffering on the Cross!
Whatever the source of His joy, we do know that He in the midst of it
all was able to provide the example James 1:2 commands His children to display,
yes, 'Count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations' and this was the
most intensive, the most extreme testing ever experienced by man, the God-Man
Jesus Christ was capable to accomplish the Task that liberated all of mankind
from the penalty, power and one day presence of sin!
We are then exhorted to view the process of chastening (v.4-9) as from
the hand of God, remembering that any difficulty that we face has been allowed
to come our way through the filtering love of the God of heaven! He makes and
breaks the appointments of life for each of us so we must be certain that we
are in full communion with Him during times of outward uncertainty or confusion
when we too must suffer through testing or trouble.
We are called to remember that the greatest test of obedience in the
greatest time of suffering for any man, was the Cross of Christ Who was fully
man, just as He was fully God!
Two reminders of our failure in time of chastening are found in (v.4, 5).
'Ye have not yet resisted unto blood...'
and 'Ye have forgotten the exhortation...' The first brings to our
attention the actual severity of our suffering/chastening vs. the suffering of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
What we must go through here is in no way close to what He has suffered
during His 3 1/2 year ministry and death here on earth. We have Him in Spirit
dwelling in us and therefore can indeed rest in Him during our times of
suffering/chastening. The second reminder shows us the mindset we are found in
when we begin to complain about the suffering/chastening we are called upon to
endure. We soon forget the instruction of the Word of God (v.5b & 6) when
trouble comes to us, but instead we turn to our carnal ways and ask the all too
familiar question 'Why me ?'.
Verse 7,8 continue revealing God's additional promises of chastening
showing that enduring under the chastening hand of God which is the right
response, God then approaches us as sons. His chastisement also shows the
genuineness of our son-ship, for without it we are illegitimate children and
not of the Father, the God of Heaven! So, there is a sign of security given to
the child of God who is chastened by our loving Father providing us with the
confidence and assurance in a time of trouble!
The goal or purpose of chastening is made clear in (v.9,10) using the
contrast of our earthly fathers brief chastening
'after their own pleasure' with the Heavenly Father's 'but He for our profit' followed by the purpose statement 'that we might be partakers of His
holiness'.
Holiness of life, allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to live through us,
giving Him the opportunity to be seen in us is the ultimate goal of each
born-again child of God. This can only be accomplished as we follow the simple
instructions of (v.1-3) and fix our gaze upon Him, expecting Him to do what He promised! It is only as we abide in Him, moment by
moment, yielding our all to His will, that He is able to accomplish His will
through us, for as the Lord so powerfully reminded us 'without Me ye can do
nothing' (John 15:5).
The passage closes with the result of chastening/suffering explained in
(v.11). The obvious is stated in order to underline the truth of the result
which comes to the saint 'When the smoke clears' after the time of
chastening/suffering. When Job went through the harrowing experiences recorded
in the book of Job, the Lord gave no specific explanation, but in essence told
Job, who was said to be 'upright and perfect' (Job 1:1,8,2:3),
It was good for you to go through this experience, which is the very
same promise given to all of us in Romans 8:28, 'All things work together for
good to them that love God', and the goodness expressed here in (v.11) is
revealed in 'The peaceable fruit of
righteousness' which is manifested in those 'which are exercised thereby'.
This effective life-changing spiritual exercise provided from the hand
of God will indeed bring 'The peace of
God that passes all understanding' as we rest in Him, the Lord of lords and
the King of kings if we will truly maintain the viewpoint, the Big Picture,
that all that comes is from the hand of God and is merely the 'Spiritual
Exercise' we need to put us in the place of blessing that the Lord so greatly desires
for us!
So, my friend, are you 'Needing Some Spiritual Exercise?'...the Lord's
loving plan for you includes it, in order that you might be a full 'partaker of
the Divine nature' and enjoy the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ in the
present, and in the eternal age to come!
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