3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;t then you won’t become weary and give up.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
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I feel like these two verses really give us reason and motivation to strive for holiness. If we were to truly think about what Jesus went through in order to cleanse our sins and realized how underserving we are of that sacrifice...we would go through our days worshipping our Lord with our EVERY action! I just pray that God will continue to remind us of the tremendous sacrifice that He made for our lives every time that we face temptation. We have not only been promised the cleansing of our sins, but eternal life...a "Kingdom that is unshakeable"! Talk about the cherry on top of what we already don't deserve (if that makes any sense)! I really believe that if we remember these two things, we will really be able to combat all temptation! Lord help us!
4 "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."
ReplyDeleteI know that there is a lot that goes on in our lives. We struggle with school, family issues, finance, and many other things. The thing that I want to point out is this verse right here, that we have not struggled as much as Jesus has or anyone else who is on missions fighting for God's word. We pray for good test grades and hoping to get one internship over another and we think that we have an overwhelming struggle, but we know nothing about struggle. I just want to put it on some people's hearts that sometimes life is rough, but stop and think about how blessed you are and how much you don't struggle compared to people who have lost their lives for the name of Jesus.
1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
ReplyDeleteWe must cast off every weight. Not merely sins that are holding us back...but every single thing, no matter how good, that is keeping us from fully pursuing Jesus Christ and completing the race. Any good thing that is not what God wants for you is a weight. We must cut them off.
How do we do this? How do we cast off every weight? How do we finish the race? By looking at Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the author, or source, of our salvation and the perfecter, or source, of our sanctification. It is only in Him and through Him that we can cast off these weights and finish the race. Abide in Christ!
29 For our God is an ALL CONSUMING FIRE..
ReplyDeleteHonestly, to know that fact abolishes all other facts in history... SUCH reverence and respect and honor when we speak about or TO our God... i think sometimes we lose sight of the fact of WHOM God is... The I AM, and as this verse quotes, an ALL consuming fire.. Not consuming some, or many or most, but ALL CONSUMING.
2-3 "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he 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 sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
ReplyDeleteWe lose focus sometimes on the reason we exist on this Earth....Me more than most when I get caught up in school. This verse is a good encouragement/reprimand for me and reminds me that everything pales in comparison to Christ and his deeds on the cross. And as Christians, we are called to mimic his actions, even to the point of death.
-DA