Hebrews 12:1 – 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, 2 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.
Sin struggles for the believer can range from being totally discouraged about our indwelling sin on one side to presuming upon the grace of God on the other and everything in between. We can go from feeling defeated by this sin struggle that has seemed to plague us our whole life to not caring about our sin enough and forgetting that it was our sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. Believers need to be both encouraged to rest in the finished work of Jesus while we walk in newness of life and to fight the good fight of faith, putting remaining sin to death. We remember who we really are and live accordingly in the grace and strength God provides.
The key for us is to keep our eye on the prize—Jesus Christ. We remember that this is a race to get to Jesus and that this race can be a long one that needs endurance. Our sin weighs us down in this race and slows us down in getting to our goal. We encourage the discouraged that the race is long and God’s process of revealing those weights and sins takes a lifetime, but we will get to that goal in the end as we trust in Him and run towards Him. Likewise, we admonish the one who cares less about their sin that they must keep their eyes on the prize and that they must be active in casting those weights aside. It involves strenuous effort and prayer and must be done daily. But the prize we receive at the end of our journey is worth everything He calls and enables us to give and the race is never run in vain. Something to think about…
What weights and sins do I need to cast off in my race toward Jesus? Do they cling closer to me than I do to God?