We Must Finish The Race

God’s love is shown in precious promises and precious warnings! The following passages expose false teachers whose congregations demand ear tickling.

Hebrews 12: 1Therefore, having so vast a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, and throwing off everything that hinders us and especially the sin that so easily entangles us, let us keep running with endurance the race set before us, 2fixing our attention on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of the joy set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

·         We are not to sin!

·         We are not to stop running the race!

·         We are to fix our attention on Jesus!

3Think about the one who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you may not become tired and give up. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5You have forgotten the encouragement that is addressed to you as sons:

·         We are warned not to give up!

“My son, do not think lightly of the Lord’s discipline

or give up when you are corrected by him.

6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he punishes every son he accepts.”

·         We are to welcome discipline!

·         Discipline is from the love of God!

·         Obedience and discipline are rarely heard by the false teachers.  

7What you endure disciplines you: God is treating you as sons. Is there a son whom his father does not discipline? 8Now if you are without any discipline, in which all sons share, then you are illegitimate and not God’s sons. 

·         If we are looking for and receiving “Our best life now” which Satan offered Jesus and he refused, we are not God’s sons.

9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them for it. We should submit even more to the Father of our spirits and live, shouldn’t we? 

·         We should not take lightly the warning of “and live”, even though this flies in the face of hundreds of years of religious dogma! False teachers entered in shortly after Christ returned to his Father.

10For a short time they disciplined us as they thought best, but God does it for our good, so that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, for those who have been trained by it, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace.

·         God disciplines us for our good so we may share in his holiness!

·         Though discipline is painful, if we are trained by it, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace!