Hebrews 12:1-2… 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, 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.
As
we begin 2013, let’s take a few moments to review the advice given to us by the
writer of Hebrews found in Hebs 12:1-2.
This Scripture tells us about four key spiritual principles to retain
the absolute commitment in the service of Christ….
We
can remain totally committed to Christ by ….
#1 – Following Godly examples of
committed saints…
“Wherefore seeing we
also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,”
Who
is this “cloud of witnesses?” It is the
many different men and women spoken of in Hebs 11:, that remained committed to
their Lord as they faced many different obstacles to their service.
As we
begin this New Years Day let us remember these saints of the Bible, as well as,
the other Godly saints living in our day who are setting the example for us of
faithfulness and willingness to sacrifice for Christ and His work.
#2 – Putting off those things that
are hindrances to our service…
“let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,”
In
this passage, we are told to put off two different hindrances to service:
“every weight” and “sin”. A “weight”
involves the cares, tribulations and hardships that this world has to offer. On
the other hand “sin” is referring to those times when we fall short of His
desires and commands for our lives.
As we
prepare for this New Year, let us exercise faith, laying our “weights” upon
Christ; be vigilant avoiding sin; and through repentance dealing with the sin
that slips into our life; we can be better prepared for faithful service in
2013.
#3 Exercising patience in all areas
of our ministry…
and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us,
Great
patience is needed in our walk with Christ.
In our prayer life, in the reaping a harvest from the seeds of faith we
have sown, in waiting for the coming of our Lord, in every aspect of our
service we have a great need for patience as we face seeming delay after delay
after delay.
As we
begin our New Year of service we should be prepared for times calling for our
patience, remembering these times come upon us for our good, to help us grow
and mature in the faith.
#4 Keeping our eyes upon our Lord…
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.
Keeping
our eyes on the Lord involves keeping in mind who He is.(“the author and
finisher of our faith”) our Savior. It
also involves remembering what He has done to secure that salvation for us.
(“endured the cross”, “despised the shame”)
Finally, it involves us recognizing Him as Exalted Sovereign Lord who
controls all things (“sat down at right hand of the throne of God”)
Our
New Year should begin, continue and end with our eyes upon our precious Savior
as the chief motivation for our service to Him.
By thinking of who He is and what He has done for us, we will by His
grace remain faithful servants of the One who has given His all for us.
May
we all take a moment to reread Hebs 12:1-2 and ask the Lord to grant us the grace
we need to be rededicated to serving Him as we begin another year of obedience to Christ.
May the
Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
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Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
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