Heb 12:1-2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (NLT)
This Scripture tells us to strip off the weight that slows us down and the sin that trips us up and to run with endurance the race God has set before us. Many times when we read this Scripture we look within our own selves and depend on our own will to be able to strip off the weight and the sin and be able to run the race with endurance. The problem we run into is we are never fully successful when we depend on ourselves. Why is that? The first part of verse 2 is the answer. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus.” We struggle with accomplishing these things because we were never called to accomplish them in our own power. The death of Jesus on the cross took off the weight that slows us down and judged the sin that trips us up. He did it, not us. So why then do we continue to try to accomplish these things on our own? I believe simply because that’s society. If we follow a certain set of rules, then, we accomplish what we want to accomplish. Under the old covenant people had to do in order to accomplish. Under the new covenant, Jesus already accomplished it for us on the cross so we can then rely on His grace to do what He’s called us to do. We need to make Him our center.
When you’re struggling with this weight and sin, look to the cross. I believe God is calling us to take our eyes off of everything we may have done wrong and off of ourselves making things happen and begin to make Jesus the center. We need to stop judging ourselves for the wrongs we’ve done and how we’ve messed up because those were already judged at the cross. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time.” He suffered for our sins once for ALL time. Quit suffering yourself for the wrong you do and look to the cross. Quit trying to accomplish things on your own and rely on the grace that came through the cross to accomplish what you need to accomplish. The minute we, The Church, take the focus off of ourselves and put it entirely on Jesus, watch what happens.
