Growing up as one who consistently attended church (the corporate gathering on Sunday morning), I heard much talk of salvation. If there was one theological term I knew well it was “saved.” I knew that to be saved was something for which I should long and (when attained) something for which I should be thankful. In addition, I was taught that it occurred at the front of the building, at the end of the invitation and involved a prayer, shaking the pastor’s hand, and telling the church that you just got saved. Growing up and reading more of the Scripture, I realized that these are not necessary elements to salvation but that there is nothing necessarily wrong with them either. For though one does not need to walk an aisle or shake the pastor’s hand in order to be saved, such actions do not prohibit one from being saved. Something I did realize, however, soon bothered me. It was that, in my experience, salvation was always spoken of in the past tense and oftentimes was used as the trump card with which someone could “prove” they were on their way to heaven, no matter how they were living.

The reason this bothered me is because Scripture speaks differently. It does speak of salvation in the past on occasions, such as Ephesians 2:8 that tells us, “By grace you have been saved.” But it also (and more often) speaks of salvation as that which awaits us in the future. Thus, Peter writes, “ … who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet 1:5). And it speaks of the need for continually holding firm in faith for that salvation to be attained. Thus, Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:1-2, emphasis added). ¹

Therefore, I soon began to realize that though salvation is utterly a work of God’s grace from beginning to end and though those whom he ever justifies he will most definitely bring to glorification (i.e. in whom he begins salvation he will complete salvation) it was also Scripturally correct to say that unless one perseveres in faith he will not know salvation on that final day – that is, where there is no perseverance of faith there is no heaven.

This reality has been no more clearer to me than during these weeks and months as we have looked at Hebrews together. The author of this letter simply gives no assurance of eternal life to one who shrinks back and does not hold firm to his faith in Christ. Thus, the fitting analogy for salvation that this book ultimately gives us is one of a race, a marathon, in which eternal life and all which Christ has accomplished for us is the reward, prize, and goal. And it is a race that we must run to the finish if we hope to receive the prize.

It is with this imagery that the author begins chapter 12. He exhorts them in verse 1, “Let us run, with endurance, the race that is set before us.” Therefore, this morning I want us to see from this text how the race is to be run, how we deal with hardships and obstacles along the way, and what we need to do as we run we race.

How is the race to be run?

The simple answer to the question, “How is the race to be run?” is that it is to be run with endurance. The road to the prize of eternal life is not a sprint but a marathon, and it requires that one persevere. Thus, as aforementioned, he writes in verse 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.” However, that’s easier said than done. I mean, everyone knows that you have to run with endurance if you’re going to finish the Boston Marathon, but what few know is how one does that. That is, they know the manner in which it is to be run if it is to be completed, but they don’t know how to run it that way.

The author of Hebrews doesn’t leave us empty-handed here, though. He doesn’t simply tell us it is to be run with endurance and stop there. Rather, he gives us means to employ so as to endure in the race.

First, he exhorts the readers to lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely. That is to say, get rid of things which trip you up and keep you from running. The imagery here is a runner getting rid of burdensome clothing, weight, and such that would keep you from running freely. The author tells his readers to get rid of those things. If you’re in a race, don’t hold onto something that is going to work directly against you.

The same, then is true in the Christian life. If you’re goal is running the race with endurance so as to take possession of eternal life, do not hold onto things that are going to work against this. By saying “weight and sin,” we see that not all of the things the author has in mind are necessarily sinful things. Those that are, you definitely need to rid from yourself. So, quit exposing yourself to sexual content on the television or in movies, quit gossiping, etc. Sins directly work against our progress in the race, so target overcoming them. However, there may be other things we need to rid ourselves of as well that are not necessarily sins. Thus, for example, we may want to shed ourselves from spending time in front of the television, spend less time on the golf course or on the internet, spend less time shopping for unnecessary luxuries, etc. Whatever you can identify as that which hinders you in running the race with endurance (and we no doubt can think of some), get rid of it. This is the first means the author gives us to employ so as to run the race with endurance.

Second, he tells us to look “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” (verse 2). To run with endurance, you need to keep your focus on Jesus.

I kind of enjoy mowing the yard. It is somewhat of a hobby. But if I am going to spend my time cutting grass, I like the yard to look nice at the end of the day. Therefore, I try very earnestly to mow in straight lines (whether horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). When I first started trying to do this, however, it was very challenging. I would start off, concentrate on keeping myself going in a straight line, get to the end of the yard, look back, and find that I had gone everywhere and the line couldn’t have been more crooked. Now, however, I am pretty good at it (if I do say so myself). So what’s changed? I learned a secret. See, the secret is that you don’t really need to focus on holding the mower a certain way, walking a certain way, or spending all your energy focused on the mower. Rather, you pick a spot that is directly in front of you, focus on the spot, and walk (pushing the mower) toward the spot, never taking your eyes off the spot. And, if you put your focus on where you want to be, you end up there.

This seems to be somewhat the idea the author of Hebrews has in telling us that our focus should be on Jesus. Thus, if you want to run with endurance, don’t spend your focus on a hundred things but on one thing – Christ. Look to Jesus. Let him be your example to follow (as one who endured difficulty with obedience by thinking of the joy that was set before him). And when you get to the point that you are struggling to go on as individuals are coming against you, consider him more “who endured from sinners such hostility against himself” (verse 3). Draw strength from Christ’s example, who was obedient all the way to the point of death on the cross.

Keep your focus on Christ, the prize. This seems to be Paul’s mission as he writes to the Philippians, “For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith … Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:8-14). Shed yourself of sin and weight and fix your eyes on Christ. Make him your goal, focus, example, and all-consuming passion in this life. This is the key to running with endurance.

How do we deal with obstacles and hardships along the way?

Now, you may say, “This all sounds good, but let’s face it, there are going to be hardships and obstacles along the way. How do we deal with them?” This is, no doubt, the thought of the original hearers as they were currently enduring persecution. How to they respond to such?

First, the author of Hebrews acknowledges that this is right, they will face persecution. He writes, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (verse 4). That is to say, you’re still alive, so what do you do?

The answer then seems to be that you see such hardships from the right perspective. Namely, it means that you see hardships as the Lord’s discipline in your life. Now, I don’t think this is necessarily discipline so as to punish you. It may at times be nothing less than that, such as when we sin. But the author may have more in mind here. Possibly, he is thinking of a discipline that is training. That is to say that the Lord is bringing and allowing these hardships in our lives because he’s got a goal in mind for us. We should not forget that the Lord does such things. Thus, the author writes, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons, ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he receives’” (verses 5-6). Then he very clearly identifies their hardship as such, writing in verse 7, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”

So, if you’re dealing with hardship as you run the race right now, you need to see it as the Lord’s kind discipline, which he is using for a great end, and respond to it rightly. And responding to it rightly means at least three things. First, it requires that we let such discipline remind us that we are a child of God. It should be comforting. For verse 8 tells us that “If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Thus, let it first be a comforting reality to you.

Second, consciously submit yourselves so as to honor the Lord in his work. We did this with our own fathers when growing up. Verse 9 reads, “We have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?” If we realized our own fathers were disciplining us for our own good and respected them, how much more should we honor the Lord and submit to him. Thus, we should realize and (if necessary) vocalize to the Lord that we realize he is working for good in our lives and that we long for that, though it is difficult. That is an honoring position for a believer toward the Lord in times of hardship.

Finally, we should constantly remind ourselves that God’s end in such discipline is to make us holy. “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (verse 10). The author of Hebrews will later say that without holiness no one will see the Lord. Therefore, is this not kind of the Lord? Just as it would be unkind of a parent to let his child eat candy all day and not brush his teeth so as to ruin his chance of having teeth later in life, so the Lord cares enough for the eternal state of his own children that he disciplines us now to produce holiness in us. He does not allow us to give ourselves over to unholiness.

Now, with all this, is the author of Hebrews trying to minimize our struggles? No. He admits in verse 11 that it is painful rather than pleasant. Discipline is never an exciting fun thing. I never said, “Yes!” when my dad said he was going to spank me when I was a child. The author of Hebrews is not belittling the pain of discipline. What he is saying, though, is that it’s worth it. It is worth it “for it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (verse 11).

Therefore, he exhorts them in verses 12-13 writing, “Therefore, lift your drooping hands, and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of join but rather be healed.” That is to say, don’t let your hardships make you fatigued and drop out of the race, but pull yourself together. See your circumstances and hardships rightly (as the Lord’s kind discipline), and begin to let them be a healing presence rather than crush you and make you unable to run.

Thus, overall, we must see hardships as the Lord’s kind discipline, let them remind us that we are his children, submit ourselves to him, and remember that God is working for our holiness – conforming us to the image of his Son.

What do we need to do as we run?

Much of this, however, is a passive exhortation, isn’t it? Submit, realize, remember, pull yourself together, etc. They are all necessary, but what do we then need to do as we run? That is, we know that we need to run with endurance, view hardships correctly, and not let things drive us from the race. But what do we do in the race? What do we need to do actively as we run for the prize of eternal life?

There are three things we can say here. First, strive for peace with everyone. This is the exhortation of verse 14. Yes, people will bring hardships into your life. Yes, individuals will persecute you and bring torment to your life. But what do you need to do toward them? You need to strive for peace with them. That is, don’t be unnecessarily offensive, don’t provoke persecution, and don’t fight unnecessarily in meaningless battles. Don’t compromise holiness, no matter what. But don’t be unnecessarily obnoxious. Rather, strive for peace with everyone.

Second, strive for holiness in everything that you do. This is the second exhortation of verse 14. So, in all things, simply seek to obey the Lord. Make holiness your priority in life. I will be holy at all costs, will be a fine motto as we run.

And finally, focus not simply on yourself (do not do less than that), but also on others running the race well. The author of Hebrews ends this section writing, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble and by it many become undefiled, that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears” (verses 15-17).

That is to say, we must take up the responsibility of making sure that others do not fall short of running the race to the end and receiving the prize. That’s what I think he means in saying that we need to see to it “that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.” This is one reason why I think church membership is so crucial. For there must be a local body of believers for whom you are taking responsibility for their souls, laboring in their lives, and fighting so that they receive the prize. Individuals who claim they do not need membership and/or fail to attend corporate gathering such as this one this morning show they miss this command. First, I would dare say anyone needs membership themselves. I do. I need you all laboring in my life so that I might receive the prize. But even if you could get by that (i.e. needing church membership for your own sake), you need membership because you must obey the command to see to it that others do not fail to obtain the prize. You need to make yourself responsible for others in the church. This is why we tell everyone that joining the church is more than putting your name on a list. It is declaring that you are responsible for the lives of these fellow members and that they are responsible for your life as well. Thus, we labor to make sure others run the race with endurance and take loving actions when they are not. If we disobey such a command, it is sin.

Also, we need to keep a ‘root of bitterness’ from springing up in the congregation, causing trouble, and defiling many. This language is from Deuteronomy 29:18, in which those who were abandoning the worship of the Lord were producing a ‘root of bitterness’ and lead others to follow their actions. Therefore, this verse demands that we do not let one turning from Christ go unchecked. We must not let it go unchecked for their sake, lest they fail to receive the prize. But we must also let it go unchecked because we do not want such defilement to spread through the body to others. That’s why if we fail to discipline members we lie in saying that we love the individual or anyone else in the body.

Finally, we see to it that no one engages in unholy or immoral practice. Again, this is similar to the last statement in telling us not to let sin run rampant in the church. Sin needs to be addressed, and those continually practicing immorality and unholiness need to be reminded in love that if they abandon the race and throw themselves into such a lifestyle, they will afterward only know rejection and tears at the judgment. For without holiness, no one should be given any kind of assurance of seeing the Lord in a merciful light on that day.

Therefore, this morning we have a firm call to run the race with endurance, deal with hardships as discipline with which the Lord is making us holy, and living holy lives by living right ourselves and fighting for others to run with endurance as well. Let us declare our obedience to such commands as we come to the table this morning.

May the Lord grant us grace to manifest a picture of obedience to these commands in this local church. Amen.

¹See also Colossians 1:22-23 and Hebrews 3:12-14.

RUNNING THE RACE: ANOTHER CALL TO PERSEVERANCE