Our Turn!
Every year in various sports, those who
have played the game with distinction are inducted into their
perspective halls of fame. This always causes me to think of
Hebrews
the
eleventh chapter.
It is the chapter that some have coined
“The Faith Hall of Fame”.
This chapter in
Hebrews
records such notables as:
Noah,
Abraham,
Isaac,
Jacob,
Joseph,
and
Moses;
just to name a few. Some are mentioned by name, while others are simply
recorded by events they endured; but, note the conclusion at the end of the
chapter:
Hebrews 11:39-40
“And all these,
having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
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God having provided something
better for us, that they should
not be made perfect apart from us.”
This chapter exists for the purpose of
encouragement. All these mentioned in this chapter demonstrated souls saving
faith with only the hope of the promises they saw as the awaited the
heavenly country (11:13-16).
But we have received something
better; we have come to that heavenly Jerusalem (12:22).
So, in the face of those who could display this kind of trust with only the
view of hope; how much more then to those of us who have the promises???
The Hebrew writer has one simple answer to
this question; “It’s our turn now!”
– Note:
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
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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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
In this demonstrative instruction; we are given four distinct points
Surrounded by Witnesses.
The witnesses being spoken of here
surrounding us are the
“All Theses”
of
11:39.
In this we learn that not only are there those who are cheering for us to
achieve the goal, but they are made up of those whose very lives embody what
we need for success.
Discard the Weight.
We cannot possibly hope to achieve success by luging around excess weight.
Just as runners train and lose the excess weight that will slow them down or
cause them to fail, we must drop the sin that so easily snares us.
Run with Endurance.
This race is not a sprint, but an endurance race. It requires that we
persevere with determination, all the while moving steadily on with an
un-yielding attitude.
With an Eye on the Goal.
This is accomplished by looking to Jesus who has shown us the way, himself
discarding the weight (Hebrews
4:15),
and lasted to the end for us!
Hebrews 5:8-9
“though He was a Son, yet
He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
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And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all
who obey Him”
Guess what brethren?
It is our turn now!
Will we be inducted?