Mike Balloun | THE BOOK OF HEBREWS CHAPTER 12:1-6

Mike teaches today. 06/06/2020.
THE BOOK OF HEBREWS CHAPTER 12:1-6

Verses: Mark 4:13-20; Philippians 2:3-11; Luke 6:20-26; 2nd Timothy 2:1-5

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The life of a Christian answers to the course and the race according to God’s design. We are in Biblical spiritual training to run the course to attain unto the reward/prize of first-born sons to reside and rule with God from the heavens, and not fall out of the race. What was set before us in the 11th chapter of Hebrews was Scriptural examples of that inheritance, and also of those who obtained it; that is those who were the just continuing to live by faith. (Habakkuk 2:4) This being a spiritual dynamic outside the Mosaic Covenant of Law, as the earthly blessings promised in the Mosaic Law to the obedient Jew, were/are hindrances in running this race.

VERSE 1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses….” This statement is the Old Testament saints set before us having successfully ran the race, as the Holy Spirit has openly declared, as He did in another place by Paul in 2nd Timothy 3:1-4:8… “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: (first resurrection day) and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (them who love His appearing are them who are watching for and anxious for His appearing) These great cloud of witnesses all now await in Hades, the intermediate place of all dead, in the center of the earth (Luke 16), for that day of the awarding of the prize, that being a place in His Kingdom at the Second Appearing of Jesus. These being, now to us who are presently in the race, sure witnesses of exemplary lives lived in continuing faith through much sufferings evidenced by many achievements. The idea being clearly conveyed through their examples is that our course and race will have sufferings as well, and we do well to consider the testimony of their faithfulness unto the declared worthiness of the Spirit as encouragement to do likewise. There is no intent in the statement, nor any other Scripture, to convey to us that they or any other of the dead, are somehow personally observing or participating in what the New Testament saints are doing.

VERSE 1b…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, (their threatening besetting sin in that day was drawing back to Moses in unbelief of Christ’s Return) and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” It is the reward for a well-run race after being “saved” that is set before us, to be realized at the Return of Jesus Christ to judge the participants. 1st Corinthians 9:24 says,“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” Besetting sins and worldly weights were of great hindrance to carry while trying to run the race unto the Kingdom the Lord that had been set before them, and now the race set before us. Lot being a noticeable example; he having not been listed among those faithful who were well pleasing to God. Lot, having chosen the earthly, stumbled over the entanglements of the world and is seen as being disqualified. Worldly entanglements will impede us from the Kingdom of heavens as they did Judas, Demas, Ananias and Sapphira. (2nd Timothy 4:10, Acts 5) So clearly says the Words of Christ in His first instructive parable on the subject of the inheritance of the mysterious Kingdom of heavens. (See Matthew 13:11 in context of Matthew 13:18-23 and explained in Mark 4:13-20… “And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; -- such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh....

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