"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God, the unknown human author of the Bible Book of Hebrews wrote to the scattered believers after the crucifixion of Jesus, The Christ, to encourage them. Even though they were being hunted and persecuted, and being tempted by the sinful cultures around them, he told them not to focus on their circumstances or the sinful distractions, but to keep the faith and focus on the course which was before them.
Today we have more enemies or people who hate us than we have friends. There are also more people attempting to get us involved in some type of sinful activity than there are those who are trying to encourage us to follow Christ. Only with prayer, perseverance, and God's help can we endure all of the evil and sinful things which derail us and get us off track. (Ephesians 6:11 and James 4:7) We must run the race that is set before us, with faithful determination, pacing ourselves to ensure that we finish the course. (2 Timothy 4:7) This can only be done if we keep our eyes on the prize, which is Christ Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) When we take our eyes off of Him, we tend to stumble and fall. Remember, Peter also walked on water and he did not start to sink until he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to focus on his surroundings. (Mathew 14:25-30) Only by focusing, or re-focusing, on Him can we win this race.
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