DO NOT INTENTIONALLY LEAD OTHERS DOWN THE PATH TO SIN

Proclamation:

“Whoever leads the upright along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.”  Proverbs 28:10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King Solomon under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this verse, Solomon states that those who intentionally deceive the righteous and lead them into immoralities and sin will have the mischief which he had planned for others fall upon him.  The Lord God will preserve the righteous and they shall receive many good things as they are joint heirs with Christ.

Application:

Those who knowingly cause others to sin will be punished by The Lord God for causing one of His people to fall into sin.  It is bad enough for us to knowingly sin, but it is even worse when we entice others to engage in sin with us.  The wicked, and the backsliding righteous, will be punished for leading others into sinful behavior.  Remember that righteous King David, a man after God’s own heart, (Acts 13:22) gave into his lustful sins of the flesh and encouraged Bathsheba to engage in adulterous fornication with him and he was punished by The Lord God. (1 Samuel 11:2-27)  If He punished David for doing it, we can be sure that He will also punish us.

THE LORD GOD KNOWS ALL THAT WE DO SAY AND THINK

Proclamation:

“For your ways are in full view of The Lord, and He examines all your paths.”  Proverbs 5:21 (NIV)

Explanation:

This proverb, like all of the other proverbs, was written by King Solomon under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This fifth proverb also addresses wisdom, but it focuses on avoiding adultery and abstaining from the lust of the flesh.  The seventh of the Ten Commandments states that we should not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)  We are encouraged to flee from fornication because it is a sin. (1 Corinthians 6:18 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3)  Solomon warns them of the consequences of fornication, including the loss of honor and dignity, (Proverbs 5:8-10) and the effect on the body from contracting a sexually transmitted disease. (Proverbs 5:11)  He told them to stay with their own mates and enjoy their company instead of seeking the companionship of someone else’s mate. (Proverbs 5:15-20)  The Lord God sees all that we do, hears all that we say, and knows all that we think.

Application:

The Bible is full of good advice, we just often choose not to follow it.  We really should not turn away from the wisdom of the words of The Bible.  Even when we have the best of intentions, we often still do or say the wrong thing, or we think sinful thoughts which we do not act upon.  Adultery and fornication are not our only sins but in our society, we are bombarded with sexual innuendoes at almost every turn, on television, in songs, at the movies, in advertisements.  Temptation is all around us.  We need to pray for the strength to avoid sin and even to avoid the appearance of sinful behavior. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)  As the hymn says, “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.”  Remember, The Lord God sees all that we do.  Additionally, we should not judge others because their sin is different from our sin.  We all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and we all need His help to turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

AVOID EVIL AND THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL

Proclamation:

"Avoid every kind of evil."  1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NIV)  The King James version of The Bible for this verse reads: "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki.  Paul gave them advice regarding guidelines and examples of good Christian behavior.  In this verse he told them to avoid every kind of evil.  The Amplified Bible for this verse reads: "Abstain from evil; shrink from it and keep aloof from it, in whatever form or whatever kind it may be."

Application:
In order to engage in successful Christian living, one must avoid sinful behavior, as much as is humanly possible.  As believers we will still sin, but when we fall and sin, we do not stay down.  We ask The Lord God to forgive us and He picks us up and cleans us up. (Psalms 37:24 and 1 John 1:9)  However, believers are not only encouraged to avoid any activity which is sinful, we are also to avoid anything which even appears to be, or might be perceived to be sinful. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV)  We are advised to avoid corrupt or evil practices which suggest sinful thoughts or actions, even if they are legal by the laws of man.  We should be very careful regarding that which we place before our sanctified eyes, or in our sanctified ears, because some inappropriate things can lead to sinful thoughts. (Psalms 101:3 and 2 Timothy 4:3)  Listening to false witness reports, or watching sinful acts on television, at the movies, or on the internet, produces sinful thoughts which is sinful behavior.  (Exodus 23:1, Psalms 101:3, Matthew 5:28, and Proverbs 23:7)  So, let us ask God to forgive us of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.  Let us pray for guidance in our decision making, for help in avoiding sinful activities, and for help avoiding those things which appear evil or sinful.  We do not want to stumble and fall into sin, and we do not want to cause someone else, who is watching and imitating us to stumble and fall into sin. (Malachi 2:8) 

ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SINS AND CONFESS

Proclamation:

"Then I acknowledged my sin unto You and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions unto The Lord.’  And You forgave the guilt of my sin.  Therefore let the faithful pray to You ..."  Psalms 32:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the people of God, possibly as a song to be sung in praise of The Lord God.  David knew that he was wrong, that he had sinned and that his sins were an affront to The Lord.  He confessed his sins unto The Lord and encouraged all of the people of God to do likewise.

Application:

Whether we know it or not, every sin that we commit is a sin against God. (Psalms 51:4)  Recognizing that, we need to do as King David did and confess our sins to the Lord.  We should pray, confess our sins and transgressions, ask for forgiveness, and also ask for His help and strength not to repeat a particular sin.  We can become more Christ-like if we can eliminate one sinful thought, deed, or spoken word from our behavior each day.  That will by no means make us sinless or perfect.  It just means that we will be more Christ-like today than we were yesterday, and even more so on tomorrow.  Being like Christ requires an active effort on our part, including prayer, confession, not yielding to temptation, and thinking before we speak or act, in addition to reading and studying The Word of God.  We should ask ourselves before we speak or act, will this give God glory and would Jesus say or do this?  If more Christians acted more Christ-like, the world would be a much better place.

LET'S DO BETTER

Proclamation:

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? … The one who is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear The Lord …” Psalm 15:1-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here David answers the question, “Who may live with The Lord?” (Psalm 15:1)  He who is upright, righteous, and tells the truth.  He who does not slander, do wrong to, or slur his neighbor.  He who despises evil, keeps his word, and honors The Lord.  He who does not charge interest when he lends money or accept a bribe.  This person is a believer and doer of God’s Holy Word and will get to live with The Lord in heaven. (Psalm 15:2-5)

Application:

None of us does a perfect job of following The Word of God.  We all have sinned and we fall short of that goal. (Romans 3:10 and 3:23)  It also does not matter how “good” we are, we could all do better.  Part of my prayer is that The Lord would help me to sin less tomorrow than I did today, and that I would do one more thing to please Him tomorrow than I did yesterday.  The point here is to try to be more Christ-like with each passing day.  The Bible is the instruction manual for good Christian living.  Unfortunately, many of us do not read it very often, and most of us who do read it do not follow it, or we follow only parts of it.  This psalm identifies ten ways in which we could be a better Christian.  If you are already doing these things, then there is a more complete list of sins in Romans, chapter one, beginning at verse 21 and through verse 32.  Even judging others who sin is a sin. (Romans 2:1-9)  The question is, “Are you striving to be a better Christian?”  A good Christian exhibits integrity and reliability, respects the people of God and holds himself accountable for his thoughts, words, and actions.  We all have room for improvement.  Let's do better!

RESIST THE DEVIL

Proclamation:

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ.  His point was that we must choose virtues instead of vices.  We frequently obey the suggestions of the devil and sin instead of following The Word of God.  James states that we must make a conscious effort to resist the devil and choose to submit ourselves to God and follow His Word.  Only then will the devil flee from us.

Application:

The devil is busy.  He attacks us and tempts us all of the time.  If he is not bothering you, then maybe you are already doing what he wants you to do.  As Christians, we do not have to give in to the devil.  We have a choice in what we do.  However, we cannot resist the devil by ourselves.  The beginning of this Bible verse says, "Submit yourselves to God ..." and the verse which follows it says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you ..."  Only with God's help can we resist the devil.  We need to get closer to God and do His will or we do not stand a chance against the devil and his powers.  God has already defeated the devil.  We just need to get on The Lord's side and make a conscious effort to obey The Word of God and then the devil will leave us alone for a while.  Remember, the devil temped Jesus three times before he let Him alone. (Matthew 4:1-11)  Even after Jesus rebuffed him twice the devil continued to tempt Him.  So, don’t be surprised when you resist one temptation to sin and the devil presents you with another different temptation.  We have to continually be on guard for attacks by the devil.  That is why we must put on the whole armor of God in order to stand up against the devil and his attacks. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

DO NOT CAUSE SOMEONE TO STUMBLE

Proclamation:

“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.  So whatever you believe about these things keep them between yourself and God.  Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” Romans 14:21-22 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are The Holy Spirit inspired words of the Apostle Paul which were written in a letter to the believers in Rome.  In a discussion regarding new and seasoned believers, ones weak in the faith versus one who is strong, they were not to judge their weaker brothers. (Romans 14:10-13)  Paul said that they should not eat meat around the less knowledgeable brothers who believe meat to be unclean. (Romans 14:15-16)   His point was that the kingdom of God is not concerned about their eating or drinking but it is concerned abut righteousness and peace. (Romans 14:17)

Application:

We should be extremely careful regarding our behavior around new believers.  We should teach them what The Word of God says when we have the opportunity.  However, it is important that babes in Christ not see senior believers engaged in non-Christian behavior.  It is important that we avoid doing evil in front of them so as not to destroy their new weak faith.  It is also important that we avoid even the appearance of evil as this may also cause them to fall back into sin. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)  In the minds of most people, perception is the same as reality.  As believers we are to make every effort to do things which lead to peace and to the edification of others.   We help them by letting them see The Christ in us.  Our lives and behavior are the only “bible” that some people will ever read.  We do not want to cause someone weak in the faith to stumble and fall away from Christ and into sin.  If they truly believe that their behavior is glorifying God, and there is nothing sinful in their behavior, we are not to judge them. (Roman 14:10-13)  If we can’t teach them what The Bible says, then we should not argue with them and destroy their weak new-found faith.

Search Your Heart

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent."  Psalms 4:4 (NIV)

In this psalm, King David offers advice to the people, telling them to control their behavior when they get angry.  He also tells them that when they lie awake on their beds at night, they should consider their motives for and their words and actions.

Being angry does not excuse our behavior, we are still to behave in a Christ-like manner even when we are upset and angry.  We are not to let our emotions cause us to sin.  We should also think and consider our planned words and deeds before we speak and act.  It would be good for us to ponder why we do what we do, and why we say what we say.  We should not act on our sinful thoughts, rather we should ask God to forgive us for even thinking them.  The Bible states that as a man thinks, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)  Out of our mouths come what we think, and it reflects who we really are. (Proverbs 4:23 and Matthew 12:34)  We need to ask The Lord God to clean up our hearts, and our minds, so that we would be able to be more Christ-like in our thoughts and deeds. (Psalms 51:10)

The Christian Race Is Difficult To Run

"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)

The unknown author wrote of these Holy Spirit inspired words to the believers that were scattered about after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, during the time when they were being persecuted for believing.  They were encouraged to lay aside any and every thing which hindered, impede, or encumber them, the sinful and non-sinful things.  They were told to persevere and endure, and continue with determination to run the race and finish the course which God has set before them in a Christ-like manner.

To go through life following Christian principals is demanding and difficult, and it requires discipline and determination.  The race which we run is not a short sprint, it is a long marathon.  
The Christian walk is surrounded by temptations to distract and derail us.  The way is full of trials and tribulations which must be negotiated like hurdles that seemingly block our path, or cause us to stumble.  Though the storms of life may throw water in our faces and make our footing difficult, and though the strong winds may push against us and make our progress difficult, if we keep our eyes and our mind on Christ and press on, for with His help we will be victorious. (Romans 8:37 and Philippians 3:14)

Avoid Evil And The Appearance Of Evil

"Avoid every kind of evil."  1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NIV)  The King James version of The Bible for this verse reads: "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Thessaliniki, the Apostle Paul gave them advice regarding guidelines and examples of good Christian behavior.  In this verse Paul told them to avoid every kind of evil.  The Amplified Bible for this verse reads: "Abstain from evil; shrink from it and keep aloof from it, in whatever form or whatever kind it may be."

In order to engage in successful Christian living, one must avoid sinful behavior, as much as is humanly possible.  Believers still sin, but when we fall and sin, we do not stay down.  We ask The Lord God to forgive us and He picks us up and cleans us up. (Psalms 37:24 and 1 John 1:9)  However, as believers are encouraged to avoid any activity which is sinful, and to avoid anything which even appears to be, or might be perceived to be sinful. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV)   We are advised to avoid corrupt or evil practices which suggest sinful thoughts or actions, even if they are legal by the laws of man.  We should be very careful regarding that which we place before our sanctified eyes, or in our sanctified ears, because some inappropriate things can lead to sinful thoughts. (Psalms 101:3 and 2 Timothy 4:3)  Listening to false witness reports, or watching sinful acts on television, at the movies, or on the internet, produces sinful thoughts which is sinful behavior.  (Exodus 23:1, Psalms 101:3, Matthew 5:28, and Proverbs 23:7)  So, let us ask God to forgive us of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.  Let us pray for guidance in our decision making, for help in avoiding sinful activities, and for help avoiding those things which appear evil or sinful.  We do not want to stumble and fall into sin, and we do want to cause someone else to stumble and fall into sin. (Malachi 2:8) 

Honest Is The Best Policy

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.  Now we ask you and urge you in The Lord Jesus to do this more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of The Lord Jesus.  It is God's will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.  The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."  1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki, the Apostle Paul gave them instructions regarding holy living in order to please God.  He urged them to live a sanctified life, to control their bodies, and to live in an honest, holy, and honorable manner.  He also warned them that God would punish them if they chose to do otherwise.

We know that we are all sinners, we all fall short when it comes to obeying The Word of God. (Romans 3:23)  However, we are all encouraged to make an active effort to do the will of God and live a Christ-like life.  It would please The Lord God if we would consciously choose to sin less and less each day.  We may not know all that is contained within The Word of God, but we know right from wrong.  God said that we should be holy because we are His and He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16)  We have been called and set apart from the world to behave in a Christ-like manner. (Psalms 4:3)  Our bodies are His temple, and we should treat ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:19 and Romans 12:1)  We should be honest and helpful in our dealings with each other.  We are children of God, and our actions should reflect that we are in this world but not of this world. (Romans 8:16, Galatians 3:26, and John 8:23)  "God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." (1 Thessalonians 4:7)

Seek Holiness Not Happiness

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."  2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote that they should cleanse, purify, and purge themselves of every sinful thing which contaminates the body and the spirit.  He also said that they should seek and do only that which is holy, out of reverence and respect for God.

As believers, we have the same promises of God, that if we separate ourselves from the non-believers, and obey His Word, then He will be a Father to us, and we will be His sons and daughters. (2 Corinthians 6:16-18)  These promises of God are conditional.  In order to receive them we must cleanse ourselves of all sinful filthiness.  We are to be set apart from the world and we are to behave differently than non-believers. (Psalms 4:3)  We must separate ourselves from things which defile our mind and our bodies.  That includes not following false teaching, in addition to not pandering to greed, the lusts of the flesh, and the selfish pursuit of happiness.  When we accept Christ we are to die to all selfish wants. (Romans 6:1-2 and 6:11)  We are to seek Christ and do that which gives God glory. (Philippians 2:21 and Colossians 3:1)  Our goal should be to seek Godly holiness, as opposed to worldly happiness.  We are to be holy because we are His, and He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16)  If we seek Him above all else, He will give us other things that we need. (Matthew 6:33)   When we seek Christ, He will grant us His unspeakable joy. (1 Peter 1:8)

Keep The Sabbath Day And Be Blessed

"This is what The LORD says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."  Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

The Prophet Isaiah recorded here The Words of God by beginning with the phrase Thus says The Lord..."  God said that the people were to do that which was right and just.  He also said whoever keeps the Sabbath day holy and avoids doing evil, will be blessed.

When the law was given to Moses, one of the commandments was to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)  Isaiah reminded the people, and he reminds us today, that the man who keeps the Sabbath day holy will be blessed.  While there may be disagreement as to which day of the week is the Sabbath day, clearly one day of each week should be reserved for giving reverence to God, The Lord's Day.  It should also be noted that it is The Lord's Day, and not The Lord's Hour.  There are some people who feel that they have done that which is require  of them after they spend one or two hours in church on Sunday each week.  They feel that the rest of the time is theirs to do with as the please.  It is not that we have to spend the entire day in church on The Lord's Day, but the question is: do we give God glory with the remaining waking hours after we leave the worship services?  Do we avoid doing evil?  Remember, the Bible says that all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  One day we will all have to give an account for our thoughts, words, and deeds, including desecrating the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:36 and Romans 14:12)  In all things may God be glorified. (1 Peter 4:11)  (Reposted from May 15, 2013)

Keep The Sabbath Day Holy And Be Blessed

"This is what The LORD says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."  Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

The Prophet Isaiah recorded here The Words of God by beginning with with the phrase "Thus says The Lord..."  God said that the the people were to do that which was right and just.  He also said whoever keeps the Sabbath day holy and avoids doing evil, will be blessed.

When the law was given to Moses, one of the commandments was to remember the Sabbath  day and keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)  Isaiah reminded the people, and he reminds us today, that the man who keeps the Sabbath day holy will be blessed.  While there may be disagreement as to which day of the week is the Sabbath day, clearly one day of each week should be reserved for giving reverence to God, The Lord's Day.  It should also be noted that it is The Lord's Day, and not The Lord's Hour.  There are some people who feel that they have done that which is required of them after they spend one or two hours in church on Sunday each week.  They feel that the rest of the time is theirs to do with as the please.  It is not that we have to spend the entire day in church on The Lord's Day, but the question is: do we give God glory with the remaining waking hours after we leave the worship services?  Do we avoid doing evil?  Remember, the Bible says that all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  One day we will all have to give an account for our thoughts, words, and deeds, including desecrating the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:36 and Romans 14:12)  In all things may God be glorified. (1 Peter 4:11)

Don't Go Along With The Crowd

"When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.  'I am innocent of this man's blood,' he said.  'It is your responsibility!'   All the people answered, 'Let His blood be on us and on our children!'   Then he released Barabbas to them.  But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified."  Matthew 27:24-26 (NIV)

After he heard what Jesus said, Pilate washed his hands of the matter because he found no fault with Jesus.  However, he ordered that Jesus be flogged before he turned Him over to the solders to be crucified.

Pilate gave in and went along with the request of the crowd, even though in his heart he knew that Jesus was not guilty of any crime.  Washing his hands did not absolve Pilate of the sin of condeming an innocent man.  He also had Jesus flogged before he handed Him over to the solders.  Pilate was trying to please the crowd.  It is hard to stand alone and go against the crowd, even when we know that what the crowd wants is wrong.  In order to be popular, to fit in, or to be accepted by the group, we frequently cave in to peer pressure.  As Christians, we are not to conform to the ways of the worldly.  (Romans 12:2)   We are in this world, but we are not of this world.  We are to be like Christ who said that He was not of this world.  (John 8:23 & 18:36)  We are not to yield to the temptation of the world or of the crowd, for yielding is sin.

"He Did Evil In The Eyes Of The Lord"

"He did evil in the eyes of The LORD, but not as his father and mother had done.  He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made.  Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them."  2 Kings 3:2-3 (NIV)

The unknown author of the book of second Kings recorded that the king of Israel did not follow The Word of God, in fact "he did evil in the eyes of The Lord".  That phrase is repeated twenty-four times in the books of first and second Kings, and it is repeated an additional nine times in the book of second Chronicles.  Each time that it is repeated it refers to the behavior of the king.

It is difficult for the people to do right when they are following a leader who is doing wrong.  God gave each of us the free will to choose between right and wrong.  We can also choose who we will follow and who we won't follow.  We need to compare what our leaders say that we should do with what The Bible says that we should do.  In order to do that, we must read and study The Bible.  The Word of God will give guidance and direction to those who believe.  (Psalms 25:9 & 48:14, Proverbs 3:6 & 11:5)  If the leader is not following The Word of God, then we should not be following them.  Do not let it be said that we "did evil in the eyes of The LORD" because we were following someone down a sinful path.  We need to turn away from our sinful, evil, wicked ways and seek God.  (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Repent And Seek Good Not Evil

"The prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.  Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then The Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is."  Amos 5:13-14 (NIV)

After he told the people that they had turned away from God, and sited several examples of this, the prophet Amos told them to repent, turn away from evil, and seek God.

Based upon how well or how poorly we follow The Word of God, our actions suggest that we have also turned away from God.  If not turned away, we do not take Him seriously.  We give Him "lip service" for a limited time on Sundays and ritualistic habitual prayers before we eat and sleep.  However, the rest of the time we are not much different from the lost souls as we imitate their worldly behaviors.  Our problem is that we are seeking everything but Him.  We need to ask God for forgiveness and repent from our sinful worldly ways.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)   We need to pray more, thank Him more, praise Him more, read His Word more, and actively seek to be more Christ-like, and we need to do these things daily.

While We Run This Race Let Us Focus On Jesus

"... 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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

This text by the author of Hebrews could be restated to allow ease of understanding. Let us Christians put aside all of our unprofitable beliefs and sins, and let us endure our challenging faith-filled lives with our eyes fixed on Jesus who endured the suffering of the cross to satisfy His Father and pay the price for our salvation.

Our Christian lives can be compared to a race which is similar to a combination of a marathon and a steeplechase, it requires perseverance and endurance, in addition to the negotiation of frequent obstacles, some more challenging than others. In order to complete this race, we must focus on the prize and the satisfaction that comes at the end when we finish and know that our effort resulted in hearing "well done" from "He who made it possible" for us to run the race.