Heb 12:1 NIV
“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.”
What is it that the church at large, in America, for
example, needs to cast off? What is the BIG hindrance to believers’ walks of
faith in Christ Jesus today? What’s the BIG sin in the American church,
overall, that is so easily entangling those who profess faith in Jesus Christ?
A Pictorial Illustration
The picture the Lord gave me today was that of a dark metal
glider with soft mushy cushions for comfort.
“Dark” is a biblical term representing evil and wickedness,
like walking in and/or preferring the darkness (Jn 3:19-21; Ac 26:18; 1 Jn
1:5-7). Metals are typically lustrous (glossy, slick, showy) in appearance and
are malleable (soft, flexible, bending).
Gliders are not stationary (not unchanging). They glide (drift,
just get by, coast along) back and forth, like the double-minded or like the
sluggard, for they waver, vacillate, and/or are tossed back and forth by every
wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful
scheming (Eph 4:14-16; Jas 1:5-8).
A seat is a place where you sit, where you position
yourself. A seat can also be a position of authority, like a seat of
government. And this one is soft on sin and it comforts people in their sin
rather than call them to repent of sin.
When the Lord gave me this picture, what I immediately saw
was the cheap grace gospel. It is wicked, evil. It prefers the darkness and will
not come into the light. It is slick (slippery, smooth, superficial), and it is
showy (shallow, pretentious). And it is soft on sin and very bending on truth.
And it is ever changing, continually progressing further
into depravity and further away from God’s purity and righteousness. It gives
free license for its adherents to just drift along through life, to be
double-minded, to be self-indulgent, and to go back and forth between professing
Christ as Savior and living like hell in all kinds of wickedness.
And it is seated in a place of authority within the
gatherings of the church in place of the true gospel of grace (the whole
counsel of God), ruling in people’s hearts and minds, directing their paths,
and convincing them that they can continue living in self-indulgence and still
be saved from their sins and have eternal life with God.
Get Rid of It!!
So, the Lord is saying that it needs to be removed. We, as
the body of Christ, need to throw off this cheap grace gospel and not give it a
seat of authority within the gatherings of the church. It should be cast off
and the true gospel of Christ should be brought back and placed in its rightful
position of authority within the church.
For, this cheap grace gospel is leading many people to
continue living in their sin while promising them that they are saved, that
they are forgiven, and that heaven is secured for them for when they die,
regardless of how they live while they are on this earth. Yet, that is a lie
straight from hell!!
This cheap grace gospel is permeating today’s modern church
and it is the biggest hindrance to believers’ walks of faith, because it makes
no requirements for repentance (forsaking sin), or obedience to Christ, or for
submission to the Lordship of Christ. And its adherents are given carte blanche
to continue living in sin, only now without guilt.
The Big sin in the American church, thus, is spiritual
adultery and idolatry. The church, overall, has forsaken her Lord as Lord of
her life, and she has abandoned the truth of the gospel for a cheapened fake
gospel which still leaves its adherents dead in their sin, headed to hell,
while promising them heaven.
And this is entangling Christians or professing Christians
in all sorts of evil behaviors, porn addiction being one of the big ones, but
not the only one.
And that is because they are being consoled in their sins by
this soft and cushy seat (authority) of this cheap grace gospel which gives
them comfort in their sin, but which does not demand that they forsake their
sins or obey or submit to God/Jesus Christ.
Heb 12:1-2 NIV
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
So, the body of Christ, in the gatherings of the church,
needs to cast off this cheap grace gospel and its authority, and to bring back
the true gospel of grace. And the church needs to repent of her sins of
adultery and idolatry and then get back on course with God.
Then, she needs to run the spiritual race that God has had
marked out for her to run even before he created the world. And that race involves
first dying with Christ to sin, by God’s grace, through genuine faith in Jesus
Christ, being reborn of the Spirit of God, and then walking by the Spirit of
God in purity of devotion to our Lord Jesus, and not any longer to the flesh.
This is the race God has marked out for us. And the way we
are able to run it (walk it) is by God’s grace, in his power and strength, by
the faith God has given to us to believe on Jesus as Lord and Savior of our
lives. So, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and follow his lead always.
[Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn
1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Jn 6:35-58; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15, 21; Tit 2:11-14; Col
1:21-23]
Heb 12:2-3 NIV
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Jesus died on that cross to put our sin to death with him
that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness. He
died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life
up for us. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God so
that we would now glorify God with our lives (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15, 21; 1 Co
6:19-20).
Jesus died on that cross to put our sin to death so that we
might be crucified with him in death to sin, be buried with him, and be raised
with him to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness. He died, too, that the righteous requirement of the
law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according
to the Spirit (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26).
So, the joy that was set before him was not just our
salvation from the punishment of sin, but it was our deliverance from our
slavery (addiction) to sin so that we could be raised to new lives in him to be
lived to him and for his glory and praise. He could endure the cross in order
to see us free from slavery to sin and walking in purity of devotion to him.
Amen!
Songs
in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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