RR “Endurance for the Race” Part 3 by Jerry Miller
Shavuah Tov {{firstName}},
Hebrews 12:1-2a Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfector of faith.
Recently I have shared some thoughts related to these verses from Hebrews 12, and I want to continue for a bit on this theme. Each of us is running in what can be seen as, the “race” of life. In the natural realm, we find that endurance for a physical race is something that does not come about through mere desire. In other words, simply wanting to have endurance does not guarantee that we will endure. Training is required, and that means we must live in such a way that we are growing in our capacity for a life of spiritual endurance.
Of course, for us as followers of Yeshua, the “training” I’m speaking of is not so much rooted in physical disciplines. At the heart of our training is our steadfast pursuit of a love relationship with Yeshua. I am talking about a life in which we simply grow deeper in our love for God with each day that we live. As we walk with Him and grow in relationship, our love for Him deepens continually. The result of our love deepening is that we find ourselves less attracted by sin and compromise. The more we walk with Him and partake of His goodness, the more we love Him. The result of that love will be the visible fruits of holiness and righteousness.
Holiness is not a means for gaining favor with God. Rather, holiness is a fruit of a life in which we desire Him more than anything of this world. From that place of desire, we pursue Him daily, knowing that in Yeshua, He has taken away every barrier that would separate us from relationship with God. In Yeshua, He has forgiven us, cleansed us and taken away our guilt, and our simple “yes” to the Lord becomes a pathway into this life of His indwelling presence.
As I said in my previous RR, the power of His presence, accessed through relationship, is what most effectively displaces the power of sin and compromise in which we have previously walked. Sha’ul expresses it this way, encouraging us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, TLV). The phrase that really stands out to me here is, “…created to like God.” What an amazing statement this is! It’s amazing because the very idea of being “like” God seems almost inconceivable. How can this possibly be a stated goal of our salvation? The very thought has the potential to leave us concluding that the transformed life of salvation is just not reachable. And of course, it is unreachable if we are leaning on our natural human ability to accomplish it. But thankfully, in His grace, God gives us His Spirit to accomplish the transformation in us to which we are called.
Sometimes folks may feel that an emphasis such as this causes a quenching of God’s grace in our lives, leading to a works-orientation. After all, if we say there must be visible fruit and change in our lives, are we not thinking more in terms of works rather than grace? I believe that such thinking indicates a misunderstanding of the intent and power of God’s grace.
Once again, let’s consider the words of Rav. Sha’ul, as we call to mind the prominence of grace throughout his writings. As he saw it, salvation by grace simply meant that there is no way we can humanly earn God’s favor or earn the blessing of salvation. But, grace does not free us from the responsibility to bear fruit. Sha’ul uses very specific wording in three different letters, exhorting us to “walk worthy” of our calling or “walk worthy” of God (see Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:12). He is exhorting us that our lives are to be walked out in a manner befitting of the Lord Himself and His calling for us as children of the living God. Thus, we are to give much attention to the visible fruit of our lives, but we do this realizing that it’s God’s empowering grace that makes it possible for us to bear fruit for the Lord. We bear fruit for Him as we keep our eyes on Yeshua, inviting Him daily to change us and cause us to be more like Him.
Are there “weights and sins” that are holding us back? If so, God Himself is the One who empowers us for the victory we are called to walk in. Ask Him daily, to help you recognize as well as to help you overcome, anything that gets in the way of this great victory and freedom of Messiah-likeness. As we become increasingly like Him, we will find our capacity for endurance growing stronger. May His grace strengthen and empower us for this amazing life in Messiah Yeshua!
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun31-Aug 20257th of Elul, 5785
De 21:10-21Joel 32 Ch 6:22-42Heb 6 (Ac 1)
Hebrews 12:1-2a Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfector of faith.
Recently I have shared some thoughts related to these verses from Hebrews 12, and I want to continue for a bit on this theme. Each of us is running in what can be seen as, the “race” of life. In the natural realm, we find that endurance for a physical race is something that does not come about through mere desire. In other words, simply wanting to have endurance does not guarantee that we will endure. Training is required, and that means we must live in such a way that we are growing in our capacity for a life of spiritual endurance.
Of course, for us as followers of Yeshua, the “training” I’m speaking of is not so much rooted in physical disciplines. At the heart of our training is our steadfast pursuit of a love relationship with Yeshua. I am talking about a life in which we simply grow deeper in our love for God with each day that we live. As we walk with Him and grow in relationship, our love for Him deepens continually. The result of our love deepening is that we find ourselves less attracted by sin and compromise. The more we walk with Him and partake of His goodness, the more we love Him. The result of that love will be the visible fruits of holiness and righteousness.
Holiness is not a means for gaining favor with God. Rather, holiness is a fruit of a life in which we desire Him more than anything of this world. From that place of desire, we pursue Him daily, knowing that in Yeshua, He has taken away every barrier that would separate us from relationship with God. In Yeshua, He has forgiven us, cleansed us and taken away our guilt, and our simple “yes” to the Lord becomes a pathway into this life of His indwelling presence.
As I said in my previous RR, the power of His presence, accessed through relationship, is what most effectively displaces the power of sin and compromise in which we have previously walked. Sha’ul expresses it this way, encouraging us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, TLV). The phrase that really stands out to me here is, “…created to like God.” What an amazing statement this is! It’s amazing because the very idea of being “like” God seems almost inconceivable. How can this possibly be a stated goal of our salvation? The very thought has the potential to leave us concluding that the transformed life of salvation is just not reachable. And of course, it is unreachable if we are leaning on our natural human ability to accomplish it. But thankfully, in His grace, God gives us His Spirit to accomplish the transformation in us to which we are called.
Sometimes folks may feel that an emphasis such as this causes a quenching of God’s grace in our lives, leading to a works-orientation. After all, if we say there must be visible fruit and change in our lives, are we not thinking more in terms of works rather than grace? I believe that such thinking indicates a misunderstanding of the intent and power of God’s grace.
Once again, let’s consider the words of Rav. Sha’ul, as we call to mind the prominence of grace throughout his writings. As he saw it, salvation by grace simply meant that there is no way we can humanly earn God’s favor or earn the blessing of salvation. But, grace does not free us from the responsibility to bear fruit. Sha’ul uses very specific wording in three different letters, exhorting us to “walk worthy” of our calling or “walk worthy” of God (see Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:12). He is exhorting us that our lives are to be walked out in a manner befitting of the Lord Himself and His calling for us as children of the living God. Thus, we are to give much attention to the visible fruit of our lives, but we do this realizing that it’s God’s empowering grace that makes it possible for us to bear fruit for the Lord. We bear fruit for Him as we keep our eyes on Yeshua, inviting Him daily to change us and cause us to be more like Him.
Are there “weights and sins” that are holding us back? If so, God Himself is the One who empowers us for the victory we are called to walk in. Ask Him daily, to help you recognize as well as to help you overcome, anything that gets in the way of this great victory and freedom of Messiah-likeness. As we become increasingly like Him, we will find our capacity for endurance growing stronger. May His grace strengthen and empower us for this amazing life in Messiah Yeshua!
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun31-Aug 20257th of Elul, 5785
De 21:10-21Joel 32 Ch 6:22-42Heb 6 (Ac 1)
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