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RACE INSTRUCTIONS
Heb. 12:12-17
If you were here two weeks ago, in our study of the first 3 verses of this chapter, the
Hebrew writer challenged us as Christians today to “take the baton of faith” and run
with it.
 In vs. 1, he says, “Lay aside everything that would hinder you, especially the sin of
unbelief, and run with endurance just as Jesus did!”
 No matter what hostilities you face, not matter the difficulties…don’t quit!
 “Focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who leads us to salvation and
whose example should encourage us not to become weary and lose heart.”
o So the Hebrew writer challenges us to “run with endurance the race of
faith!”
Then in vs. 4-11 the Hebrew writer tells us that “perspective is everything.”
 That even though they were suffering harsh treatment at the hands of men…what
men intended for evil…God was using for their own good…to refine them…to
purify them.
And now, here in vs. 12-17, the writer returns to the idea of “running in faith.”
 And here in this passage the Hebrew writer gives us some instructions…some
commands that we are to keep as we run our race.
 Look what He says starting in vs. 12.
Therefore (because you are going through some hardships…hostilities of men),
strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,
 Do you see the word “strengthen? That word in the Greek literally means: to
lift…to straighten.
 So what the Hebrew writer is saying is, “Instead of giving up…lift up!”
 “Instead of giving up, instead of quitting and abandoning your faith…shake off all
weariness…lift up those drooping hands and those feeble knees…and be restored
to strength!”
 “Be revived!”
The race of faith that is set before you is long, and it is often hard…and over time we
get tired…and we might get discouraged…and we start to “droop”…and it becomes
difficult to keep going…but as hard as it is…lift up those tired arms…and renew the
strength in those weak knees…and keep going!
Look at vs. 13: … and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame
may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
 Here where he says, “make straight paths for your feet” – he isn’t talking so much
about straight as opposed to crooked or winding.
 He is speaking more generally of paths that are “right, correct, true, safe, smooth
 In other words, he is saying, “Exert yourself to making the course clear, free from
obstacles, not only for yourself, but also for your fellow Christians so that…”
“…the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”
 It is easy for a weak or “lame” soul to be led out of the path of righteousness.
 And what we need to do is not only “lift” ourselves up and be renewed in
strength, but also “lift up” each other…and encourage each other…and remove
any and all obstacles that might hinder us and keep us from finishing the race that
we each are running.
Listen, this is something that we are all called to do!
 This is not just for a few.
 We all should be concerned for the weakness of others…and we all must respond
and make every effort to strengthen and to lift up those who are weary.
 We must do all we can do to help each other to stay on the path to salvation.
I understand that not everyone can preach…and not everyone wants to teach…and I
understand that getting old slows us down…
 But this is something every one of us can and should do!
 When you come here to worship…”lift each other up.”
 When you see a brother or sister on the street…lift them up!
 If they are sick or in the hospital…”lift them up!
 Struggling spiritually…discouraged…lift them up!
Now, in vs. 14-17, the Hebrew writer runs up some “caution flags” that if not
respected and given attention can cause serious problems as we run our race. Look at
vs. 14:
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the
Lord.
 He says, “Pursue peace with all men…”
 The word “pursue” in the Greek that literally means: to run swiftly in order to
catch…to run after…to press on.
And the word “peace” means “harmony.”
And notice, he says “with all men.”
 This was quite a challenge for these Christians!
 They were being persecuted for what they believed…they were being
mistreated…insulted…mocked…and ridiculed!
 And now they were told to “pursue peace” with the same people that were doing
these kinds of things to them?
Listen, they were followers of Christ and this is something that Christ did!
 In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is “the Prince of Peace.”
 In Eph. 2:13-17, Jesus died to make peace possible with God, and with man.
 In Matthew 5:9, He taught that children of God were to be “peacemakers.”
 If we are disciples of Christ then we too must “pursue peace”, even with those
who mistreat us.
Now, how do you do that?
 Well, by being arrogant…obnoxious…critical…insulting…vengeful…hateful, etc.
o The first thing you have to do in order to “pursue peace with all men” is you
must first be at peace with God; Prov. 16:7
o And the Lord imparts peace to us through His word; Psa. 119:165 and
through prayer; Ph. 4:6-7.
o Then you have to let the peace of God rule in our heart; Col. 3:15.
o Listen, if you are not at peace with yourself, it is unlikely that you can be at
peace with others.
 Then you “pursue peace with all men” by doing those things that make for peace.
o Such as being considerate of their conscience; Rom. 14:13-21.
o And by seeking unity with compassion, love, tenderness, honesty, and
courtesy; being willing to respond to evil or reviling with a blessing; 1 Peter
3:8-11.
 We do no good by sewing discord and contempt. Only when we “pursue peace
with all men” can we hope to bring them to the point to where they also have
peace with God.
Now, notice the second half of the verse: Pursue peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
o The word “sanctification” is also translated “holiness.”
o Pursuing to be “holy just as our Lord is holy.”
o It speaks of “being slaves of righteousness”; Rom. 6:19-22.
o Cleansing ourselves from all “filthiness of the flesh and spirit”; 2 Cor. 7:1
o And putting on the “new man…in true righteousness and holiness”; Eph. 4:24.
Pursuing sanctification is not just a once in a while event.
o It is ongoing…it is what the Christian life is all about!
o It is an everyday, every hour effort.
o And, without this ongoing effort of sanctification…”no one will see the Lord.”
o What does this say about those who only “dabble” in being a Christian…who
are only “part-timers”…who are “convenient Christians”…”Sunday morning
Christians?”
Vs. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness
springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
o The phrase “see to it” is the Greek word “”episkoupountes”…and it speaks of “one
who watches over another…a guardian or superintendant.”
o We often have it in mind that this is something that only our elders are to do since
they are the “episkopos” or bishops.
o What the Hebrew writer says here is something that we all are supposed to do.
Look at what he says: “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God.”
 Every one of us is to watch over others to prevent the defection of any one of our
number…to keep anyone of us from “coming short of the grace of God.”
o It is as though we are all traveling together on a long journey home, and we must
keep careful watch so that we all, not just me or our own self reaches that goal,
but all of us get there.
But the real thing that the writer is saying here is don’t turn away from Christ.
 The writer is speaking to Christians….those who have already been baptized into
Christ and yet he says that anyone of them can “come short of the grace of God.”
 How would they do that? By turning away!
 So all of us are to watch over and encourage each other not to abandon Christ!
The writer also says, “See to it; that no root of bitterness (animosity, anger, harshness
– how many have been driven away because of this…how many congregations have
been split because of this – someone speaks harshly to someone. Some times people
are run off almost before they get started…and it amazes me that some people think
it is their place to “set people straight” almost before those people are ever taught
about Christ) springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”
 “defiled” could also be translated “contaminated.”
 This “root of bitterness” is something that needs to be stopped before it ever buds
out and blossoms or it will not only cause the one who is bitter to come short of
the grace of God…but it will cause others to fall short as well.

Vs 16: See to it…that there be no immoral (the word “immoral” here is also translated
“fornicator” – it is a generic term for any sort of sexual immorality including
premarital sex, homosexuality, and adultery).
 1 Cor. 6:9-11 says that those who practice these things will not enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
 We must all watch that no one of our number falls prey to this kind of
individual…or gets involved in this kind of activity.
 The sensual desires are some of the strongest human desires that an individual
can have...and there have been too many instances where Christian women have
been caught up in this.
 Jessica Lopez: He loves me…fell away…two children…he in prison…she has two
kids all to herself.
 Preacher…involved in affair…both are embarrassed when caught…turn away.
 To allow this kind of activity is to endanger the salvation of others who are
influenced by or who follow their example.
 And it is better to prevent this than to run the risk of someone falling short of the
grace of God because of an immoral individuals deceptive, self-seeking desires.
See to it that there be no immoral or godless (profane – this is talking about a
someone who devalues those things that are holy to God. There is no indication that
Esau was an immoral man…but he was profane because he did not properly value his
birthright. In fact, look at how little value Esau put on that which was valuable in the
eyes of God) person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you
know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected,
for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
 He wanted the blessing of birthright back but it was too late…it was too late to
change his father’s mind.
Listen, we can become “profane” by devaluating that which is valuable in the eyes of
God.
 In Christ, we have a spiritual birthright (redemption, fellowship with God, the hope
of eternal life).
 But we can let careers, hobbies, friends, families, and pleasures cause us to
devalue those things of God.
 When we do that are we “selling out our birthright for something not near as
valuable?
 Do people do that when they minimize the importance of baptism?
 We must guard against anyone who profanes the things of God.
So, here is what the Hebrew writer says to us as we all run the race together.
 We need to all “lift up” instead of “giving up.”
 We need to make straight the path for our feet…remove all obstacles that might
hinder you as well as others.
 Pursue peace and sanctification without which no one will see God.
 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God…make sure none of us turn
away from Christ.
 Guard against bitterness springing up and causing trouble, and by it many be
defiled;
 And watch over each other that they stay away from immorality and profaning
that which is valuable to God.
It is a hard, long race that we each run with many, many pitfalls that can destroy any
one of us.
 This is not a race where we compete with each other in order to finish first.
 This is a race where the most important thing is for all of us to finish…and when
one of us is weak, weary, distracted and tempted to fall away…others of us need
to be there to encourage them to finish strong.
1 Cor. 9:24-27.