Resist

“Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The word Paul used wasn’t surrounded but a Greek word that means encircled or enclosed by a great, meaning many, witnesses or martyrs on record. Many, not wanting to explore the original meanings have interpreted this to mean, they witness, using the verb, ergo watching our activity. But actually, by the word witness, he means the martyrs on record have left for us a perimeter of conduct for us to follow.

Paul tells us that these martyrs are examples of putting aside or casting away every burden and every sin that thwarts holy and righteous living. He admonishes us to live our lives with patience, but that word means something different in the Greek than we expect. It means with cheerful (or hopeful) endurance and constancy. And in order to be able to do that we must keep our eyes on Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is our leader and our captain Who gave us the example we must follow. He is the Finisher meaning He consummated or completed our faith, our profession, which is the Gospel by which we live by, going to the Cross. He persevered at the Cross and hated the shame of it.

I can’t imagine the shame that was attached to that Cross, not only at the moment, but as Lord having to bear the darkness and ugliness of our sin there before the Father and His holiness. I cannot liken it to anything other than when a parent takes the guilt and punishment for his or her child of a shameful and grievous crime taking on the assault of the world against them, similar but so much more powerful and significant because of its eternal impact. But having endured all the punishment and payment for our sin, the Father sat Jesus in His rightful place beside Him at His right hand with all glory and authority as before the Nativity.

So, Paul urges us to keep our eyes on Jesus. Jesus showed us the way. He showed us how. When we are weary of life here on earth, tempted to throw in the towel and give in to temptation, whatever it may be, anger, bitterness, resentment or indulgence, all we need to do is look to Jesus and remember His sacrifice, His endurance ‘till the end and His faithfulness. We haven’t had to come against the temptations to death like Jesus did. This will help us resist. If Jesus went to the Cross for us, endured all the cruelty in spirit, soul and body of the Cross and resisted all temptation, we can surely resist the temptation to give up. Giving up is easy to do. But the repercussions are eternal because then we suffer all the shame and regret that comes from it when we decided to take it upon ourselves. Jesus took the shame of sin. He took all the regret and cruelty for us so we would be free from it. Jesus took the punishment and also the death of sin. Paul urges us to resist because Jesus took the hardest part of sin for us so we could live a righteous and holy life. “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.” (1Peter 2:24)

In closing, we can resist temptation when we look at Jesus, at His sacrifice for us, at His love for us and His faithfulness toward us. Jesus did the hard part of our sin taking it to Himself and paying the debt of it for us. When we look to Him in our worse times, He will help us resist by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He will empower us to resist by the power of the Holy Spirit. He will strengthen our mind, will and emotions so that we can resist by the power of the Holy Spirit.