A Better Love
Book of Hebrews Chapter 12 Verses 1 through 11
How can we describe the love of another person?
We could say that love is showing affection to that person, accompanied with an ardent desire to promote this person's happiness!
1) By abstaining from all that could cause injury to that person.
2) By doing all that can promote that person's welfare, that person's comfort, that person's interest, whether that person appreciates that effort or is indifferent to that effort.
Love must be something personal, coming from one person and directed toward another person.
A relationship develops when both these persons feel the same toward each other.
As Christians we know that God is "Love" and He portrays to us absolute, never ending, enduring, love!
God proves His love for His creation by the things He says, and He does!
1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
It is because God has this love that we also should learn to love as God loves!
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
So when we begin reading this passage that talks of a race, then we must accept that our race in the will of God is a LOVE race, to promote the love of God to this unloving world.
*****Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
It is a race to know God and His love and to commune with and fellowship with God both now and forever.
If we love God as He loves us then, we will believe Him and all the Words He has given to us, and be obedient to Him and all the Word of God!
We will believe in all the promises of God, and we will believe the love He has shown us in His Son!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
There is so much we can learn from the Word of God, but if we can just believe He has this love as described here, the rest will be easy!
There is great power in faith.
There is even great power when our faith is combined with our true love for Him.
It is the baggage of a wicked world that has lost its affection for regular people and serves only the elite and powerful, that drags down each of us, unless we can lay aside these things and strive to match the pace God has given to us in His Son Jesus.
God has provided something much better for those who love Him!
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
You see we must continue to fight that good fight of faith just as those in the previous chapter!
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
When we read of the New Testament saints, we should see them as witnesses for the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must clearly understand that anything that does not build us up, is then tearing us down!
Anything that does not improve our Christian life, is then detrimental to our Christian life and our faith!
When we attend a Church service, then it must be to hear the message God has for us that day and fellowship with our likeminded brothers and sisters, and not for entertainment.
If we miss that service, then we have missed God's message for that day and the importance of it!
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Author of our salvation and without Him there would be no salvation!
*****Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
**Looking; we are to fix our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ as the object of our "faith"!
We are to fix our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ as "the only" means of our "salvation"!
**Author; the Lord Jesus Christ is the "Originator" and the "Preeminent Example" of a life in Christ, being obedient to our Heavenly Father.
**Finisher; the Lord Jesus Christ is our "Perfecter"! It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that will carry us through to "perfection".
The Lord Jesus Christ does not start something that He does not finish!
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that "he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ":
**The joy; The Lord Jesus Christ got no pleasure in the pain He endured. He got no pleasure in the way the very humans He created treated Him.
Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and "was heard in that he feared";
Remember the Lord was 100% man and 100% God. He absolutely did fear the scourge, because it caused the death of so many before they reached the cross. The Lord Jesus had to die on that cross!
Joh_3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
He got joy in knowing that He had completed the work of salvation for every human who has ever existed.
His work for our salvation is finished:
Joh_17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do".
The Lord Jesus Christ felt joy knowing that salvation was now in our hands for He had completed the payment for our salvation that we did not have the power to do.
Our part is to believe Him and what He has done. This is why "faith" is so critical!
God will not tolerate those who reject His Son because of the work He had to do.
There is still joy in Heaven every time some lost soul is saved.
Luk_15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner "that repenteth".
You will notice that it is not just salvation that brings joy to Heaven, it is that fact of repentance!
The joy of the Lord came to Him because He had accomplished His Father's will.
What is His Father's Will?
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth".
**Right hand; His work completed, Our Lord Jesus returned to His place at the right hand of God, but not just as Sovereign God of all His creation, but also as the High Priest and Mediator and Intercessor for each and everyone who have now committed to having that "Saving Faith".
The right hand is the place power, authority, and honor.
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our example of the results of "faith" as we will also return to the Father if we can show this same "faith"!
*****Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
How can we survive this cruel world? By keeping our focus on the things that the Lord Jesus Christ had to accomplish so that we can have this great salvation that is for eternity!
If we compare our own suffering to the suffering of Christ Jesus, we will see that there is really no comparison to the suffering and shame of our Lord as He paid our sin debt.
This will keep us from getting weary, meaning exhausted, tired, worn out, or even just relaxing as we go about the work that the Lord Jesus has given us to do.
There is no neutral ground when we serve the Lord.
We either are or we are not !
Discouragement can ruin our testimony for Christ!
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
We must resist the temptations of this world and focus on Christ who has already defeated this world!
Most all of us can say we have not resisted until death.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
We must never count the chastisement of the Lord toward us as punishment, when it is only the Holy Spirit who is keeping us on that narrow path to victory.
We must never question the love of God for His children!
If we would just take the time to study all the things our Lord has done for us simply because of His Great Love, we would not hesitate to show Him our love.
*****Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
We should also be clear on this issue. God will discipline His believers!
God will not discipline non-believers, they are already condemned to eternal death!
It is Satan who cause havoc in the lives of unbelievers, yet they continue to worship him.
God chastens, corrects, and rebukes believers!
God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does God tempt any human being.
Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Notice it is lust that conceives, that brings sin into our lives.
It is the lust between a man and a woman who refuse to take responsibility that makes a need for abortion.
It is the lust between two people male or female that cause the queer life style.
It is the lust for power that ruins politicians.
It is the lust for riches that has corrupted our world!
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
It is sin that alienates us from God!
God does not cause temptation, nor does He cause us to sin.
God does not cause devastation, accidents, destruction, sickness, death or sufferings, trials or troubles and problems.
These are all things of this world!
God will go through these things with us if He allows them!
God does not cause terrible things to happen, nor does He cause evil!
God's concern for us is not to cause us problems!
**God allows some of these things to happen to us to teach, to train us, and instruct us, on how to deal with these type things, to make us stronger.
We are to stand on the truth of God!
God does not want any of these things to defeat us and they will not, if we stand firm upon the Word of God, for He will be with us at all times.
Php_4:13 I can do "all" things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
There is a reason for that word "ALL".
These things will only make us stronger if we allow God the Holy Ghost to do His work of sanctification!
When we come under attack we must immediately turn to God and ask for help!
All these things are only directed at us to allow God to work in our hearts to make us stronger.
We must never lay around in self-pity.
Many things are blamed on God that are just not true.
For instance, a small innocent baby is crippled in an automobile accident by a drunk driver. This is not being chastened or corrected by God!
This happens because we live in a corrupted world full of sin.
This is the same for drive-by shootings and other such things.
God simply does not cause such things, "love" simply does not act this way!
We will not see the wrath of God during this period of the "Grace"
All of God's instruction is to teach us to trust and depend more upon the Lord Jesus Christ!
**When we fail or cave into a trial or sin, God will let us reap what we have sown!
We will always bear the results of our sin, but it does not cause God to love us any less.
When we deal with the bad and evil things of this earth, God did not cause them!
We must not despise discipline!
When we are being taught by God, we need to cherish it and know that God is using these things to make us stronger so we will be able to help others who may go through the same thing.
We must get accustomed to the tug and pull of the Holy Spirit and even the little tugs can have critical meaning.
Jer 32:33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
When we endure the chastening of the Lord it shows we trust our Savior and our love will grow even stronger.
*****Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
We must understand that when we are going through a period of chastening and suffering because of it, and we see someone else going through something similar with relative ease we must not get confused.
If God has received us as His children, we should expect our Heavenly Father to keep us straight just as we try to do to our own children.
This shows the great love that God has for us!
He may even spank us to get our attention, but it is still done in love.
It is such a great honor to know you are a child of God and many times as we go through these things, thank spanking hand feels more like a comforting hand because this is the way God is to His children.
We must endure the discipline of God.
We are to stand fast in our trials and troubles.
We must become soft to the feel of the Holy Spirit!
We are to follow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will direct us by the Word of God.
The Holy Spirit will never lead us away from Jesus Christ!
Our Heavenly Father is a Loving Father!
Now that one who is going through something similar with relative ease may not even be a child of God.
God does not discipline those who do not love Him!
They too are subject to the curse upon this world and exposed to the wickedness and corruptness of it.
God does not discipline those who do not love Him because they are already subject to His "wrath" to come!
This person is the child of Satan.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
These people will act just as Satan acts!
The Bible says these are "bastards" and not sons.
Bastard used here means the offspring of non-believers who have rejected the truth of God and not taught their children the Word of God!
Pro_22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Furthermore.
*****Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
If we have grown up having a father who loves us, then we have surely been disciplined by him and maybe that mother or both and we know it was done out of love.
Much of the troubles we have today are caused because of broken families and this is the work of Satan!
What we see today is children raised without discipline and it shows up so much that it is changing this entire world.
In fact, many of them have grown up to become leaders who now have no respect for the law and choose to not discipline those who break the law.
Living in this world of today we see that love of life has truly little meaning.
Rom_1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
2Ti_3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
The discipline of God brings life and life eternal!
The discipline of this world brings death, maybe not physical death but eternal death and separation from a Holy God!
They will be delivered to this death the very moment they leave this world, whereas the child of God knows that death is just a steppingstone to eternal life in the glory world.
Pro 11:19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
As we were growing up, our parents only had a few days to try to get us to grow up in a righteous manner in ways they thought were good, and many times they used too much discipline for the wrong things and too little discipline when they should have been tougher.
God does not ever make this mistake and God has our lifetime after salvation to get us ready for Heaven and useful for the work He has for us in this world.
If we are not partakers of His holiness, how do we ever expect to come face to face with Him.
There are no places to hide in Heaven! We either are or we are not!
Any move we make toward sin is a good reason to see the discipline of God!
*****Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
It could be said that pain teaches us our nothingness.
We do not have it in power to stop our pain especially that mental pain for a terrible situation that is going on in our lives.
Health permits us to swell in pride and self-esteem, but pain knocks us down a level and shows us our feebleness.
Pain shows us we are not in charge even of our own bodies!
The fact of the matter is that we need solid "Grace" when we are thrown into the furnace of affliction and if Jesus is not there with us, we will be burnt to a crisp!
It is "faith and love" that teaches us to bear all things good and bad because we trust in a perfect Savior!
There is peace that comes to those who are going to the trials and temptations of this world because we know we are not alone.
There is a lot that can be said of that person who can stand and face God and say, "be merciful to me God, I am but just a sinner that loves you".
There is "Mercy and Grace" at the Throne of Love!
Amen
