Looking unto Jesus (Part 1)
Looking unto Jesus (Part 1)
Hebrew 12:1-3.
The first and primary duty of a believer is to be with Jesus (Matthew 3:14). The extent of our usefulness depends upon the quality of this personal relationship and continued focus on following His pattern (1 Peter 2:21).
Even though our race in the kingdom is individually unique, there is a “Cloud of witnesses”-those who have blazed the track before us, chiefly, our Lord Himself (Hebrew 4:15). Their examples serve as encouragement and utmost confidence in the grace of God to see us through (2 Timothy 4:7, 8).
There are encumbrances that we need to abandon to run effectively and run well. The kingdom journey is not a sprint but a marathon. Therefore, it requires us to jettison some unnecessary carry-ons through the enablement of God’s grace (Matthew 19:24-26).
- Freedom from every unnecessary weight: The only weighty element in our lives should be the cross of Christ. All other weights and concerns must be abandoned at His feet- Matthew 16:24. The cross of Christ should supersede concerns of familial, friendship, neighborly, or secular inclinations.
- Total separation from besetting sins: Sins that easily ensnare a man are those that stem from his adamic (normal) nature. We must employ God’s grace for the complete sanctification of our hearts- Romans 2:29.
Having been liberated from these weights, we can now run with endurance in faith. Our walk of faith begins and ends in Christ. He is the object of our faith, therefore, no other vocation is worthy of our lives than walking with Christ by faith. This walk may bring us contradictions of men, hatred by loved ones, and trials, but we must endure. Romans 8:35, 38, 39. Endurance is what sustains our resolute determination to run the race to our final victory.
Bro A. Faola
