Saturday, June 4, 2011

Stripping Down for the Race

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

We have all seen athletes running up and down the sidelines before a track and field event, beloved, wearing those very familiar "warm-up" togs that they use to keep their muscles relaxed and warm before toeing the mark for their event. And we have also seen them, when that moment comes to compete, strip off those same warm-up suits and get ready to actually run the race. As we return to our consideration of this glorious passage of Scripture, we look this week at the first of four specific commands given to us as believers as we "run the race" of our own personal pursuit of holiness.

Here the Greek word onkos means literally "bulk" or "mass" and refers to any weight that is carried around by anyone. As we have already seen, the athlete competing in a race does not want to have to carry with him any more weight than is absolutely necessary. In such competitions, beloved, even ounces of extra weight make a difference! That is why he is so careful to "strip down" to a proper competitive weight and trimness for his event. As Christians we need to be concerned about those items that we lug around with us as we seek to live for Jesus Christ. What is important here is for us to understand that such things, while not inherently sinful, may nonetheless become real impediments to our success as believers.

Sometimes such an "encumbrance" might take the form of a relationship that is not edifying to us or glorifying to God. It might also be guised in the form of a particular entertainment that we enjoy which in actuality brings God no glory. Such an encumbrance could also be an organizational affiliation that hinders our witness because it hinders our walk. Or it might just be any of a number of personal habits that simply get in the way of our running the race of life.

This writer next goes on to say that we must also lay aside the "sin" which so easily entangles us. The Greek word euperistatos means literally "standing well around" in the figurative sense of anything which wraps itself around us and impedes our spiritual progress. Can you imagine, for example, one of the Olympic swimmers toeing the mark on his platform at the end of the pool and clad still in his bathrobe? The nature of such "sin," unfortunately, is that usually the more harmless it seems to us the more entangling it becomes!

Whatever form they might take, beloved, such encumbrances are a burden to us and a hindrance to what the Spirit of God is attempting to accomplish in our lives. The writer of Hebrews tells us as those who seek to be holy in our manner in this world that we need to "lay aside" any and every such weight. They simply have no place in a committed Christian's life!

How are you running your race of holiness, beloved? Are you trying to run with your warm-up suit still in place? Do you have ankle weights that are holding you back? Then let you urge you to first of all identify them clearly and then strip them off! In order to run the race of holiness successfully, we must be ready to run that race. Strip down, beloved! And, once again, run for all you are worth!

Ron