Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:1-4

How Goes The Race? – The purpose of this passage, the intent of the Holy Spirit in these four verses is to show us the necessity of perseverance in faith. The Connection “Wherefore”—Be sure you get the connection between Hebrews 12 and what has gone before. This word “wherefore” looks all the way back to Hebrews 10:35-39, where. Paul urges us to patiently, doggedly continue in the faith, assuring us that we will need much grace to give us the patience and fortitude with which to endure unto the end. Then, in chapter 11, he gives us those great examples of faith, patience, and perseverance drawn from Old Testament history. In Hebrews 12 he picks up the admonition. The Cloud of Witnesses “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses”—There is an allusion here to the ancient Olympic games of Greece, the games played for the gods of the pagans. These witnesses are our brothers and sisters who have gone before us into glory. Specifically, these witnesses refer to those Old Testament saints mentioned in chapter 11. But it certainly includes all who have gone before us into heaven, because the body of Christ, the people of God, are one. These are not merely spectators at a game. They are men and women who have run the race before us, finished their course, and won the prize. Now, they are a cloud of witnesses urging us on in the race. The word translated “witnesses” is really the word from which we get our word “martyr.” It is a word full of meaning and instruction. These witnesses are people who laid down their lives in the cause. Some were martyred by the hands of others. All were martyred by their own hands—They all voluntarily laid down their lives for Christ. They are people who bore on earth, and continue to bear in heaven, witness to Christ, to the blessed sufficiency of his grace, to his unfailing faithfulness, and to the glorious majesty of his person. They are presently witnesses of those of us who are still running the race. We must not make more or less of this than the Scriptures assert. This much is certain—God’s saints in heaven have a keen, constant interest in his kingdom on earth. The Charge Given “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."— First, Paul calls for us to join him in laying aside every weight that hinders us in our race. He says, “Let us, like those who have gone before us into heaven, lay aside every weight.” Obviously, he is talking about those things that weigh heavily upon us, those things that press us down and hinder us from running the race. Lay aside the terrible burden of the law that you cannot bear. The Lord God has laid it aside. Let us lay it aside. Take the weight and burden of your sin and lay it down, lay it on Christ, and quit carrying it.

Our God has laid it aside. Let us lay it aside (Romans 6:11). Literally, Paul says, “Having laid aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily best us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Take all the weight and burden of your heart’s care and lay it upon his broad shoulders. “Cast all your care on him, for he careth for you!” – It is both foolish and wrong for us to spend our energy and time dwelling upon and carrying burdens that we can do nothing about. Let us also, with deliberate purpose, lay aside every earthly care that would keep us from running the race set before us (Matthew 6:25-34). Second, he says, “Let us lay aside the sin which doth so easily beset us.” No doubt, these words may be applied to many, many things, many besetting sins. Indeed, we must not let sin have dominion over us. We must say no to the flesh and to all worldly lusts. But, if you read the words carefully, you will see that Paul uses a definite article, “the”, and refers to “the sin” that so easily besets us all as one sin. He uses the singular form of the word “sin,” not the plural. He is talking about one, single sin that besets us all, one sin that constantly wraps around us, entangles, and trips us up.

It is the same thing Jeremiah said about himself (Lamentations 1:14). The sin that so easily besets us, that is so easily and constantly committed, that so much hinders us and dishonors our God, is unbelief. Unbelief, more than anything else, hinders us in our race. Unbelief caused the disciples to cry, “Master, carest thou not that we perish.” Unbelief caused Martha and Mary to question the Lord’s goodness. Unbelief caused Peter to sink as he walked across the stormy sea. Unbelief keeps us from seeing the glory of God in the work of his grace and in the works of his providence (John 11:40).

Unbelief causes our hands to hang down, makes our knees weak, and turns our feet off course! Third, the Apostle calls for us, laying aside every weight of care and the sin that so easily trips us up, to “run with patience the race that is set before us.” The Amplified Version paraphrases this admonition in a very good way. “Therefore, then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who have born testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance—unnecessary weight—and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.” The race that is set before us is the course of our individual lives. Each course has its own obstacles, hills, valleys, and difficulties. But it is the course set before us by God our Father and Christ our Redeemer. The arena is this present evil world. The course is set before us in the Word of God and by divine providence. The race is a race that must be run. It requires effort, constant strain, relentless endurance, perseverance, patience, and determination. The Prize is Christ (Philippians 3:7-14). Read Hebrews 12:2 and learn how to run this race. “Looking Unto Jesus” “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.” The word “looking” would be better translated “looking away!” The only way to run this race is to look away from ourselves, our weaknesses, our troubles, the world, the cares of the world—everything! Look away unto “Jesus”—Our Savior—Our Redeemer—Our Covenant Surety—Our Lord! Look unto him by faith. Look into him. Dive into the mystery of his person, his offices, his works, and his grace! He is “the Author of our faith.” He is the Object of our faith (2 Timothy 1:8-12). And he is “the Finisher of our faith.”

Hebrews 12:2

The Finisher of Our Faith “Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2) Let us ever look away to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Finisher of our faith. The word here translated “finisher” seems to have been coined by Paul himself. It is found nowhere else. Christ is the Object of faith. Christ gives faith. Christ sustains faith. And Christ consummates, completes, and finishes faith. Paul explains what he means by the word “finisher,” or consummator, in the rest of the verse. The Joy Before Him The Lord Jesus has finished faith, that is to say he has finished that whole work that makes him the Object of faith, has finished that for which faith looks to him, and has finished his own life and example of faith, because he is that One “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.” With those words, the Holy Spirit here tells us how Christ finished faith. The word “for” could be properly translated in two ways. Both translations are accurate. The word could be translated “instead of.” And it could be translated “because of.” An accurate explanation of this text requires that we interpret the word both ways. This is how the Lord Jesus Christ finished that great work of redemption by which he has become both the Object of our faith and the Example of it. Instead of the joy set before him, our blessed Savior endured the cross. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). And because of the joy set before him, the Lord Jesus Christ endured the cross. “The joy set before him,” the joy that sustained him in all his soul’s trouble, sorrow, and agony was the joy of saving his people (Isaiah 53:10-11), magnifying the law of God and making it honorable (Isaiah 42:21), glorifying his Father (John 12:28), and the joy of attaining the glory he had with the Father as our Mediator and Surety from eternity (Psalms 2:8; John 17:5; Hebrews 10:10-14; Psalms 21:1-6). The Cross Endured In order to save us the Son of God, the Lord of Glory, the Darling of Heaven, voluntarily “endured the cross, despising the shame.” “O what shall I do my Savior to praise, so faithful and true, so plenteous in grace; So strong to deliver, so good to redeem, the weakest believer that hangs upon Him?” With what words can such a Savior be praised? He who endured the ignominy of the cross, despising the shame, because of his heart’s love for and his soul’s determination to ransom our souls deserves infinitely greater praise than we can give him to all eternity! Because of his great love for us, the Lord Jesus Christ endured the cross. He would not go back. He would not give up. He would not quit until he had poured out his life’s blood unto death for us! Yes, he endured all the wrath and justice of God and endured to the end. The Shame Despised Because he loved us, the Lord Jesus despised the shame of the cross. What can be more difficult for a man to bear than shame? Yet, as Moses despised the riches of Egypt, counting them nothing, so the Lord Jesus despised the shame of the cross, that he might have us freed from sin and forever glorified with him. He counted all the shame of the cross to be nothing: ¯all the shame heaped upon him by men ¯all the shame of all of our sin being made to be his ¯all the shame of our guilt imputed to him ¯all the shame of being made a curse for us ¯all the shame of One abandoned by God. Our Savior despised it all, counted it all as nothing, for the joy of having his elect with him in glory forever! But now shame is all gone! He who endured the cross, despising the shame for us, even unto the end, “is (now) set down at the right hand of the throne of God!” His work is finished. He has entered into his rest. His glory is full. His soul is satisfied. The Goal Of Our Faith Let us therefore encourage our hearts, ever looking away to Christ as the Goal of our faith. As he overcame and has been seated in his Father’s throne, so too, as we follow him, persevering to the end, enduring whatever trial he sends us, despising whatever shame he has ordained, we shall soon be seated with Christ in his throne. Soon our work will be finished. Our rest will begin. Our glory will be full. Our souls will be satisfied!

Hebrews 12:3-4

“Consider Him” “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:3-4 In all things, in all circumstances, it is both our wisdom and strength, and our consolation and inspiration to look away from ourselves and our circumstances to Christ, to “consider him.” Ever consider him as he is set forth in Holy Scripture (John 5:39). Open the Book of God and behold him of whom the Book speaks. Consider your Savior, child of God, in humble prayer and meditation, seeking grace from God to know him and, knowing him, to be conformed to him in all things (Philippians 3:8-10). In Trial But these two verses specifically call upon us to focus our hearts and minds upon our Savior when we are enduring trials and hardships. Clearly, it is the intention of God the Holy Spirit that, as we consider him, we should constantly bear in mind the infinite contrast between his sufferings and ours. As long as we are in this world, we must suffer (John 15:20; Hebrews 5:8). We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God (1 Peter 4:13). But our sufferings fade into insignificance when we consider him. Do they not? Consider Christ, always consider Christ. Before you make any decision, before you do anything, before you go anywhere, consider Christ. Throughout your race, thoughtfully consider him. Ever bear in mind who he is. – Your God, your Savior, your merciful and faithful High Priest. Ever remember what he has done for you. Constantly calculate the debt you owe to him. Seek his will. Weigh everything, make every decision considering what is best for his glory, the interests of his kingdom, the service of the gospel, and the welfare of his people. Lest “Consider him…lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” If we would but consider Christ that would, in great measure, keep us from being wearied and fainting. In the world we have tribulation, but faint not, Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). Consider him in faith. Trust him. Believe his Word. Rest upon his promises. That will help to keep you from weariness in your race, in your warfare, and in your trials (Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 4:16-18). If we faint not, Christ must be the singular Object of our faith, the Food of our souls, the Strength of our hearts, and the pattern of our lives (Philippians 2:5-16; 2 Peter 2:21-22). Contrast Now, look at Hebrews 12:4 and you will see that it is the contrast between our Lord’s suffering and ours, indeed, what it is the Holy Spirit intends for us to bear in mind. ¯ “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Our trials, temptations, and troubles, our conflicts with sin, our opposition from those who despise the grace of God, and the many trials of life have really cost us very little. We have not yet resisted to the shedding of our blood. Our Redeemer did! Let us ever calculate and count the cost of following Christ (Luke 14:28). And, counting the cost, as we “consider him,” we will run with patience the race that is set before us. And soon we will win the prize (Galatians 6:9; Romans 8:18). We are in a state of warfare with the world, the flesh, and the devil (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:14-23). Count the cost, considering Christ, and like our Master and his faithful servants of days gone by we will not faint (Acts 20:24; Acts 21:13). If we cannot stand now what will we do in the swelling of Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5). “Awake our souls, away our fears, Let every trembling thought be gone; Awake and run the heavenly race, And put a cheerful courage on.

True ‘tis a strait and thorny road, And mortal spirits tire and faint; But they forget the Mighty God, Who is the Strength of every saint.

Swift as an eagle cuts the air, We’ll mount aloft to Thine abode; On wings of love our souls shall fly, Then we shall be at home with God!”

Hebrews 12:5-11

“Whom the Lord loveth He Chasteneth” When we understand that the, afflictions, trials, and heartaches we endure in this world are not accidents or the result of blind fate, but rather the works of our heavenly Father, when we understand that they are brought to pass for the specific purpose of making us grow in faith, in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ, our hearts are comforted and our souls strengthened. Those things that might otherwise cause us to faint in the way become, instead, the very things that inspire faithfulness, devotion, and perseverance. Therefore, we read in Hebrews 12:5-6, ¯ “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Divine Rebuke These chastisements are divine rebukes, and should be received as such. Let us not faint when we are “rebuked of him.” Our heavenly Father has many ways of rebuking, reproving, and convincing us. He does this by his Word, his Spirit, the preaching of the gospel, and by his wise, unerring, good providence. He rebukes us for our sins, convinces us of them, and graciously forces us to acknowledge them and confess them, not because he is angry with us, but because he loves us. Afflictions are the black dogs by which God chases the evil he hates from the people he loves. Tokens of Love Paul tells us not to faint under the stroke of our Father’s rod and tells us why we shouldn’t. ¯ “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6). Our Father’s chastisements are tokens of his love for us. This statement is both a declaration of distinguishing love and an assurance of divine care. And it is a promise of divine acceptance. The fact that he will not leave us to ourselves, the fact that he disciplines us in an indication that he has received us in Christ as his own children. Humble Submission In Hebrews 12:7-8 the Holy Spirit tells us that the difference between believers and those who merely profess to be believers is this: ¯ While religious hypocrites rebel against God’s providence, believers humbly submit themselves to the will of God. I do not mean that there is no rebellion in the believer. Every child of God knows better than that. But the Scriptures do clearly teach that the man or woman who trusts Christ will, by the grace of God, bow to Christ. ¯ “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:7-8). When our Father lays his rod upon our backs our only and our wisest course is to bow to him.

Snuggle up as close as you can. The closer you snuggle up to him the lighter will be the strokes of his rod. One of Luther’s friends who was terribly sick, covered with sores, and bed-ridden, was asked how he felt. Pointing to the ulcers that covered his body, he said, “These are God’s gems and jewels wherewith he decks his best friends. To me they are more precious than all the silver and gold in the world.” God’s corrections are pledges of our adoption. We should always look upon them as distinct tokens of his distinct love and favor.

God deals with us as with sons, when he refuses to leave us alone (1 Corinthians 11:32). Those who are without chastisement are not sons. The word “bastard” refers to one born of an unfaithful, adulterous wife, or child of fornication. Here it refers to one who wears God’s name by profession, but without right. Not all who suffer are sons; but all sons do suffer. The wicked suffer because of their impenitence, the righteous for God’s glory and their good. God’s Purpose In Hebrews 12:9-10 the Lord shows us his wise and gracious purpose in chastening us with his rod. Thank God, he is not like us! He never chastens his children when there is no need, without a purpose, or because he is angry! His rod is a rod of love, not of anger and wrath. Did he not say, “Fury is not in me” (Isaiah 27:4)? Our Father’s object in our afflictions is that we might grow in faith and in love, that we might grow in grace.

He never strikes without purpose. His rod is the rod of instruction. The fact is, we read God’s Word most clearly when our eyes are wet (Psalms 94:12; Psalms 119:65-72). God’s purpose in all things, and distinctly in the exercise of his rod, is “that we might live, that we might be partakers of his holiness” (Proverbs 6:23; Proverbs 15:31). But how do our trials make us partakers of God’s holiness? Our holiness before God is altogether his work of grace.

We have no holiness except that which he has given us and made us in Christ. Our only righteousness before God is Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). God’s holiness spoken of here does not refer to his moral character or to that holiness which he gives, which we have in Christ by grace. Here the word simply and only means “separation.” — By the loving exercise of his rod, our Heavenly Father separates our hearts from the world, the wheat from chaff, the precious from the vile. The End Read Hebrews 12:11 and learn what our Father’s ultimate end is in all our temporary adversities, trials, heartaches, and afflictions. ¯ “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.” The more you beat a walnut tree, the more fruit it gives The more God chastens his children, the more fruitful they are. His vine is most productive when it bleeds. He prunes it to make it fruitful (Galatians 5:22-23). If our chastisements didn’t hurt, they wouldn’t be chastisements (1 Peter 1:3-9). Yet, with the blessed assurance of our Father’s immutable faithfulness and love, we can, even with broken hearts and weeping eyes, live in peace (2 Corinthians 4:17 to 2 Corinthians 5:1; Philippians 4:4-7). Soon, very soon, our Father will use his rod no more, because it will never be needed (Romans 8:16-18; Revelation 7:14-17).

When we are tempted to despair, and complain, let us remember God’s faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23; Isaiah 63:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Let us ever remember, look to, and trust him who was afflicted as no man ever was. May God give us grace to both trust him and emulate him (Lamentations 1:12; Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 2:22-24).

Hebrews 12:12-14

“Lift Up the Hands which Hang Down” The opening word of Heb 12:12 connects this passage with all that has preceded it concerning our heavenly Father’s chastisements. ¯ “Wherefore.” With that word, the Holy Spirit tells us why our heavenly Father deals with us in such goodness, grace, and love when he chastens us. The Lord our God chastens us that he might keep us in his grace, that he might keep us looking to Christ, that he might keep us from the apostasy by which multitudes have perished. Our Weakness We all like to think we are spiritually strong, in good health, and fully capable of doing what we ought to do. But that is not the case. The fact is the Lord’s sheep are sheep. Weakness is common to sheep. They are easily exhausted. Often, they are lame, lame because the Good Shepherd graciously breaks their feet. When he breaks their feet, it is that he might carry them in his arms and teach them to follow him. Hebrews 12:12 speaks of sluggishness, weariness, and weakness. ¯ “Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” Remember, the passage before us speaks of believers as a people running a race. When a runner’s hands dangle at his side, when his knees begin to wobble, it is not likely that he will proceed much further. This is precisely the condition in which David found himself in Psalms 73. He wrote, “My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped” (Hebrews 12:3). How weak our hands are! How feeble our knees! How sluggish and inactive we are in prayer! —In hearing the Word of God! —In Worship! —In holding fast our profession! —In the performance of those things by which the gospel of Christ is to be adorned! We are easily wearied and fatigued with weights and burdens of sins and afflictions. We are faint, fearful, and timorous, because of unbelief, because we do not trust God’s goodness, grace, love, and the promises of his unfailing goodness, compassion, grace, and care. Are we not? This is the Lord’s word of exhortation to you and me. —“Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees!” He here calls for us to be active in every duty—courageous before every foe—and of good cheer in every woe. He is calling for us to patiently bear every burden he puts upon us, looking to him for help, and strength, and protection. Helping the Weak Particularly, this is a call for us to help one another in such times of need. Eliphaz commended Job because God’s servant Job had been such a helper of his weak brethren. ¯ “Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees” (Job 4:3-4). We know that Paul is primarily referring to and urging us to help one another because Hebrews 12:12 is a quotation from Isaiah 35:3-4, where the admonition cannot be mistaken. ¯ “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.” When our brethren are weak, when it appears that they are ready to quit the race, let us refresh and strengthen them with love, sympathizing with them, speaking comfortably to them, and bearing their burdens. That is what brothers and sisters do for one another. It is called “love” (Galatians 6:1-3). “Make Straight Paths” When one of God’s children appear to be lame, perhaps lame by their own foolishness, we are to make straight paths for their feet, that they may be healed ¯ “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:13). The word “feet” refers to our walk, our manner of life, both in the church, and in the world—“How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O Prince’s daughter”(Son 7:1). There are straight paths made ready for our feet to walk in. These “straight paths” are the “old paths” of Gospel truth (Jeremiah 6:16), the paths of Holy Scripture (Psalms 119:41-48). The straight path in which we must walk is the path to the house and throne of our God (Psalms 122:1-4). We make the paths straight for ourselves and for one another by steadfastly refusing to add anything to the Word, ordinances, and worship of our God and by taking care not to neglect that which God has ordained for our souls’ good. Make the paths straight for yourself. Make the paths straight by deliberate example for one another. “The Lame” How tenderly the Lord urges us to this business of caring for one another. ¯ “Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.” The word “lame” is a very strong word. It means that which is twisted and broken. Who would not pity a man fallen in the streets, whose legs had been twisted and broken? How much more we ought to pity a lame member of Christ’s body. How much more we ought to pity a lame member of our family. It matters not whether the lameness is the lameness of his corrupt nature, or lameness caused by his own foolish and sinful behavior, or lameness caused by the neglect of his soul. Ours is not to judge and blame, or even diagnose, but to heal. ¯ “But let it rather be healed.” As Gill explains, “Let the fallen believer be restored, the weak brother be confirmed, the halting professor be strengthened, and everyone be built up and established upon the most holy faith, and in the pure ways of the Gospel.” Shall we not do for one another what our God does for us? Read Micah 4:6-8 and Zephaniah 3:19-20. How can we heed this admonition? How can we strengthen our own hands and one another’s? How can we strengthen our own feeble knees and each other’s? How can we make straight paths for our own broken legs and one another’s? Read Hebrews 12:14, and you will see. ¯ “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Hebrews 12:14-17

Peace and Holiness” “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” If we would serve the souls of men, if we would do one another good and serve the interests of our own souls, we must set our hearts continually upon Christ. We must earnestly and continually pursue peace and holiness. Peace with All The Spirit of God here tells us ever to follow the path of peace with all men. ¯ “As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” We cannot make all men peaceable, or make all men peaceable toward us. Yet, we must seek, as much as possible, to live peaceably with all. In society, in our homes, and especially in the church of God, we should always endeavor to maintain and promote peace. “Follow peace” ¯ be in eager pursuit of peace. Use every means God gives you to live in peace. Spare no energy, no sacrifice, no cost to promote peace. Our God is the God of peace. Our Savior is the Prince of peace. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of peace. The Gospel we profess to believe is the gospel of peace. Let us, therefore, “follow peace with all men,” believers and unbelievers. Promoting Peace “Let us therefore follow after the things which promote peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19). Bro. Henry Mahan once gave nine, very helpful comments on this text. They are… Be careful to love one another with a true heart. Love covers a multitude of failures. Avoid a spirit of argument and debate. One may win an argument and lose a friend. Beware of jealousy. Jealousy destroys happiness and builds suspicion. Beware of envy. Let us learn to rejoice in another’s gifts, blessings, and happiness. God gives as he will! Do not meddle in the private lives and domestic affairs of others. Guard against a touchy temper. “For every trifling thing to take offense shows either great pride or little sense.” Learn to keep a confidence. ¯ “He that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Strive to heal differences. ¯ “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Be always ready to forgive anything. ¯ “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Pursue Holiness If we would serve the souls of men and serve our own souls, if we would help the fallen and heal the broken, we must incessantly pursue that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Let us ever seek to live in all holiness and godliness; but that is not the holiness here spoken of. Let us constantly observe and faithfully keep the holy ordinances of divine worship; but that is not the holiness here spoken of. That holiness without which no man shall ever see God is the holiness that is found only in Christ. The only way we shall ever see God and live, and the only way we can help one another along the way, is to set our hearts upon the pursuit of Christ and constantly urge one another to do the same (Philippians 3:1-21). “Lest Any Man Fail” There can be no doubt that the holiness spoken of in Hebrews 12:14, that holiness we must constantly pursue, is Christ. Not only is that the only interpretation consistent with the message of Holy Scripture, the illustration used in Hebrews 12:15-17 is given to verify it. Here we are warned that the turning of our hearts away from Christ and the gospel of the grace of God is sure to end in our everlasting ruin. ¯ “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). The grace of God cannot and shall not fail; but multitudes fail of the grace of God, multitudes are turned from the gospel of the grace of God (Galatians 5:1-4). “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” (v.16). Those who fail of the grace of God are those who, like Esau, sell Christ for the world. “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:17). Esau is in hell today because he sold Christ for the gratification of his lusts, because he sold Christ for the world. Let us not be so foolish! We have entered a race that must be run to the end (Matthew 10:20). The prize goes to those who finish the race (Hebrews 10:35-39). There are hills of difficulty to climb, troubled seas to cross, and heavy trials to be endured along the way. Many tempting pastures of pleasure, appealing to the flesh, will allure us, and our flesh will oppose us every step of the way. We must go on, ever looking to Christ. Those who, like Esau, give up Christ for something else will some day, like Esau, weep with bitter tears, when it is beyond their power to recover what they have lost

Hebrews 12:18-24

Not Mt. Sinai, but Mt. Zion ¯ Having come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, we now enjoy the blessed privilege of complete freedom from the curse and terror of God’s holy law. ¯ “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest.” Not Mt. Sinai Paul states it emphatically, “Ye are not come to Mt. Sinai.” We now have nothing to do with the law. That horrible, black, fiery mountain might be touched; but to touch it meant certain death! Sinai issued demands we could not fulfill, threatened wrath we could not endure, and exposed sin we could not remove. But Christ fulfilled the law for us. And now, in Christ, we are free from the law (Romans 7:4; Romans 10:4).

The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteousness of the law for us by his obedience to God as our representative (Romans 3:19). He satisfied the penalty of the law by his death as our Substitute, redeeming us from its curse (Galatians 3:13-14). The righteousness of the law is now fulfilled in us by faith in Christ (Romans 8:4; Romans 3:28). We are, right now, as completely free from the law of God as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But Mt. Zion In Christ Jesus, we now have the enjoyment of free access to God. “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22). Mt. Zion was the hill on which the temple was built. There alone, God was seen, heard, revealed, and known. There alone could men approach God on the mercy-seat, through a priest, by the blood of an animal sacrifice. But now, we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; Matthew 18-20). Christ is our Priest, our Mercy-seat, and our Sacrifice. And we are as free to approach God in Christ as the saints in heaven (Hebrews 10:19-22). Right now we have free access to God (Hebrews 4:16). We enjoy the perpetual presence of God (John 14:23) and are perfectly accepted by him (Ephesians 1:6). Heavenly Citizenship You and I, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, possess the privilege of heavenly citizenship. ¯ “Ye are come unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior. I am like an American traveling through Europe. I stop along the way, enjoy the sights, eat the food, smell the flowers, and learn from the history. But my purpose is to return home soon. I want to behave so that I bring no reproach upon my homeland. But I do not, must not, set my heart upon anything along the way. And I do not, must not, let the affairs of the strange land disturb me greatly. Angelic Companions Are you a child of God? Do you trust Christ? If so, you have come into the companionship of the angels of God. ¯ “Ye are come unto…an innumerable company of angels.” I don’t pretend to know much about the angels of God, but I do know some things about them. ¯ They are an “innumerable company.” ¯ They are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). ¯ The Lord has given his angels charge over his elect to protect them. ¯ “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him.”¯ The angels of God meet with God’s saints in our assemblies of public worship (Ephesians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 11:10). ¯The angels of God attend the saints in death and carry them home to glory, as they did Elijah and Lazarus. ¯ And the angels of God will gather his elect from the four corners of the earth in the last day. “Firstborn” In Christ every believer possesses all the spiritual wealth of adoption into the family of God (Hebrews 12:23). In God’s family all the sons are firstborn sons. Our names were written in heaven before the world began (1 John 3:1-2). That makes us all “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” Perfectly Safe Every believer is safe and secure, because we have come under the defense and protection of God’s holy throne. We live in the immediate presence of “God the Judge of all” all the time. God has judged our sins in Christ, and declares now that we are not subject to condemnation (Romans 8:1; Romans 8:33-34). He who judges us righteous is our Judge in all things. He will “plead my cause.” He will “undertake for me.” General Assembly Being united to Christ by faith, we are brought into the company of glorified saints. We have (not shall, but have) come “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” God’s church on earth and God’s church in heaven is one church. Our glorified brethren are our brethren in the body of Christ. They worship before the throne just like we do, only perfectly. They rejoice before God every time one of God’s elect are saved (Luke 16:6-7; Luke 16:10). And they are very interested in those of us who are not yet made perfect (Hebrews 12:1). Our Mediator You and I who believe are the objects of the personal care and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ We have come “to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Our all-glorious Savior, Jesus, is the Mediator of that everlasting and ever new covenant of grace, ordered in all things and sure from eternity, that covenant that has been ratified and put into force by his sin-atoning blood. And, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, we have right now, as surely as the saints in heaven, full, irrevocable salvation through Christ’s precious blood. Abel’s blood demanded the wrath of God upon his brother who killed him. Christ’s blood demands the mercy of God upon us, his brethren, who killed him. For what does the blood of Christ speak?

Does it speak for forgiveness? Then we are forgiven. ¯ For justification? Then we are justified. ¯ For sanctification? Then we are sanctified. ¯ For glorification? Then we have promise of that, too. ¯ For life? Then we have life!

Let these things comfort, strengthen, and sustain you in the midst of your heartache and toil in this world

Hebrews 12:24-25

The Covenant, The Mediator, and The Blood As Paul comes to the close of the Epistle, he seems to write as one who is running out of paper, or running out of time, as a man so excited about his subject that he cannot speak of it adequately. In Hebrews 12:22, he tells us that we have come to Mount Zion, a better place than Sinai! —To the Heavenly Jerusalem, a better city than Jerusalem! —To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, a better assembly than those who gathered at the tabernacle or temple of old, whose names were merely written on paper. —To God, who is infinitely better than all the types and pictures given of him in the Mosaic age! —The Judge of all, who is better than all the best judges Israel ever had. —To the spirits of just men made perfect, a better company than Israel ever enjoyed. Then, we come to Hebrews 12:24-25. Here are some more of those better things that are ours in this gospel age. ¯ “And (ye are come) to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.” The New Covenant We have come by faith “to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant.”—The Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we look, to whom we come, is the Mediator of the New Covenant. This new covenant is called new, only because it is always new, and because it is newly revealed in Christ. The new covenant is an everlasting, eternal covenant. We read about it in Jeremiah 31:3; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Jeremiah 32:37-42, and in Ephesians 1:3-7. The covenant of grace, we are told in Hebrews 8:6, is “a better covenant.” The covenant of works was conditional. The covenant of grace is absolute and unconditional. The old covenant was a covenant of law and works. The covenant of grace is all grace. The Mosaic covenant was broken and made void. The covenant of grace is established in Christ, and cannot be broken or nullified. That covenant revealed at Sinai was dark, shadowy, and fearful. The covenant of grace is light, clear, and delightful. This new covenant of righteousness and grace was and is established upon better promises than that old covenant of works and law. All the promises of that covenant were made to fickle men and conditioned upon their obedience. All the promises of this covenant were made to the God-man, our Mediator, upon condition of his obedience for us! And in him, all the promises of God are “yea, and amen.” This new covenant of grace, and all the blessings and benefits of it, comes to us through the merits of Christ’s better sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-10). The Mediator The Mediator of this covenant of grace is “Jesus,” our Savior, the Son of God, the Christ. A mediator is a go-between, a daysman, a representative for two parties, an advocate, and a reconciler. There is only one Mediator between God and men, and that Mediator is Jesus, who came to save his people from their sins as God’s appointed and accepted covenant Surety! No wonder David sang as he did about this covenant on his dying bed (2 Samuel 23:1-5). The Blood We have come by faith “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling.” The blood of Christ is called “the blood of sprinkling.” I am sure there is more in this than I have yet grasped; but what I do know about it is as thrilling as it is precious. —His blood is the blood of the true Paschal Lamb. He is Christ our Passover, the Lamb of God, who is sacrificed for us! His blood has been sprinkled on the mercy-seat. Like the blood of that first paschal lamb, his blood has been sprinkled upon the door of our hearts and consciences, declaring that judgment is passed, convincing us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. As God said by the blood of that paschal lamb of old, while Israel was yet in Egypt, the land of cursed darkness, death, and judgment, so he says to us, by the blood of his dear Son, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you!” This “blood of sprinkling speaketh better things than that of Abel.” The blood of Christ speaks, ever speaks, and speaks better things than the blood of Abel. ¯ Abel’s blood cried for justice and vengeance. Christ’s blood cries for justice and mercy! ¯ Abel’s blood spoke for punishment. Christ’s blood speaks for pardon. ¯ Abel’s blood spoke against his brother. Christ’s blood speaks for his brethren. ¯ Abel’s blood demanded death. Christ’s blood demands life! ¯ Abel’s blood cried from the ground to God. Christ’s blood speaks in heaven before God. ¯ Abel’s blood cried out against Cain in his conscience. Christ’s blood speaks for us in our consciences. ¯ Abel’s blood continues to speak; and Christ’s blood continues to speak (1 John 1:7 to 1 John 2:2). Refuse Not “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.” ¯ What a tender word of mercy, grace, compassion and hope this is! ¯ “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh!” What an awful word of warning! —”For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.” Read Proverbs 1:23-33.

Hebrews 12:26-27

“Yet Once More” “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Paul is here referring us to the prophecy of Haggai. He means for us to understand that there is only one more shaking after the time of Haggai. The shaking he speaks of is not a physical, material thing (though it certainly includes all things physical—2 Peter 3), but a moral and spiritual shaking. It is a shaking that began with our Lord’s first advent, continues throughout this gospel age, and will be consummated in his glorious second coming. It is a work both of God’s wrath upon those who refuse to hear his Word, upon those who despise his Gospel, and of his great mercy, love, and grace upon his elect, whom he causes to hear his Word, whom he makes willing to receive, believe, and delight in his gospel. The Lord our God will shake and remove everything that is natural, transitory, temporal, and perishable, not merely the old Mosaic dispensation, but also every human thought and power that is opposed to Christ, his Gospel, his Church, his Kingdom, and his dominion. This shaking is the thrice repeated overturning of all things in his creation that are opposed to God our Savior and his people (Ezekiel 21:27; Isaiah 13:13; Joe 3:16; Matthew 24:29). But that which cannot be shaken, the church and kingdom of God, the faith of God’s elect, the blessed hope of the Gospel, shall remain. Haggai Haggai’s prophecy was written more than 500 years before Christ came into the world (about 520 BC). Yet, he tells us what we should expect our God and Savior to do in our day. Haggai was, from all accounts, born in Babylon during the time of the Babylonian Captivity. He came to Jerusalem as an old man. The Temple at Jerusalem, the House of God, laid in utter ruin, and the people were in utter despair. Though the Lord had brought them out of Babylon, they were reluctant to go to work rebuilding the Temple. Cyrus, their deliverer (a type of Christ) had told them to do it. But they didn’t believe God. They were content just to be out of Babylon. They had lost all hope of God visiting them again. Oh, they looked for him to visit the earth again and make his house glorious again, just not in their day. (Sound like anyone you know?) We see this in the opening words of Haggai’s prophecy (Haggai 1:2). So the Lord God sent his prophet Haggai to his people. Haggai’s name comes from a word that means “Merry,” or “Feasting.” It might even be translated “Time of Feasting,” or “The Feasts of the Lord.” God sent Haggai to his people to encourage them to believe him and build his house, assuring them that he would make it glorious. He rebukes them by telling them twice in chapter 1, “Consider your ways! Consider your ways!” Then, we read in Hebrews 12:8 of Haggai 1, ¯ “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” In other words, he says, “Put your shoulder to the work!” Zerubbabel Then (Hebrews 12:12-14) God raised up Zerubbabel (another type of Christ), who inspired “the remnant of the people to obey the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord.” Before, while looking at themselves, they feared to believe God. Now, looking away from themselves to him, they feared not to believe him! And, we read in Hebrews 12:14, “They came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” They put their shoulders to the work. Still, there were some old, old people in their midst, who had seen the Temple in its former glory. In their eyes, this new Temple was “nothing in comparison” (Hebrews 2:3). Lest they should give up, God sent Haggai to them again with words of gracious encouragement (Haggai 2:4-5). Against this backdrop, the Lord God gave the promise to his ancient people, which he has repeated to us in Hebrews 12:26-27. “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; (7) And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. (8) The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. (9) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:6-9) Let us not despise the days of small things. God’s hand is not short. His ear is not heavy. So long as the Lord our King is on his holy, sovereign throne, he will both sustain us in our work for him and make our work effectual and fruitful for the building of his true Temple, his true House, and the glory of it! So long as Christ is King and Shepherd upon his throne we will lack nothing in the service of his Kingdom. He will provide the means of building his house and filling His temple with the splendor and glory of his grace.