The Christian's Bio

Let's turn to the book of Hebrews, again please, chapter 12. Hebrews and chapter 12. We sign together, run the straight race through God's good grace, lift up thine eyes and seek his face, life with its way before thee lies.

Christ is the path and Christ the prize. And we just sign again, more about Jesus on his throne, riches in glory, all his own, more of his kingdom, sure increase, more of his coming, prince of peace. Hebrews chapter 12, we'll read at verse 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, endurance, the race that is set before us, looking onto Jesus or looking off onto 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.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, and ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. And it's a quote from Proverbs.

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. Now down to the end of the chapter, verse 28.

Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved or cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and with godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. I'm sure that is the desire of our hearts in view of the ministry that we've received this weekend. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and with godly fear.

I'm sure there's some in the audience this afternoon and you like to read biographies. A biography, as you know, is a book usually that's written about a person's life and usually goes into great detail about that person, their life, and all that they are about. In more recent times, people speak about a bio and it's a similar idea, only a bio is usually a summary of someone's life, their goals, their education, their achievements, what they are all about.

And some of you younger folk will likely have to write a bio at some time or other, even in relation to seeking employment, that sometimes is a requirement. We've read from chapter 12 in Hebrews and these verses that we have read in some ways describe for us what the Christian's bio should look like and should include. Details in the Christian's bio and we'll come to some of those in just a moment.

But let's remember we were reading this morning in Hebrews and it is written to a people who are being persecuted. They are in danger of being discouraged and giving up and returning back again to the temple and its ceremonies. And so the writer is combating this by presenting to his readers the person and the priesthood and the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Indeed, a quick division of the epistle, you've got six chapters, the first six chapters showing the superior person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then there follows four chapters presenting to us his superior priesthood, as we were thinking this morning in the Bible reading. And then lastly, from chapter 11 through to chapter 13, these three chapters are presenting to us the superior principle of faith.

And you have that catalog of the heroes of faith from the Old Testament that's given there in chapter 11, the divisions of the epistle. There's a dynamic in the epistle as well. Things seem to be fluid and we find that we're in the fast fading days of Judaism and the Christian is seen as pursuing a goal, becoming fully settled on the better things that are in Christ, God's provision in Christ and Christ alone.

And he is to be occupied with those better things as a sufficient provision from God as he makes his journey home. There are dangers in the epistle, dangers that are summarized in the warning sections in the book. I'm not going to catalog them all, but there was a danger of them drifting away from the Word of God, letting it drift away.

And indeed the dangers are all focused really upon their attitude to the Word of God. The danger of drifting away from it and letting it drift away from us. And that is tantamount to the next warning section is about doubting the Word of God, doubting the Word of God.

And then he moves on in the next warning section to dullness, attending the hearing of that Word. From chapter 5 into chapter 6, dullness and despising the Word of God, chapter 10, until finally at the end of this chapter, there's the thought of disobeying the Word of God, disobeying the Word. See that you refuse not him that speaketh.

And so this very epistle reminds us that these dangers would still face the people of God in some measure. And really our attitude to the Word of God, even to the word that we've heard in ministry over this weekend, will determine in a large measure how you and I move forward in this race of life and how you and I engage in the things of God as a testimony to his name until traveling days are done. Now let's come quickly to these verses, the Christians' bio.

In verse 1, I'm going to write over this, the weight-watching Christian. We're foreseeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us.

I have some relatives in the old country and they attend classes that are called weight watchers, weight watchers. And I suppose they do exercises and so on and they watch the weight go away and then they go out for coffee and donuts afterwards and they watch the weight come back on. So you have the idea of weight watching.

Well, right here in this verse, here's something that should be on the Christians' bio. I am a weight watcher, a weight watcher. Not the pounds around our waist, but let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.

And what the writer has in view is following on from chapter 11, where you have those examples of believers persevering under new Old Testament conditions and Old Testament truth and they let hold upon that truth by faith. And now the point is this, how much more ought New Testament believers to patiently endure and pursue and carry on after the better things that are in Christ? Now he says we're compassed about with so great a witnesses, those Old Testament worthies of faith. And he doesn't have in mind, of course, he's not thinking that they're looking down on us and they're all witnessing our life on earth.

That's not the thought at all. But rather it's the idea of a witness to a legal document, one who can legally confirm a fact. And what's the fact that they're confirming? It is this, that through faith you enter into the blessings.

Now that's their witness to us. Through faith you enter into these blessings. And in view of that, he says in this race, he says lay aside every weight, every encumbrance, and that sin that so easily ensnares us, sin in any form, whether it's fleshly appetites or something like spiritual pride, any sin, any form of evil that easily besets us, especially in the context of the epistle, unbelief, doubting God, discouragement, despondency, lay that aside and carry on for God.

In some places that we have gone to, there are those who haven't got the place that they thought that they were entitled to in the assembly. And the result seems to be an attitude of bitterness, and that results in agitation, and the disappointment, it becomes evident. But the Christian needs to watch his weight, needs to lay aside every weight, every sin, everything that would bring us down, every encumbrance, every hindrance, including unfulfilled ambitions, and simply carry on for Christ.

Enduring, carrying on for Christ, doing what God simply puts into your hand to do. Not seeking a place that we're not fitted for, and not failing to live up to that calling that God has for us, but simply carrying on for God, laying aside those things that would hinder. So, the weight-watching Christian.

And then he says, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Run with patience, run with endurance. That's a key word in the chapter, you have it in verse 1, verse 2, 3, 7, and verse 20.

So, this is not a sprint that he's talking about here, it's not a 100-meter dash, but rather it's an endurance race. Some people at the conference today, apparently running a race yesterday for three miles. Well, it makes me tired just to think about that.

But this is not a sprint. This is a long-distance race. And I remember those things at school.

We had to run around the perimeter of the school grounds, and the gym teacher would be watching carefully to see that we didn't cut corners. And I didn't like that long-distance running. It was my legs.

You see, they're too short. And I had that problem. The long-legged guys, they did well, they had more endurance than I did.

Well, here's another thing that we can add to our bio as a Christian. I'm a long-legged Christian. A long-legged Christian.

Running with endurance. The Christian needs long legs. He needs to press with perseverance through the trials, through the temptations, through the disappointments, through the discouragements, taking long steps that reach onward toward the end of the race without cutting corners, mind you, that we're so prone to do.

But pressing on towards the goal. You say, what's the goal? The goal is Christlikeness. Taking on something of the character of Christ in this marathon race of life, and Christ himself is the prize.

That's what we aspire to. In this Christian living, it is just to be a little more like Christ. So may God help us also to be a long-legged Christian.

Then I come to verse 2, and I read that we are to be looking off onto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. I'm writing over that now, that we are to be a farsighted Christian. A farsighted Christian.

Looking onto, fixing our eyes upon the author, the pioneer, the chief leader in the race of faith. The one who has set the perfect example of a life of dependency upon his God. And not only has he lived that life dependent upon God, but he has entered into the glory now.

He is the finisher, and he's the sustainer of faith on the journey through. And he has finished that race triumphantly. He has now sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.

And so the Lord Jesus is the leader because he has fixed his eye already upon that coming glory. And that was the joy that was set before him. And with that before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.

And so we're learning something here about the farsighted Christian. He has as an example, the Lord Jesus and his view of the cross. And then in the next verse, in verse 3, it's Christ's mind is the example.

So for the joy that was set before him, you say, what was that joy that was set before him? Well, you read about it at the end of the chapter. It's that unshakable kingdom that God has ordained, and the Lord Jesus will bring about, and he will inaugurate it, and he will be the king upon the throne. I take it from the heavenly city as he establishes his rule and so on and administers planet earth.

But the joy that was set before him to see an earth where thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, where the mind of heaven is carried out upon planet earth. Now you'll get that to a good measure in the millennium, but certainly it leads on into eternity. So the Lord Jesus has already entered into his glory.

We've had that in the epistle, and he is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. And the writer is calling upon us to set our eyes upon him. Look at his example.

This one who is now glorified, he has come to the end of his race. He endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, and he has entered into his glory. And God has that same goal for you and I. The glory shines before us, and we are to run the race with endurance in view of that coming day.

So the farsighted Christian. I have now in verse 3 another one, we are to consider him. And very simply I'm writing over that the mindful Christian.

I've got one of these smart watches on my wrist, and every so often it gives a little bit of an alarm, and it reminds me to take time for mindfulness, they call it. Take time to reflect. Take time to settle your mind and think upon positive things and so on, if you took the time to read it.

I take the hint and just take time out to pray. Maybe you've got one of those watches too. But the mindful Christian, here's what we are to keep in mind.

Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. And then he adds this, lest ye be weary and faint in your mind. So the Christian on this race that he's embarking upon, he is to find rest in considering him.

And Christ's mind is the example here for us to follow. Consider him. That's the thought of compare, reckon, and weigh.

Use your mind, get your mind engaged in thinking upon Christ. And the picture is beginning to change now from an endurance race to that fight against sin. Our undaunted captain, the sinless Lord Jesus, he endured the contradiction of sinners, the hostility that sin produced in the form of sinners coming against him.

You and I have that problem of sin yet within us, and it would produce a hostile environment that could get us down, get us wearied in our minds and faint in our minds. And there's so much around us in the world that would distract us and take our minds off of spiritual things and off of the person of Christ. But the mindful Christian, whenever we have that tendency to grow weary, to grow discouraged, we should just set our minds upon the Lord Jesus and focus upon him and consider him in the various aspects of his wonderful character and what he went through and even compare that, compare that with the little that we go through here and now and see how he endured as the perfect example.

The Lord Jesus looked upon this world, he saw it as an enemy that crucified him. I wonder what our view of that world is today, wonder what it will be through the week. Do we see it for its true character, that it really is an enemy against our souls, or are we taken in with its friendly face? You know, the more worldly we become, the more prone we are to discouragement and to becoming weary of the things of God.

But we are to consider him, the mindful Christian, consider him. That world is no friend of ours. Verse 4 gives us a little transition, I take it.

It's moving from the consideration of Christ's endurance unto death to the Christian's endurance under child training, and it brings us into these following verses. Another point on our bio is this. I am a disciplined Christian.

A disciplined Christian. We have that word discipline in these verses. It's the thought of chastening, it's the thought of chastisement, child training, if you will, the thought of education, and that will include positive instruction, such as the ministry of the Word of God from the Word of God, positive instruction.

It may involve discipline in our lives in a practical way, correction through the Word, through circumstances the Lord may permit to come into our lives, and it's all with a view to cultivating Christlikeness and driving out that evil tendency that we have still within. Now let's say a word about discipline. No discipline for the present seemeth joyous, but rather grievous.

We don't like to come into difficult circumstances, do we? Let us remember this, that discipline need not necessarily be punitive. It can be, but not necessarily punitive. It is not necessarily a sign of God's anger or displeasure, but rather an education process for His children, and it's born out of His love for us.

It's not out of some kind of delight in inflicting pain or anything like that. It's out of love for us. He has our highest good before Him in discipline.

It may also be preventative. You and I may have a tendency to go this way or to go that way, and God would act in such a way, or bring His Word before us in a timely fashion to prevent us from falling into sin and falling into things that would bring not only harm to ourselves, but harm to others. So tragedies, as we call them, may indeed be blessings from His hand, and disappointments that we encounter may actually be His appointments for us, and with a view to preventing us from making shipwreck or falling into sin.

Always His discipline will be formative, formative, and it is with that design of harnessing these hard circumstances of life, conforming us to the image of Christ, as we are engaged in striving against sin. And even though we may not have yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, remember this, the Lord Jesus, He did. He actually went into death on our account.

He was faithful to His God the whole way through. Verse 5 says, you have not yet forgotten that exhortation, which speaketh unto you as unto children. So as His child, you and I are to expect at some time or other the chastening hand of God, administered in love.

It may be through a word that we hear from a brother in teaching. It may be through the reading of his word. It may be simply a circumstance that comes our way so unexpected, but we are not to be taken down.

That's the point. We're not to be taken down by circumstances that are adverse, disappointments that come our way, because if we do, we are going to fail to recognize that actually God is in control of our lives, and He has allowed this, and He has permitted this to come our way, and there's lessons in it for us. For whom the Lord loveth, verse 6, He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

So if you and I rebel, if you and I give up, if we become bitter in our souls, we'll lose the benefit of what God has designed in these things, and God has built a benefit into it for us to learn from, and He will never test us above what we are able, but He has with the temptation provided a way of escape that we might not be overcome by it, but will benefit from it. So the point of training is that you and I would move on in this education process in the school of God to gain greater grade point averages, if you will, right, to become more like Christ, to take on more of His character, because there's coming a day, as we were reminded already, there's coming a day when all of that's going to be put on display, and the workmanship, that poem that God is writing in our lives, that masterpiece that He is designing, it's going to be displayed, and when the Lord comes in His power and glory, you and I are going to be appearing with Him also in glory, and in that day, we will be already past the bema, and now reflecting all that is positive of the character of Christ, and that will be seen and demonstrated, put on display, and I'm sure you and I would like to maximize that. That will be maximized by the degree of our faithfulness now, and as the chapter winds up in verse 12, the writer, he brings it to a conclusion with a view to that goal that is before us, too.

Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, all around us is stuff in this world that shakes, and it's going to shake much worse before it's all stabilized under the beneficent rule of our Lord Jesus Christ. We receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and with godly fear, with such a bio. The Christian will be moving forward and growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, being a weight-watching Christian, being a long-legged Christian, a farsighted Christian, a mindful Christian, and also a disciplined Christian in the school of God.

May God grant us grace to serve him faithfully until traveling days are done.