Love God Greatly: Jesus Our EverythingSample

The author of Hebrews wrote of men and women throughout the Bible who were commended for their faith. None of these people received the promise (eternal life with God), but are still waiting for it just as we are. These (and other) heroes of the Bible make up this great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. We are part of a large body of believers, both those alive today and those who have come before us. 

The entire book of Hebrews points to this exhortation. Because of who Christ is, because He is superior to the angels, to Moses, to the promised rest, to the high priest, to Melchizedek, to the covenant, to the sacrificial system, we are to live and behave a certain way. We are to endure suffering, endure discipline, and run from sin because we belong to something greater than ourselves. 

When we give sin a foothold in our lives, it takes us down quickly. It causes us to question the goodness of God, it keeps us from enduring, and it causes us to drift away from our anchor, Christ. We must throw sin off whenever it creeps into our lives. We are living for so much more than ourselves. Our lives must be a witness to the world of who Christ is. Let us endure the way He endured, following the examples He has given us in His Word.

Lord God, help me to endure. Do not let me remain in sin, but make me throw it off when it begins to hinder my race. Let me endure discipline, for I know Your discipline is good. I want to be worthy of the body of believers who have come before me. Help me live a life that honors You every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.