Hebrews 12 - The Necessity of Discipline!

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In chapter 12, the author moves to the application of what he has taught so far. Jesus has provided the once and for all sacrifice for their sins. There is no need to make any more sacrifices. But at the same time having tasted the grace of God, they should not return to their old lifestyle of sin. They needed to grow up and learn to handle the "living and active" word of God. They needed to move beyond the infant stage where relied on spiritual milk, to spiritual maturity which craved being fed by the meat of God's word. This would also result in them being able to teach others who were younger in the faith. 

Finally, in chapter 11, the author listed the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament. Though Jesus had not yet come, they too were justified by their faith expressed in action. Their confidence in God's promises grew as God provided for them in supernatural ways. They also looked forward to their inheritance as God's sons and daughters in the life to come. 

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

We have seen how the Hebrews had gotten entangled back into their old life of sin. It became baggage that prevented them from running the race Jesus had set before him. Instead of focusing on their old life, they needed to keep their eyes focused on Jesus. Jesus got them started on the race, and Jesus would lead them home. It was only by focusing on Jesus that they could finish the race well and not be disqualified. 

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Like anybody who would compete in a race need to undergo strict training and discipline, they needed to practice the spiritual disciplines. There are no short cuts getting in shape for a race, just as there are no short cuts to growing to be a trained disciple of Christ. Just like a good coach challenges the one he trains, so God disciplines us so that we might produce more fruit.

In John 15, the beloved disciple describes this process as "pruning". Though pruning is painful at the time it opens the door for growth and prodigious amounts of fruit. The disciplines of the spiritual life like prayer, fasting, bible reading and memorization, and sacrificial service produces spiritual fruit in and through us. 

The same is true with hardship and persecution. Sometimes bad things happen to us. We wonder why God allows us to suffer? After all, we are serving him and doing our best to please him, so why do bad things happen to us? The answer is that even the trials we face and endure mold our character. Persecution and hardship draw us closer to Christ and cause us to rely on Him in a way not possible without it. 

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

Finally, the writer turns to worship. He compares Moses approaching God in fear on the holy mountain where it says he "trembled in fear". Instead they now come to worship God on Mount Zion. 

We are in a different place. Our relationship with God is not modeled after Israel’s experience on Mount Sinai. We come to God’s other mountain: Zion, the name of the hill upon which Jerusalem sits. The law came to Sinai; the cross was on Zion.