Hebrews 12 - Grace is God's Gift To Us. What We Do With It, Is Our Gift to Him!

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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. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Chapter 12 is a pivotal chapter, where the writer moves into application of all he has taught the Hebrews so far. This language of "running the race" sounds a lot like the apostle Paul, who some have suggested wrote this letter. The saints who have gone before us are an encouragement to us. They have gone through the hard times. The times of doubt, times of disappointment, times of persecution, times of straying, and they have stayed faithful. 

Importantly he urges them to "throw off the sin that so easily entangles". It is a different way of looking at sin. Sin is like a net that entangles us. It renders us powerless. We get stuck. It "easily" entangles. Sin is always knocking at our doorstep. We give sin an inch it takes a mile. So what do we do?

We fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith. Jesus gave us faith. It was his idea, as his mission on earth was to save those who would believe in him. Jesus not only authored faith but "perfected" it. "Perfect" means to achieve the purpose for what is intended for us. It also means "complete". Jesus perfected his faith when he obeyed the Father and had faith that when he went to the cross it would accomplish the mission he had given him. This is the same word he uses when we last cries out, "It is finished!" On that day Jesus finished our race, which started ours. 

Faith is also perfected through suffering. Suffering tests our faith, purifies our faith, and strengthens our faith. Importantly, it is Jesus who perfects his faith in us, as we follow him and hold on to his promises. As we look to Jesus' example, we can strong when our faith is being tested by others. 

God Disciplines His Children

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” - Proverbs 3:11,12

Though we all struggle with sin and persecution, we haven't probably have come even close to having shed our blood, though many have. God disciplines us through our struggles and sin because he knows it will make us more complete. The writer of Proverbs likens it to a father disciplining their son. Good parents discipline their kids when they need it. Even though it isn't easy, they know that it is needed and will help them grow up. As Christians we need to grow up too. 

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 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. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Here again the author uses familial language to describe the purpose of discipline. No discipline is pleasant at the time, but when you look back on your life, you see those who disciplined you had made a huge impact on our maturing to be a responsible adult. For me this was especially seen in my athletic coaches in junior high and senior high school. I learned a lot about life from some of my coaches, who were known as "disciplinarians". Some could get carried away, or course. But a lot of them had the best teams, because they were well coached and disciplined. When I watch a high school football game today, I can see the teams that are well coached and not well coached. It makes a huge difference between how the team carries and conducts itself on and off the field. Good coaches bring out the best in you.  

The author says, "Discipline produces a harvest of righteousness" by those who are trained by it. The term "discipline" comes from the word "disciple". You cannot separate the two. The life of a disciple is marked by discipline, often in the form of a mentor. Also, the key to becoming a disciple is using the "spiritual disciplines", which has all of the same application of what we are saying here. 

Warning and Encouragement

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

Discipline translates into how we act. The way we treat others reflects our relationship with God. If we are always in troubled relationships and always starting arguments, no one will see Jesus in our lives. We are given the grace of God as a gift, but as the passage says, "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God!"

I don't think is inferring that we need to earn grace after we have been given it. But we need to live in it and not receive it in vain. Grace is God's gift to us and what we do with it, is our gift to him. He gives examples of a root of bitterness, which puts us at odds with others. He lifts up the stain of the sin of sexual immoraliy. And finally, he gives the example of Esau, who was shortsided and preferred instant gratification rather than being disciplined to not see his birthright to his brother Jacoc. Though Jacob was the one who manipulated him, he allowed it to happen

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[c] 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 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. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The writer tells a story from Exodus and Deuteronomy, which revealed the holiness of God.  They came to Mount Zion, which is figurative of heaven. As an aside, today we call certain Jews "Zionists" because they will think they will be given an earthly Zion. These Christians are part of the church and there names are written in the book of life. On this mountain is a just and righteous God, who cannot tolerate sin. Fortunately for us we have been given  Jesus who is the mediator of new covenant that was far superior to the old one. Remember there is no forgiveness without the shedding of covenant. Our Holy Father took his Holy Son, who offered his blood on the altar, just like the innocent lambs in the Old Testament had their blood poured out on the altar on the day of Atonement. But Jesus is our atonement. He has reconciled us to the Father, so that we are inheritors of everything in the family of God and eternal life. 

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[e] 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[f]

Although God is merciful, slow to anger, and abounding steadfast love, that doesn't mean people can escape His wrath if they refuse the grace he has given us in Christ. Jesus is the only One who can satisfy the righteous requirements of the Law for us. All of this should make us thankful that God has spared us His wrath. 

We often lose sight of the awesome power and glory of God. We forget he is a "consuming fire". If we are not careful, we can get so comfortable with grace that we forget that God wants us to be set apart. He wants us to continue to be perfected through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. One day when Jesus returns we will be given the free gift of salvation, but this doesn't mean we won't be accountable for what we have done with what we have been given.