Hebrews 12:11, “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.”

Is it possible to actually enjoy the chastening of the Lord? Previously, we talked about God’s purposes for chastening us. Now, we take the next step into something that seems impossible – not just enduring chastening, but learning to enjoy it. I mentioned the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus’ instruction to rejoice when we are persecuted. The word literally means to jump for joy! That is not an easy thing to do. It goes against every natural tendency that we have. It is God’s will that we experience joy even while enduring pain. When Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail in Philippi, they could have been discouraged and defeated. They could have griped and complained, and we would say they would have been justified. But, that is not what they did. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25).

Faith makes it possible. First, we must see by faith. It is impossible to experience the joy of the Lord during chastening unless we are relying on faith to see past our circumstances. Joy is being filled with cheer (not happiness) and experiencing calm delight in the soul. We will never know the joy if our focus is on the physical world we can see. Some people say that it is impossible to change our focus, but God never gives us an expectation that He does not enable us to fulfill. He says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice evermore.” There is not way around that one! It does not mean rejoice when we are in Heaven someday, it means rejoice right not here on earth.

Endure chastening to progress for the Lord. The progress we are making in our spiritual life is not going to be measured in a day. It is not measured in weeks, months, or even a year. However, over a period of time, the progress will be measurable. We see that by faith. By the way, I have to see that in myself, and I have to see that in other people by faith. It can be very discouraging to work with people, to make sacrifices and investments, and have it feel like nothing is changing. When I see through the eyes of faith, I can endure the disappointments, and I can endure the chastening. As long as we endure chastening, we are going to make progress for the Lord.

Focus on graduation – take advance classes. Second, we must see afterward. To have joy during chastening, we must see the temporary nature of our present dilemma. Afterward is coming. Not only are things not as they seem to be, they will also not be as they seem. No matter how tough the coursework in Adversity University gets, graduation day is coming. God has placed you where you are for a future purpose. When Joseph looked back on all the things that had happened to him – being sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused and thrown in prison, and forgotten by those he had helped – he said, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

It will be worth it all. Third, we must see the fruit. The fruit of righteousness – of being like Jesus Christ- is (or at least should be) the goal of our lives. Righteousness is God’s purpose in saving you (Romans 8:29), and it is produced by enduring chastening. If you do not have any interest in the fruit of righteousness, in being like Christ, then you need to examine your heart and see if you are truly God’s child. Hebrews 12 makes it clear that there are people who think they are in the family who are not. Or, perhaps you have allowed bitterness during the chastening to blind you to what God is trying to accomplish through the adversity in your life. There is a tremendous peace that comes with the fruit of righteousness. There is the peace of being right with God and not fearing His judgment. There is peace in being right with yourself and not being condemned by your conscience. There is peace in being right with others and not worrying about those to whom you have done wrong.

When I was a boy, our church supported the Shepherd’s Home, a ministry for the mentally retarded in Union Grove, Wisconsin. Each year, Dr. Wood, the head of the ministry, would bring a group from the home to our church. Some years, they brought a hand bell group; other years, they brought a choir. Each time they came, those mentally challenged adults would perform music to glorify God. They would always close their presentation with the same singer. This man was obviously handicapped, but he had a beautiful voice. Many times, he would mess up a word or two, but there was a love for God in his heart that came through as he sang. I remember as a little boy listening to him sing:
Oft time our day seems long
Our trials hard to bear,
We’re tempted to complain
To murmur and despair,
But Christ will soon appear
To catch His bride away,
All tears forever over
In that eternal day.
It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small
When we see Christ.
One glimpse of His dear face
All sorrows will erase,
So bravely run the race
Till we see Christ.

Let’s ask God to help us see through the eyes of faith that our chastening will not endure forever; and that when it is finished, He will make us like God’s Son.

Hebrews 12:5-10, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, 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. 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. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.”
No matter who you are, whether you are saved or unsaved, life is difficult. If you are unsaved, your life is difficult because you do not have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. If you are saved, your life is difficult because you do have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. If you got saved thinking life would not be difficult any more, you were wrong. Whether you are saved or unsaved, life is difficult and full of trouble. Now, for the unsaved, there is no hope. At the end of the road is Hell – a lake of fire forever and ever. For the saved, we can look forward to a better land. But, throughout life, we are going to be dealing with pain and struggle and difficulty; and for those of us who are saved, the chastening hand of God. In Hebrews 12:10, we see three purposes that lie behind the chastening we receive.
First, chastening is for pleasure. “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.” Now at first glance, this seems to be rather strange. In fact, chastening someone for pleasure sounds sadistic and sick. But, God is not evil and sadistic. He does not take pleasure in the fact that we are being chastened; the pleasure is because that He knows that chastening has divine blessing and benefit as its end result. If we are going to become what our Father intends for us to be, then He must allow us to experience pain. He takes pleasure, not in our pain, but what it will produce.
Second, chastening is for profit. “But he for our profit.” Personal profit or benefit is only realized following pain. Now, I know we are living in a world that does not want to believe that. People want a pill they can take to eat all they want and still lose weight. We want great relationships without having to make any investments in them. There is no free lunch. As athletes say “No pain, no gain.” There is no way to get paid in advance in the spiritual realm. You cannot get the profit unless you endure the pain. God says if we endure chastening, then we will be rewarded. God will not do for us what we must do for ourselves.

Third, chastening is for partaking of God’s holiness. “That we might be partakers of his holiness.” God saved the best reason for last. We see the word “partakers” twice in this passage; here in verse ten and also in verse eight. Though the same word is used in English, two different ideas are being expressed. In talking about the chastisement every Christian experiences, the word means “one’s share as a participant.” We are chastened because we have not yet attained perfection. We are going to be in Adversity University until we have breathed our last breath and God takes us home. The word “partakers” in verse ten is different; in fact, it is the same as in Acts 2:46 where it is translated “to eat.”
Agitation needed. Think about the way a washing machine works. Open the lid while a load of clothes is being washed and look at it. There are clothes and water and soap in the machine, but they are not just sitting there. They do not get clean by simply being in the water. A washing machine has something that moves them around – an agitator. You will have to hold the little button down to watch it work with the lid open, but what you will see is the clothes are bouncing up and down, pulsating and spinning around. Do you have any agitations in your life? They are there to move things around so that you can be a partaker of His cleanness and holiness. God knows that without something to stir us up, we will not become more like His Son.

For the process to work though, you have to stay in the machine. The agitation may be painful, but it is necessary if you want to partake of Christ’s holiness. If things are difficult and agitated in your marriage, stay in. If you are having a tough time at work, stay in. If there are troubles at your church, stay in. That agitation has been put in your life by God for a reason. If you get out, you will miss it. If we endure chastening, then one day we will be all cleaned up and presented to the Savior as a bride, spotless and white. Why? Because we made the decision, “I’m going to endure chastening. I’m going to stay in the washing machine and endure the agitation. I’m not going to quit. I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to stay out just because things are tough. I’m going to stay in.” Enduring chastening is easier if we keep in mind the purposes God has for having us go through it.

Hebrews 12:9, “Furthermore we had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”

According to Hebrews 12:9, the key to responding properly to God’s chastening is found in submitting ourselves to the Heavenly Father. What does it mean to be in subjection to Him? The Greek word translated “subjection” is hupotasso which was a military term, meaning to arrange in order under the command of the leader. Subjection to God means placing ourselves under His authority. It means that we take care of the problem His chastening is bringing to our attention instead of being bitter and refusing to listen. So, the first thing we see in this verse is the relationship between chastening and submission, and this principle applies on many different levels.

First, this principle is applicable personally. All of us need God’s chastening because all of us struggle with right thinking and with right actions. As a result, our God who knows us personally, intimately and is observing every step of our lives and every thought of our minds, chastens us. He does not chasing us because He is an ogre who is out to destroy us. He chastens us because He loves us too much to allow sin to remain in our lives. He knows is perfectly; and based on his knowledge, everyone and everything He brings into our lives is designed by Him for our good. When we respond to him properly, we experience life as it was meant to be lived.

Second, this principle is applicable to go to the family. God designed the family unit from the beginning. The family relationship is the foundation of society. God works with families as well as individuals. What I think and do as a father in responding to chastening has implications for my wife and children. In the military, they talk about something called collateral damage – when something or somebody that was not the target gets hit. Parents and children alike can cause a lot of grief, sorrow, heartache, and hurt to the family when they do not recognize and respond to God’s chasing properly. That brings down God’s judgment.

Third, this principle is applicable to churches. The church is the body of Christ. If one member allows sin in his life, it does not just impact and influence that individual, it affects the entire church. The story of Achan is a vivid reminder of this truth. Joshua told the people they were not allowed to take any spoils from the capture of Jericho; everything in the city belong to God. But Achan took gold, silver, and clothing and hid it in his tent. As a result, Israel lost the battle of AI, and 36 soldiers were killed. Sin does not stay contained; what you allow in your life will have a dramatic effect on the body of Christ – the local church of which you are a part.

Fourth, this principle is applicable to cities. When we think of cities and sin, most of us immediately think of Sodom and Gomorrah. Did God chasten those cities? Yes. Before they were destroyed, he allowed enemies to conquer them. Abraham had to take his army of servants to rescue Lot and the other inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and return their possessions. That was God’s chastening; but because they did not heed it, eventually, they lost their lives. Do you think God has changed His attitude toward sin? He still hates pride, gluttony, laziness, cold-heartedness and sodomy just as much now as He did then.

Finally, this principle is applicable to our country. Recently, I read Joel Rosenberg’s book Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change your Future. It was an eye-opening reminder to me that God does indeed judge and chasten nations. He traces the works of terrorists and governments of countries like Iran that hate America, and predicts that we are going to see further attacks right here in the United States. Rosenberg, who was raised an Orthodox Jew before becoming a Christian, first became famous because nine months before 9/11, he wrote a novel that began with Muslim terrorists hijacking airplanes to attack America’s cities. He clearly sees God at work in chastening our nation, and believes the Bible.

Over the years, we have worked with people who were gripped by immortality. The Bible says there is a spirit of whoredoms. (Hosea 4:12) Some people (certainly not everyone) are sick because of a spirit of infirmity. (Luke 13:11) There are spirits of bondage and fear – the list goes on and on. We need to be alert and aware to the spiritual warfare going on in our lives. If we are struggling, we need to see if evil spirits are out to destroy, to wreck, to ruin, our personal faith, our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities, and our nation. If we do not consider this reality, we may tragically miss out on recognizing and responding to God’s chastening.

Hebrews 12:7-11, “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. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 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.”
We have been talking about the chastening that God designs for our lives as part of the education process at the University of Adversity. Remember that you enrolled in that school the day you got saved, and you will be a student until you go to Heaven. Every student in this university majors in faith so that they can receive the good report described in Hebrews 11:39. I want to focus your attention now specifically on enduring adversity. It is not a guarantee that all people will endure, and we are reminded of this when some people do not. Notice the phrase in verse seven, “if ye endure”. While some people fail the test, others succeed. Let us look at what happens in the lives of those who endure adversity.
They do not Drop out of Classes. Adversity makes you want to quit. You have adversity in your life because that is the way God designed it. Solomon said, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small”. (Proverbs 24:10) Many times, I have quoted that verse to myself and said, “God give me greater strength. I don’t want to quit. I want to finish the course, keep the faith, and follow Your will for my life, so that I can receive a good report. Most of all, I want You to be please with my faith.” I had this idea when I was younger that problems would peak, and then I would reach the point where my problems and pressures and hurts would decrease. It has not happened yet! And I have reached a point at my current age that I do not think it is ever going to happen because God wants to stretch me. Do you want to run the distance? Then, you must not faint in the adversity. You have to stay at it.
They Realize the Purpose for Adversity University. Adversity always has positive purposes but we must look for them by faith and seek to take advantage of the gift of adverse circumstances presented to us by our perfect University President Whose name is God. We may not know all of the reasons for difficult courses in our schooling at AU, but the Bible tells us two things that we can count on in considering God’s purposes for adversity. Romans 8:28, a verse we know well, tells us that all things work together for good. Good for what? The answer is in verse 29. First, so that we would become like Jesus Christ – “conformed to the image of His Son”. God wants us to be like His Son. Second, so that people will be saved – “the firstborn among many brethren”. God wants us to draw others to Him. It is good that all things are working together to accomplish His will in our lives. Every child of God receives His chastening because God is committed to His purpose that we be conformed to be like His Son, and that we be a witness of Christ to the world in which we live.
They Allow Adversity to Prove their Relationship with Christ. People who are unsaved do experience adversity in life, but it is never from the switch of God. He does not chasten those who are not His own. Remember that willow tree I told you about? My dad never did take a willow switch after Danny or Mike or any of my friends. Their conduct and behavior and maturity were not his responsibility. He and Mom had plenty of exercise spanking Barbara, Marsha, Richard, and me. We were their children, and we never doubted that relationship. Let me ask you a vital question: Does God chasten you? There is nothing more important than knowing that you belong to Christ – that you are saved. No adversity that you experience in this life will compare to the pain and suffering of spending eternity separated from God in Hell. If you are not certain you are saved, trust Christ as your Savior today, and get that matter settled forever.

Hebrews 12:5-6, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. 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.”

Our future is often determined by the outcome of the many choices we make in life. But it is also greatly decided by our response to the chastening of the Lord. This passage in Hebrews tells us that there are two foolish responses to God’s chastening. If you choose either of these responses, you are selecting a troubled destiny. You are guaranteeing yourself more trouble than you had to start with in the first place. These two choices are different; in fact, they almost stand in opposition to each other. But, they are both wrong answers.

We Should Not Despise His Chastening. Do you realize how wonderful, gracious, and kind it is of God to chasten you, to correct you when you go astray, rebuke you when you are wrong, and to scourge you if need be? What if instead, He simply destroyed us the moment we stepped out of line? Instead, He lovingly offers us reminders to bring us to repentance. Despising the Lord’s chastening begins with despising the Word of the Lord. If you and I have proper respect for the Word of the Lord and what He says to us and through His Word, then we will have little problem with this matter of despising the chastening of the Lord. The Bible calls us to a life that is beyond our own capabilities to ever accomplish. God does that, not to frustrate or to discourage us, but so that we will depend completely upon Him. Though it is impossible for us to live the Christ-life ourselves, it is totally possible with Christ. (Philippians 4:13) He is honored and glorified when we exercise Biblical faith.

If We Despise Authority, We Will Despise the Lord. Do you remember the story of Samuel in the Old Testament? Samuel spent his whole life preaching to the children of Israel and exalting God. Near the end of his life, the children of Israel came to him and said, “Listen, Samuel, we want a king.” That discouraged Samuel. When he told the Lord about it, the Lord made a statement that encouraged Samuel, but profoundly rebuked the people. “Hearken unto the voice of the people and all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected me.” (I Samuel 8:7) When we think little of the chastening, the correcting, the rebuking of God; it strikes at our relationship with God Himself. Rebellion against the authorities God has placed in your life is not simply rebellion against their rules and regulations or their guidance. It is rebellion and rejection against the Word and Person of God.

Fainting at His Chastening. The second wrong response we can make is fainting because of His chastening. Fainting comes from a word that means, “to fall apart”. God does not want you to quit; that is not the purpose of chastening. It is the devil that wants you to quit. He wants you to think, “There’s no hope for you. You’ve gone too far. Look at the consequences of what you’re suffering. There is no way back.” Can I tell you something vitally important? That is a lie of the devil himself. There is always hope. The fact that God had to chasten you is not reason to quit. It is a reason to rejoice! First, chastening proves that you are His child. Second, it proves that God loves you so much that He has not given up on you. So do not faint when you are chastened.

We Need to Receive His Chastening. “For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cumin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horseman.” (Isaiah 28:27-28) Most of us do not grow our own grain to make bread anymore, so this concept is not one we are used to seeing. But, the point of the passage is that the tool used to thresh the different grain is determined by how hard the grain is. With a soft grain like cummin, a lighter rod was used. With a tougher grain like spelt (fitches) a heavier staff was used. Neither received the grinding of the cartwheel. That was saved for the toughest grains.

The condition of your heart determines how harsh the chastening you receive has to be to get your attention. The sooner we respond to God’s judgment, the sooner we can return to His arms and be received back into a close relationship with Him. Do not faint when you are rebuked of the Lord. Do not turn away; do not despise what He is doing in your life. Instead, turn to Him and be received. The sky is the limit to how useful you can be for His glory when you respond properly to His chastening.

Hebrews 12:5-6, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, 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.”

God has a very specific Purpose for His chastening. Notice that the Bible is not just a book from the past. Verse 5 says, “the exhortation which speaketh” – the verb is a present, active, continuous tense – “unto you”. The Bible is alive. Hebrews 4:12 says, The word of God is quick.” Peter said, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23) The Bible is not just alive, it is also personal. It speaks directly and specifically to us. The words in Scripture are letters from God to you and to me. That makes some people uncomfortable, which is why they stop reading and listening to the Word…and why they forget what it says. We take the Bible casually and forget its precepts, because we do not treat it as a living letter written personally to us.

God Speaks To Us as His Children. Now, when I say we are God’s children, I am not talking about humanity in general. That relationship is only for those who are saved. I was born the first time as the son of Richard Kingsbury. Five years later, on a Sunday night in March, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I was born as a son of the Heavenly Father. I have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. What an amazing concept that is! Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” (Matthew 10:29-30) If you ask me, sparrows are pretty worthless. The only thing I know they are good for is to keep car washes in business. But, every time a seemingly worthless bird dies, the Father knows it. If we forget that truth, then we are on our way to spiritual misery.

In this verse, we also see that God chastens us as His children. When we think of chastening, we usually think of corporal punishment. But what is being talked about here is an all-encompassing process as God educates and trains us to become mature believers who live by faith in Him. If we want the good report that comes from faith, then we have to endure the adversity that helps mature us as believers. God chastens us because we are His children, and He wants us to learn His ways. Remember that the purpose of chastening is our education.

God Rebukes Us as His Children. You may hear your fault pointed out by a preacher or Sunday school teacher, or the Holy Spirit may bring conviction as you read a verse of Scripture. A rebuke is a verbal identification of an area in your life that is wrong. I have heard people say, “I don’t want to go to that church; because when I go there, I feel bad.” Why do they feel bad? It is because their loving Heavenly Father is rebuking them instead of allowing them to continue doing wrong. When you get into the Bible, or when you go to church and God speaks to you and rebukes you, that is not something to run away from; it is a wonderful blessing. Rebuke shows that you belong to Him, and that He loves you perfectly. Not only that, but He knows you.

Next, we see that God loves us as His children. It is possible to chasten someone and not care a whit about them. But, that is not true of our Father in Heaven. He loves us with a love that is far more than simply emotional. His love is unselfish, sacrificial, and absolutely, completely committed to meeting our every need. That is the love we see demonstrated as Jesus hung on Calvary’s cross. It is dangerous to forget God’s love. When we are chastened, the devil whispers to us, “God doesn’t like you very much, does He? Just look at the guy across the street. He’s every bit as bad as you, but he gets away with it.” Do not let chastening make you doubt God’s love. It is proof that you are His child.

God Scourges Us as His Children. Do you know when God is scourging you? Or, do you chalk it up to bad luck or blame someone else for what is going on in your life? God scourges you. Why? It is because He loves you. When you suffer adversity in life, it is not always because you have sinned. That is the mistake Job’s friends made; they assumed Job’s suffering was caused by secret sins. We live in a fallen world; and sometimes, bad things do happen to good people. But, when things go wrong, examine your life, and see if God is trying to use that pain to scourge you to heed and follow Him.

In this passage, we also see that God receives us as His children. The word receive means to accept or be near. This is so important to remember. After the chastening, the rebuke, and the scourging, when we repent and forsake our sin, He takes us back. We see this illustrated so beautifully in the parable of the Prodigal Son. As soon as the boy was ready to come home, the father accepted him with open arms. He did not hold the past against him; he did not reprove him for wasting his substance. Instead, he threw a party to celebrate the return. That is how God treats His children. When the goal has been accomplished, there is a complete restoration and acceptance.

Hebrews 12:2-4,   “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. 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.”

We hear a lot today about freedom fighters. Sometimes, it refers to people who are fighting against a brutal and repressive government. Sometimes, the term in inappropriately used for terrorists who are trying to kill brave American soldiers around the world. But, the ultimate freedom fighters are found in the spiritual realm. I am talking about those who, for the cause of Christ, resist unto blood, striving against sin. To properly understand this expression, we need to grasp a word picture that God wants us to visualize. This is a picture of a soldier. The words that are given to us here in verse 4 – resisting, striving, and bleeding – are all words of war. This is not a picture of diplomacy; this is a picture of an all-out conflict.

Determine to be faithful unto death. Two times in my life I have visited death row in a prison. Last year, I went to Angola Prison in Louisiana.  At that time, there were 160 men on Death Row, awaiting execution. It was a sobering experience. They took us into the room where the executions are carried out. I am in favor of capitol punishment, because the Bible supports it. I believe it is a deterrent to prevent crime when properly applied. But, to see it firsthand brings home the seriousness of what it really means. The heroes of the faith and our Savior did not yield when they faced adversity – they resisted even unto blood.

The question for us today is whether we are willing to follow their admonition and example. I confess to you that I am not sure I would have the grace to do that. I hope I never have to face that choice. Because we live in America, we are largely insulated from serious persecution. However, do not be so naïve as to think that it could not happen here. It has happened before. Patrick Henry, one of the heroes of the American Revolution, is best known to us for saying, “Give me liberty or give me death.” But, he was famous in colonial Virginia as a lawyer who defended Baptist preachers who were put in jail for preaching without taking a license from the state. If our country continues on the path that we are rushing down away from God, we could go back to a time of persecution. The peace and tranquility that we have enjoyed for so many years in our country is at risk today.

Understand the enemy of sin. Can you picture and visualize the enemy? We often think of our war against Satan. And certainly, Satan is our enemy. But, he is not the subject of Hebrews 12:4. The enemy we must resist is sin. This passage is not talking about striving against a person or group of people. The cause that is set before us is reaching the world with the Gospel. The enemy is sin. Anything that hinders us from fulfilling the calling of God, to run the race that is set before us, to know Christ and to make him known is sin. The reason we resist sin is for the sake of the cause.

We each have our own battle. I want you to not only see the concept of resisting that is given to us, but I want you to personalize the criticism. The writer said, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.” What an indictment. We have to recognize that there is a constant struggle, a war that must be waged against sin. I must personalize it for myself if I am going to win that battle. No one else can do that for me. By the grace of God, I must be willing to resist anything that will keep me back or hinder me or cause me to miss the mark. What is it that causes a Christian to lose his or her burden for winning the lost? What is it that blinds us to the needs of the world? It is our sin. Instead of living our lives as if everything revolves around getting ahead, we must see that there is a much bigger purpose here for our lives.

Remember the cause for the war. It is no coincidence that Hebrews 12:2 calls Jesus the “finisher of our faith.” The danger is that we can get off course and not finish the race if we lose our focus on the cause. I recently heard a politician say, “It’s time to stop spending money on a war in another part of the world and spend that money on social programs and meeting the needs of our American citizens that are undergoing such severe privation because of the economic stress.” That is the statement that someone who has lost sight of the purpose of the war. When we lose sight of the purpose, we lose our vision for it and our willingness to resist unto blood. We become willing to compromise anything. Our purpose as believers is not simply resisting being dissuaded by sin; our goal is to know Christ and to make Him known.

Hebrews 12:1-3, “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. 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 at the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind.”

Consider His Endurance - We see in this passage that Christ endured the cross, and we know that He ran the race, finished His course, and kept the faith. But, what does it mean to say that He endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself? Why did this occur in the life of Christ, who is absolutely, completely, and totally perfect? For what purpose did it occur? The word contradiction, if you divide it into two parts, you get contra (meaning against) and diction (meaning words). Webster’s Dictionary defines it this way: Contradiction – an assertion of the contrary to what has been said affirmed; a denial of truth; or a statement or assertion of a contrary declaration. When the Lord lived on planet Earth, the Bible says He endured sinners contradicting themselves against Him. Now, this matter of contradiction is kind of like salsa; it can be mild, it can be medium, or it can be hot. I want us to do what this verse says and consider His endurance.

Mild Contradictions – Learn to Give Slack – Jesus experienced the contradiction of sinners within his own family. The Bible tells us that Jesus went home with His parents when they couldn’t find Him after Passover and was in subjection to them. (Luke 2:51) Jesus was contradicted by His mother, but He was patient with her. Remember to give slack to good people. If we are not careful, we will allow an unusual reaction from someone to stick in our craw and irritate, causing us to react improperly. Hebrews 12 says that if we are not careful, the contradiction of sinners can cause us to be wearied and even faint – lose heart and give up. Even mild contradictions can cause us to blow things out of proportion and ruin good relationships. Sometimes, however, the contradictions are more serious.

Medium Contradictions – Do Not React – Jesus’ brothers, the other children of Mary and Joseph, had grown up with Jesus, but they did not believe in Him. You would think that if anyone would have believed, it would be those who knew Him best; but as you saw in the title of this chapter, people often do not make sense. In fact, his brothers challenged Jesus to risk His life and go where people were trying to kill Him. Yet, we never see Jesus react, even when those who should have believed in Him the most did not. He could have said, “You want to see proof that I’m the Son of God? Let Me see what I can do to you!” He could have parked them thirty feet up in the air. He could have walked through the wall of their house. He could have done all sorts of things. But Jesus was non-reactive. We want to react. We want to defend ourselves. The more severe the contradiction is, the greater our need to respond seems to be. But we should not defend ourselves, but rather take it like Jesus did. Even in unfair situations where we appear to be in the right, we should be willing to suffer the contradiction of others.

Severe Contradictions – Respond with Endurance – The people gave Jesus a royal welcome to the city of Jerusalem. You could not possibly get a better response than He received. The people were celebrating and rejoicing. They were ready to proclaim Him as the King. That happened on what we call Palm Sunday. Now, look at Matthew 27 and see what happened to the people that same week: “But the chief priests and elders the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said unto them, What shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto Him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.” (Matthew 27:20-23)

You know that the multitude of Matthew 27 had to include some of the same people who were part of the multitude of Matthew 21. What a dichotomy. What a contradiction. One day, they were saying, “Welcome Jesus, King of the Jews. We’re so excited that You’re here.” Then, a few days later, they said, “Release unto us Barabbas. Take this Jesus and crucify Him. Crucify Him!” What happened? Four-day loyalty? Four-day commitment? People do not make sense. That is a real contradiction. People will indeed treat us the same way at times: they will support us and befriend us when it is convenient, but when trial or crisis occurs, they will vanish or turn on you. Learn from Jesus Christ the way to endure through this.

Overcome the Adversity of Contradiction – People do not make sense. So, what are you going to do about it? The Bible says Jesus endured it. So must we endure. He always responded appropriately and unselfishly. When the people who had cried out for Him to be king contradicted that and said, “Crucify him,” He picked up the cross and allowed Himself to be crucified. When the disciples were offended and forsook Him, He kept loving them. When Peter denied Him, Jesus restored him to fellowship. That is what God wants us to do. If we endure instead of being offended as those who overcome the adversity of contradiction, we will be the ones who receive the joy that is prepared for us by our Father.

The following is my my new Twitter account.

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Dr. Paul Kingsbury

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Rockford, IL · paulkingsbury.com

Hebrews 12:1-3, “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 is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set down 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.”

Become Meticulously Acquainted

If it were in our nature to live by faith, Hebrews 12 would not be necessary. Since it is not natural, we need to learn how to do it, and that is why we are enrolled in Adversity University. We just talked about looking unto Jesus, and then the very next verse tells us to “consider Him.” It sounds to me like Jesus is pretty important! What does it mean to consider Jesus? It is not the same as the admonition to look to Him. The Greek word is analogizomai, which means to think over or ponder. It is the word from which we get our words “analyze” and “analysis”. It means to think with the purpose of gaining a deep understanding of something or someone. Webster’s Dictionary gives the meaning as “to view attentively”. Considering Jesus means that we are paying attention to His person, His life, and His work.

Cure for Discouragement

The goal of being just like Jesus Christ is a wonderful goal, but it is a long-term goal. It is not something we are going to ever completely accomplish in this lifetime. What do I do about right now? What do I do when I am weary, I am tired, I want to give up, I want to quit, and I do not want to keep doing what God wants me to do? I know so many people who were once active runners, who fainted in their minds, and then stopped running. We need to know how to respond today. Notice what verse three says, we faint when we are weary. That is the contributing factor that makes us vulnerable to failure. Paul warned, “And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).

Follow His Example

When Christians get weary and drop out of the race, it does not just impact their lives; it affects everyone within their sphere of influence. It impacts the people they should be helping. What is the solution? Jesus hungered and thirsted to do God’s will. When you get to the place where you “hunger and thirst after righteousness, for [you] shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). When we are baby Christians, we hunger and thirst for the things He can do for us and give us. But, as we mature, we hunger and thirst for Him. He gives us the sustenance, the strength, and the courage to keep on keeping on. I cannot emphasize this too much – we do not need to kick in the seat of the pants, or a “pick me up” to get through another day. There is something more essential than that; we need to consider Jesus. He is the Answer. He is the Solution to discouragement.

Investment of Time

If we are going to consider Christ – to make a scientific, in-depth study of Him – we are going to have to carve out the time to spend on it. We are going to have set aside other distractions. There are always going to be things to compete for our time and attention. There are always going to be other things we could do. But, there is nothing more important than focusing on Jesus. What have you learned about Jesus this week? What have you learned in the last month? He is inexhaustible; there is no way we can ever learn all there is to know. The point of considering Jesus is not finding out more about Him; it is getting to know Him through studying the Scriptures in cooperation with the Spirit of God.

Become a Serious Student

No matter who you are or what you do, you will get tired. It is not enough to commit to keep running. It is not enough just to look to Jesus. You will only overcome and keep running if you take the time to consider Him. Every time you face adversity, every time you face an obstacle, every time you have a problem, tie yourself to Jesus and wait on Him. He will renew your strength. Then, like Paul, you will be able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).