Run your Race Well
How?
1. Be encouraged by those who ran their race well (v1a)
a) “Therefore”- strong link with Heb. 11, “great cloud”- a massive cloud structure often in Gk. poetry for a massive/dense multitude of people. “witnesses”- not spectators, but ones who testify through their active & enduring faith.
b) Hearing/studying their story inspires us (this applies to other generations as well).
2. Remove any hindrances (v1b)
a) This is what those witnesses did. “lay aside/put off from oneself”, “every encumbrance”- weight/bulk/burden. Runners shed extra weight in training & would not wear something would hinder them. These might not be sin, but they are draining us in our race.
b) “sin/entangles”- easily surrounding or ensnaring. For them, it was pressure to turn from Christ back to Judaism. Each one has sin to which he/she is more susceptible.
3. Persevere with what God has set before you (v2)
a) “let us run”- plural, we are in it together, “with endurance/patience/fortitude/steadfastness/perseverance,” “race” an agonizing contest like a marathon. Knowing this prepares us.
b) “set before us”- similar routes though it varies in different places & times.
4. Refocus on Jesus & the race He ran (vs. 2-4)
a) “fixing our eyes”- looking away from other things to Jesus. “Author” = Founder/originator OR Leader, He originated & took the lead leaving an example, “Perfecter” He will finish what He’s begun in us.
b) “for”- “in place of” the joy of heaven OR “in exchange for” the eventual joy after & because of the cross. This was “set before Him” (v1) so He “endured” (v1) the cross, “despising the shame”- disregarding its shame.
c) “sat down” pf. His current position after completing His work of redemption.
d) “consider”- in the way of comparison (ARITHMETIC), the eventual joy was greater than what He endured. His agonizing race ended in the supreme position of honor/authority & joy for many others.
e) His audience like us had not resisted to the point of shedding their blood with their agonizing battle against sin. Our fight is against sin, not people. His race was much harder than the one set before us.
5. Receive God’s discipline with openness (vs. 5-6)
a) They forgot the exhortation of Proverbs 3:11-12. Difficulties & opposition in our race are likened to our Heavenly Father’s discipline. “Discipline”- upbringing/training of a child mentally & morally. This involves more than correcting sin.
b) There are 2 opposite responses which keep us from benefiting from the Lord’s discipline: “regard lightly”- not take it seriously & “faint”- lose heart (feel overwhelmed), grow weary when he reproves/chastises you.
c) The Lord disciplines & chastises every child He takes into His family.
6. Remember God’s discipline has great benefit (vs. 7-11)
a) The reality that God disciplines us gives evidence we are His children rather that illegitimate.
b) Our earthly fathers imperfectly disciplined, raised & trained us up as seem best to them.
c) God is “the Father of spirits” whose discipline extends to our spiritual development/maturity. His correction, training, upbringing, discipline is perfect & exactly what we need. He works in our race so that we may share His holiness (v10) and yield “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
d) Many times the process is not joyful but sorrowful. “trained” (v11) athletic imagery of exercise/practice. Properly responded to it leads to the great benefit of our Father’s holiness & righteousness formed in us.