Persevering in the Unshakeable Kingdom of God: A Look at Hebrews 12:1-3
I’ve been thinking a lot about the biblical theme of kingdom lately. I’ve spent a week teaching about the Kingdom of God to a group of Ugandan pastors. As I prepared to teach the class, a deep longing rose in my spirit to see His Kingdom come – here on earth.
You and I live in tumultuous times, and it seems as if everything that can be shaken is being shaken. Yet, the kingdom of God remains unshaken and continues to gain momentum. The kingdom of God moves forward despite the troubles in the word and whims of humankind.
One cannot teach or preach about the Kingdom of God without dealing with Hebrews chapter twelve. This chapter paints a powerful image of God’s wonderful kingdom. It teaches us that the kingdom has an unstoppable momentum that propels us toward obedience to Christ, Who loves us with everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
Let me offer a one-word summary of the Book of Hebrews: better. Okay, let me add a qualifier to that word — Jesus is better. He is better than Moses, angels, the Old Covenant priesthood, and more. Jesus is the central focus of the message of Hebrews.
This book was first written to a group of Jewish Christians struggling with the temptation to return to Judaism because living for Christ has brought persecution to them. The writer of Hebrews encourages these Christ followers to endure by faith and trust Christ to deliver them. He doesn’t present Jesus as a tool for getting rich, healthy, or famous. Instead, the writer claims faith in Jesus is a sure ticket to torture and possibly martyrdom.
The faith of the Hebrew Christians is shaking under the pressures coming upon them. Surely under this enormous weight, the thought of returning to their old ways seemed right. But something else is pulling at them — a kingdom — that cannot be shaken and the love of a King that pulls them into a hope-filled future with Him.
Over the next few weeks, I want to dig deep into Hebrews 12. My goal is to encourage you to put your trust in the One who remains “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). I hope to persuade you to resist the pull to go back to the old, easier, and more comfortable ways before faith in Christ. In this moment of history, the world is reeling and its kingdoms are shaking; we can put our trust in the Name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).
Let’s begin with a look at Hebrews 12:1-3,
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.
“Therefore…”
When studying and applying the Bible, it is important to notice conjunctions like therefore, wherefore, because (of), so (that), since, and, but, for, in order to, when – I could go on but you get the point (just in case you want to know more, here is a list of the most common conjunctions).
Hebrews 12:1 begins with the conjunction “therefore,” telling us that what was already written shows the cause of what is about to happen. The first eleven chapters of Hebrews have prepared the reader for this moment. The writer emphatically infers that because Jesus is superior, they can endure persecution and emerge victorious.
“…since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…”
It’s easy at this point to liken the writer’s image to a sporting event in a stadium. Cheering crowds. Raving fans. People gathered as spectators. But these witnesses are not spectators to the ups and downs of your life.
The witnesses of Hebrews 12 gathered for you and me to look upon. They are gathered to show you that no matter the cost, knowing and living for Jesus is better than any other way of life.
When faced with the temptation of walking the broad path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13), men like Enoch, Isaac, Noah, and Jacob bear witness to the pull of Christ to come closer to an unshakeable kingdom.
But how do we respond to this pull? Well, the writer of Hebrews tells us:
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
The Bible repeatedly encourages believers to get rid of those things that weigh us down and cause us to stumble when we should be running. Ephesians 4:25 admonishes believers to put off falsehood and speak truthfully. Colossians 3:8 and 1 Peter 2:1 challenge Christ’s followers to rid yourselves of emotions that lead to hypocrisy and unchristian behavior. James 1:21 commands us to “…get rid of all moral filth and evil [and] humbly accept the word planted in [us].”
These Hebrew Christians are struggling to lay aside the hindrance of law that prevents them from living in the freedom of God’s grace. For you, the temptation may be to replace the gospel of the kingdom with some other gospel. But we know there is no other gospel than that which presents Jesus as risen Savior.
A word of caution is appropriate at this point. We must balance throwing off with the sin that entangles. Sometimes we equate freedom with the abandonment of God’s law. (God has established boundaries for our own protection). Believers throw off that which entangles.
Entanglement is something that keeps us from moving forward. It can be legalism or sinfulness, but it prevents us from making Jesus the center of our life. Jesus desires that we detangle from the world's cares, the deceitfulness of riches, and our lust for the things of this earth.
Some of you are thinking, “I can’t do that! I’ve tried and failed to detangle myself. I am not strong enough.” Can I give you some good news? You are not strong enough! You are not even capable in your own intellect and wisdom of freeing yourself from the snares of this world.
But you have a helper – a comforter – the Holy Spirit! He will be your power to live the life that Christ intends. Ask Him for help. Trust His answers and obey. Obedience arises from grace; we do not obey to gain grace.
The writer now shows us the result of detangling:
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”
We are free to run the race God has patiently and persistently in front of us. No more weights. No more entanglements. Now we can respond to the pull of Christ to the kingdom and gather momentum to propel us beyond the shakiness of this world’s systems.
But how do we know the path that is marked out for us? We don’t! But that’s okay because that means we must:
“…[fix] 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.”
You cannot keep your eyes on Jesus and sin simultaneously!
Jesus is both the starting and finish line of our faith — keep your eyes on Him. But He is also the One that sustains you between these two points. He joyfully endured the most horrible persecution and came through it triumphantly.
Because of His victory, we are victorious. His sacrifice is superior to all others. He purchased our redemption. And even when everything around us seems like it’s falling apart, Christ still sits at the right hand of God. Just keep running.
Take a deeper dive into the book of Hebrews and The Kingdom of God with these recommended resources:
“The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross” by Patrick Schreiner
“Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary” by David G. Peterson4
(The links above are affiliate links. That means if you click on these links and purchase the resources, a small commission will be paid to Danny Davis).
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