SPACE Program, Book 14

RUNNING THE RACEOUTLINEI.WITHOUT HINDRANCESII.BEFORE SPECTATORSIII.BY THE RULESIV.WITH PATIENCEV.WITH PURPOSE87

Lesson 1

RUNNING THE RACERunning The Race Without HindrancesHebrews 12:1, 2INTRODUCTION

: As Christians we are in a race and in order to run that race well, we must be properly prepared. We are to “lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us”.To run successfully, a runner must run “light”. He must have nothing on or in his body thatmight impede his progress towards the finish line. Imagine how ridiculous it would be to see arunner with weights tied to his body, struggling helplessly down the race course. Such is the picture we have here in Hebrews 12:1.We cannot very well “look unto Jesus” if we are preoccupied with all those weights andsins that are clinging to us. Anything that keeps us from progressing in the “race of life” iseither a weight or a sin and must be looked at as something that besets or hinders us. Our “coach” very wisely instructs us to “lay aside” these things.

I.WEIGHTS

A weight may be something good in itself but under certain circumstances, a hindrance.For instance, a coat is a necessary piece of clothing under certain conditions, but it is not the sortof item which would aid a runner. A weight then is something which, in itself, is entirelylegitimate, but if used wrongly, becomes a hindrance in running the race. Sin is sin regardless of the circumstances, but weights are legitimate things turned to a false use.

Here are some of the more common legitimate things that can be turned into weights:

A.

Money

. Money is a legitimate medium of exchange used in all modern societies anda standard by which we measure the value of a thing. Nowhere does the Bible condemn moneyas wrong or the use of it. It does, however, warn against “the love of money”, adding that it is“the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6:10).B.

Pleasure

. Having a good time, participating in or watching sports events of variouskinds, picnicking, camping, going to places of amusement are not in themselves wrong. Butthey can, and do become weights which hinder us from running a good race. We all needoccasional periods of rest and recreation. Jesus Himself was aware of this basic human need(Mark 6:31). At the same time, we must realize the extreme to which our present day societyhas gone in its emphasis upon leisure and pleasure seeking. One of the signs of the latter timesis that men shall be pleasure seekers instead of God seekers (II Timothy 3:4). We must beextremely careful lest a legitimate pleasure becomes a cumbersome weight.C.

Self-love

. Self-love is a legitimate emotion (Ephesians 5:29). A person’s love for himself determines his self-image. On the other hand, self-love taken to the extreme becomes aweight to the Christian runner. A man must deny himself, said the Lord Jesus (Matthew 16:24).Lesson 1 (cont’d)

II.THE SIN WHICH BESETS US

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What is “the sin which so easily beset us”? It is different for every Christian. Your besetting sin may not be someone elses. Much depends on a person’s background and training.Here are some of the more common “besetting sins”:A.

Lust

. A dirty mind (James 1:14, 15).B.

Envy

. An ill will at the success or good fortune of others (James 3:14 - 16).C.

Greed

. An insatiable desire of covetousness. This is the spirit which provokes us “tokeep up with the Joneses” (Luke 12:15).D.

Unbelief

. This sin is the worst of the besetting sins, for it leads to all other sins. It istrue that each of us has some special form of sin to which we are most prone, but itseems the writer of Hebrews has in mind that one sin which, above all others, besets usand hinders our effectiveness on the race track - unbelief (compare Hebrews 3:13).

CONCLUSION

: By God’s grace we are called upon to lay aside these weights and besettingsins (Matthew 5:29, 30). Jesus is not suggesting the actual removal of these physical organs. Heis emphatically teaching, however, that nothing should be so dear and precious to us that weshould allow it to hinder us in running the race. Whatever the particular sin is that hinders us,we need to recognize it, call it by its right name, refuse to rationalize our practice of it and claimthe blood of Jesus against it.1. If a runner is to run successfully how is he to run? 2. Anything that keeps us from progressing in the "race of life" is either a _____ or a ____.3. Are weights good in itself? And when do they turn bad?a. b.4. Weights are legitimate things turned to a false use. True or False.5. What is the root of all evil?6. There are four "besetting sins" listed, which one is the worst?7. Why is unbelief the worst of the "besetting sins"?8. What was Jesus teaching in Matthew 5:29?89