Hebrews 12 - A Better Endurance
Looking Back and Looking Forward
Welcome to The Well Community Church. I am so glad you are hanging out here with us. If we have not met yet, my name is Brad, one of the pastors here. I get the privilege today of handling Hebrews chapter 12. If you have your Bible, we are continuing in our series through the letter to the Hebrews, talking about how Jesus is better.
Last week, we talked about Jesus being a better object of faith. As you recall from Hebrews 11, we walked through seventeen heroes of the faith. They are called heroes not because they were moral superstars—in fact, they had issues just like we do. It was not because they lived perfectly before God—many of them did some pretty awful things. They are heroes of the faith because they all died in faith. They lived by faith in the promises, plan, and purposes of God, even though those promises were unrealized in their lifetime.
In chapter 11, we were given a definition of faith: faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, and by this, the men and women of old gained approval. That is exactly what we saw. These men and women walked by faith, believed by faith, and lived by faith. Even though the plan and promises of God were not fully seen in their lifetime, they still trusted God in hope of what was to come.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (NASB)
Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.
At the end of chapter 11, the author writes that all these people, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:39-40 (NASB)
And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
That can sound a little confusing, but basically it is suggesting that everything you read about in your Old Testament is looking forward in anticipation of the day when Jesus would come. Everything post-cross, like where we are today, is looking back in remembrance of Jesus having come. They looked forward in anticipation to the One who would come, and we look back in thanksgiving to the One who already has.
With that foundation, we shift gears into Hebrews 12. My plan is to take our time through verses 1 through 11 and walk through them carefully, and then we will move a bit more quickly through verses 12 through 29.
The Great Cloud of Witnesses
Chapter 12 opens with these familiar and powerful words:
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NASB)
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Verse 1 begins with a conjunction: “Therefore.” It may sound corny, but it is always helpful: anytime you see the word “therefore,” you have to ask what it is there for. The author is logically connecting the content of chapter 11—those heroes of faith—to our lives today. Those heroes serve as examples and witnesses for us.
We need to be careful not to read our modern definition into the biblical text. When I say the word “witness,” you might picture someone in the stands watching a sporting event. But that is not what this Greek word means. The word is martys, which is where we get our word “martyr.” It means one who testifies, even to the point of death. These people are not sitting up in glory like the Hunger Games, taking bets on which of us is going to be faithful and which of us is going to compromise. They are not spectating our lives. Rather, they are witnesses because their lives bear testimony. They are historical examples of people who proclaimed faith and died trusting the promises of God. The author is saying: since we have such a great cloud of examples who lived by faith, let us also live with that same faith.
Laying Aside Encumbrances and Entangling Sin
Before running the race God has for us is possible, we have to do a few things. First, we have to lay aside every encumbrance. The Greek word for encumbrance is onkos, meaning a hindrance, an impediment, a burden, or an unnecessary weight. To run with endurance, there are things we must strip away.
What are those encumbrances? First, it might mean setting aside your old way of thinking. Before we trusted Christ, our thought patterns usually led to nonsense and borderline misdemeanors. Now that we are in Christ, we must think differently and view life from an eternal perspective.
1 John 2:15-16 (NASB)
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
Second, you might need to lay aside old habits that have formed you. We all develop habitual ways of doing life—almost like a Pavlovian response. A football game comes on, you crack open a beer, and that becomes your pattern. But maybe you have a hard time finding the off switch, and as a believer, those old habits need to be reset.
Romans 12:2 (NASB)
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Third, you may need to lay aside old influences that shaped you. In my own life before knowing Christ, I noticed a very clear pattern: when I hung out with knuckleheads, I acted like a knucklehead. It was not entirely their fault—I had personal agency and responsibility—but I was certainly influenced by them. Scripture warns us that bad company corrupts good character, and that the companion of the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB)
Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’
Beyond encumbrances, the author commands us to lay aside the sin that so easily entangles us. Jesus spoke about the severity of dealing with sin in Matthew 5 when He said that if your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out, and if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.
Matthew 5:29-30 (NASB)
’If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ’If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus was speaking hyperbolically; He was not promoting self-mutilation. The physical eye or hand is not the core problem. His point was that you must ruthlessly eliminate whatever causes you to stumble into sin. Sin is like a weed in the garden of your spiritual life. If you do not tend to it, it will not naturally go away or shrink; it will continue to grow until it chokes out the vitality of your spiritual life. Jesus taught the exact same truth in the Parable of the Sower, where seeds sown among thorns are choked out before they can bear fruit.
We often use the analogy here: if you bring a cute little lion cub into your home, it purrs, snuggles, and seems harmless. But if you keep feeding it, eventually it grows up and bites your face off. That is what sin does. When we allow it to fester, it grows until it destroys us.
This is why we strongly encourage our Re:generation ministry. Step four of that process involves taking a searching and fearless moral inventory of your life. It requires deep self-examination to see how your behaviors, resentments, and fears have impacted you and others. That is a terrifying notion for most people because our default is to live in denial, hiding, justifying, and minimizing our sin instead of bringing it into the light. Yet Scripture calls us to lay it all aside.
Running with Eyes Fixed on Jesus
Only when we lay aside every encumbrance and entangling sin can we run our race unhindered. The Apostle Paul uses this exact athletic imagery in 1 Corinthians 9 when describing the Christian life.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NASB)
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but [only] one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then [do it] to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Both Paul and the author of Hebrews remind us that running with endurance requires effort, intentionality, training, and discipline. You will never run this race accidentally. If you do not cultivate intentionality and spiritual discipline, you will not finish well. The world is certainly not going to help you run the race of godliness. Our culture is chaotic. It is a whirlwind of circumstances, crises, illnesses, home repairs, busy seasons, family drama, and neighborhood stress. In the middle of that swirl, it is remarkably easy to lose focus on the most important thing.
That is why the author tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. This immediately brings to mind Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14. Peter wanted to be like his Rabbi—not just knowing what Jesus knew, but doing what Jesus did. When Peter saw Jesus walking on the lake, he said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus told him to come, and Peter stepped out of the boat and actually walked on water. But the moment Peter looked away from Jesus and saw the wind and the waves, he began to sink.
Matthew 14:28-30 (NASB)
Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’
That is precisely our problem. We are running along, focused on Christ, and then a crisis hits. We turn our attention to the storm, take our eyes off Jesus, and start to sink. Have you ever tried sprinting forward while looking entirely to the side? It might make for a hilarious video when you run into a wall, but it is a terrible way to run a race. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Why Jesus? Because He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. As Paul writes in Romans 11: from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.
Romans 11:36 (NASB)
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him [be] the glory forever. Amen.
Jesus is our supreme example because He ran His race with endurance. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. When we consider what He endured at the hands of sinners, it keeps us from growing weary and losing heart.
Effort, Faith, and the Race
I want to be completely honest with you: as modern pastors, we have often done a poor job explaining what following Jesus actually requires. The gospel asks one thing of you: everything. Yet in an effort to keep attendance numbers high, the church has often reduced the gospel to: “With every head bowed and eye closed, who doesn’t want to go to hell?” People raise a hand, we say, “Great, you’re in,” and we never teach them what it means to be a disciple who runs a race with endurance.
The Christian life requires real effort. Faith is opposed to earning, but it is not opposed to effort. We cannot earn our salvation; we receive it entirely by grace through faith without merit. But once received, our faith demands active participation with God. It requires perseverance, steadfastness, and patient endurance.
In that race, there will be seasons where you are running strong and life is great. But there will also be seasons where you are struggling, exhausted, and stumbling. In those difficult stretches, we frequently encounter what Hebrews calls the discipline of the Lord.
Understanding the Discipline of the Lord
Verses 4 through 11 contain the fifth warning passage in the book of Hebrews, cautioning us not to despise the Lord’s discipline. Notice that the word “discipline” appears nine times in these eight verses.
Hebrews 12:4-6 (NASB)
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’
We often equate the word “discipline” with punishment, but that is not the biblical meaning here. The Greek term refers to instruction, training, correction, and education. God’s discipline is formative, not punitive. It is not God retaliating against you for doing something wrong; it is a loving Father training His children.
Hebrews 12:7-8 (NASB)
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
I know that whenever we use the term “earthly father,” it brings up mixed emotions. For some of you, your earthly father is a wonderful memory. For others, he is the villain of your story. The author is using the best possible human example of a loving earthly father to illustrate a point: if human fathers disciplined us as best they knew how, how much more will our perfect Heavenly Father care for us?
When my wife and I had our two daughters, we had to decide how we were going to parent. On one end of the spectrum, the kids run the entire house and get whatever they want. On the other end, if a child blinks the wrong way, they get punished. We decided to land on requiring first-time obedience. If we were in Target and a toddler tantrum started brewing, we addressed it immediately. My goal was not just behavioral control in Target; my goal was her future character. If she learned to throw tantrums to get her way as a toddler, she would carry that behavior into adulthood and get fired from her first job. We disciplined our children because we loved them and wanted them to grow into maturity.
Hebrews 12:9-10 (NASB)
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness.
Human parents discipline for a short time according to what seems best to them. As a parent driving home from the hospital with our first baby, I remember thinking, “They are actually letting me take this child home? She didn’t come with an instruction manual!” We did the best we could by praying, reading books, and seeking counsel. But God disciplines us perfectly for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
Hebrews 12:11 (NASB)
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
No discipline feels pleasant in the moment; it feels painful. Growing up, I remember mouthing off to my grandfather, Pop, out at the Hacker Ranch on the way up to Hume Lake. Pop had a third-grade education, was soft-spoken, and was one of the hardest working men I ever knew. When I mouthed off, he told me to go get a tree switch. I brought him a branch, and he corrected me thoroughly. In that moment, it certainly did not feel joyful! But afterward, it produced fruit. The Greek word for “trained” in verse 11 is gymnazo, from which we get our word “gymnasium.” It carries the idea of rigorous exercise, enduring sweat and strain so that strength is produced. God’s discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Five Ways God Disciplines Us
How does our Heavenly Father actually discipline and train us today? There are five primary ways:
First, He uses the realities of living in a fallen world. We live in a broken creation marked by sickness, disease, tragedy, violence, and death. When we bump up against the brokenness of this world, it passively reminds us that we were not created for this world. God has set eternity in our hearts, and the pain of this life trains our hearts to depend on Him.
Second, He disciplines us through natural consequences. Scripture teaches that we reap what we sow. If you have an unchecked anger problem and get fired from three consecutive jobs, at some point you must realize the issue is not your boss—it is you. If you refuse to use the off switch with alcohol, drive home, and get a DUI, that consequence is the result of your choices. If you harbor unrepentant sexual sin, it will inevitably damage your relationships. God lovingly allows us to experience the painful sting of our choices so that we will turn to Him in repentance.
Third, He disciplines us through His Word. The Bible is a searchlight for the human soul. Paul writes in Romans 7 that he would not have known what sin was except through the law.
Romans 7:7 (NASB)
What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET.’
When you open Scripture, it should get in your face. If you read the Bible and never feel challenged, something is wrong. When I first trusted Christ while playing football at Fresno State, the locker room was not exactly a sanctuary of holy speech. We used the F-word as every imaginable part of speech. Then I read Ephesians 4:29: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification.” I realized I needed to learn how to speak English all over again!
Ephesians 4:29 (NASB)
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment], so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Living in a fraternity house, I read 1 Thessalonians 4, which tells us that God’s will is our sanctification and that we must abstain from sexual immorality, possessing our bodies in honor rather than lust. The Word of God confronted my lifestyle and trained me in righteousness.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (NASB)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; [that is], that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Fourth, He disciplines us through the Holy Spirit. When we believe the gospel, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin. When King David tried to hide his sin regarding Bathsheba and Uriah, he wrote in Psalm 32 that his bones wasted away and God’s heavy hand was upon him day and night.
Psalms 32:3-4 (NASB)
When I kept silent [about my sin], my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away [as] with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
You know that feeling: you do or say something wrong, and an internal weight settles on your chest. You are sitting in a movie theater with your family, a scene comes on, and an internal prompt says, “You need to get up and walk out.” That is the Holy Spirit correcting you. You can either resist and grieve the Spirit, or submit and obey.
Fifth, He disciplines us through His people. Scripture tells us that faithful are the wounds of a friend, and that open rebuke is better than hidden love.
Proverbs 27:5-6 (NASB)
Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
James writes about the vital importance of believers restoring one another when someone wanders from the truth.
James 5:19-20 (NASB)
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Do you have people in your life who have permission to speak hard truths to you? Mike Sladen, our other teaching pastor, has been my best friend for thirty years. Everything in our lives is open for discussion. There have been times when he has pulled me aside and said, “Brad, the tone you used with your wife was not tender.” My pride wants to react, but I know God uses godly friends to sharpen me. Proverbs warns that whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire and quarrels against sound wisdom. We need the community of faith.
Proverbs 18:1 (NASB)
He who separates himself seeks [his own] desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
Running Together as the Body of Christ
In verses 12 through 14, the author shifts to practical exhortations. Notice that all the verbs in these verses are plural in the original language:
Hebrews 12:12-14 (NASB)
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that [the limb] which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
Your race is personal, but we do not run in isolation. Christianity is a team sport. We strengthen each other’s weak hands, help each other make straight paths, and pursue holiness together.
In verses 15 through 17, the author warns against falling into the pattern of Esau from Genesis 25. Esau was entirely driven by physical appetite, trading his spiritual birthright and God’s covenant promises for a single bowl of stew. We are warned not to let bitterness or godless fleshly appetites take root among us.
Hebrews 12:15-17 (NASB)
See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that [there be] no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a [single] meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
Finally, the author contrasts two mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Mount Sinai was characterized by terror, darkness, and divine distance—God told the people that if anyone touched the mountain, they would die. But we have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant whose sprinkled blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:18-24 (NASB)
For you have not come to [a mountain] that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which [sound was such that] those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, ‘IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.’ And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, ‘I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.’ But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of [the] righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than [the blood] of Abel.
Because we belong to this unshakable kingdom, the chapter concludes with a solemn charge to worship God with reverence and awe:
Hebrews 12:28-29 (NASB)
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
Embracing the Father’s Loving Training
As we close, I want to leave you with three reflective questions:
First, are you laying aside every encumbrance and the sin that entangles? Is there an attitude, habit, influence, or unconfessed sin hindering your spiritual vitality? What would it look like to bring it into the light today?
Second, are your eyes fixed on Jesus, or are you distracted by the whirlwind of life? The demands and busyness of daily life can easily pull our gaze away from Christ. Refocus your heart on the One who endured the cross for you.
Third, are you experiencing the loving discipline of the Father? When the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, or a brother or sister in Christ brings correction, do not hide or become defensive. Pray the prayer of David:
Psalms 139:23-24 (NASB)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
When God reveals sin in our hearts, we can freely confess it, knowing that He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NASB)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Bring those struggles to trusted believers around you as well, for Scripture promises healing when we walk in transparency together.
James 5:16 (NASB)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
What if you are sitting here thinking, “I never feel any discipline or conviction from God”? That should serve as a serious warning. The author writes that if you are without discipline, you are not a true child of God. If you can live in blatant sin without any conviction, it may be that your heart is calloused and you have never truly surrendered to Jesus Christ. If that is where you find yourself, turn to Christ today in genuine faith and repentance.
If you belong to Jesus, do not despise His training. Let us receive the discipline of the Lord with gratitude, knowing He loves us deeply and is training us to share in His holiness. Jesus has run the race before us, and He provides a better endurance.
Let us pray.
Father, thank You for Your Word and for the way it directs our thinking and living. Thank You for Your loving discipline. Thank You that You are patient with us, instructing and correcting us so that we might share in Your holiness. For anyone here who has not yet embraced the gospel, draw their heart to put their complete trust in Jesus today. For the rest of us, give us grace to lay aside every weight, strip off every entangling sin, and run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.