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.

I have to wonder just what a divine audience has to do with our battle with sin and the outcome of our race. How will I become any more or less motivated playing to that crowd? Just who are these people anyway? Hebrews 11 has answered my question. Because of their faith they were above the crowd before they became the crowd above.

The act of faith is what distinguished them, set them above the crowd……an act of faith is what God noticed and approved as righteous…… They believed both that he existed and that he cared enough to respond to those who seek him…… Each one of them died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believed. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. 

What is it we see on the horizons of our imaginations? Is there something out there that we are intentionally pursuing? Hopefully it is Jesus and the expanding reign of His kingdom. We have in hand (that is in Christ who is our Life), what they were running toward in faith. Our audience is applauding our faith; that thing which pleases God which makes us sojourners instead of squatters. We are just passing through this land and our audience reminds us that the race, though grueling at times, is really much shorter than it seems and, regardless the cost, will be so very much worth it.

Jesus is our Master Coach. By His example He persevered in sufferings more sever than most of us will ever know. Jesus, as much as anyone, knew the joy set before Him and continually calculated that whatever He would endure as the Son of Man was necessary to be the Savior of the World which He so loved. But here again, a tough question; “What bearing on my race does the exceptional life of Jesus Christ have? Can I just ratchet-up my thinking, giving an intellectual nod of congratulations to all those who have finished their race? Can I just mentally inventory Christ’s sufferings such that it will somehow fortify my will to keep stride? I have tried this. I won’t say it is useless. I will only say that I think there is more to it than mere reflection and volition. I believe the Holy Spirit is integral to our race in ways that the author of Hebrews just assumes we understand.

The presence of God’s Spirit has breathed Life back into our mortal bodies raising us from the dead.  His presence does not just come upon us as it it did in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit has now come to dwell in us. So that same Spirit, which is God’s Life, is what equipped Jesus and will equip us for the long haul (which is not really so long) of our journey. The Spirit’s presence has altered our nature. It is our nature which animates the thinking and the choosing of our running. It is really no longer about God’s part and our part as if they were separate programs.  In Christ, God and man have become one and the exertion of running is now a commingled effort. It is a partnership where God is the controlling partner.

It is so important to know that Jesus will complete what he has begun. He, as the controlling partner, is the originator and completer of our faith. We will each be tempted to grow weary and loose heart but in the presence of our malaise we must find and lean into the presence of God’s Spirit within. It is in these moments when the winds of inspiration are absent, where sin seems to entangle us a bit more easily, that Hebrews 12:1-3 is most helpful because it is here in the midst of our doldrums that His best faith-perfecting work is underway. Isn’t it just like God, that His ways in these matters and His thoughts are so unlike our own? While we think we may be perishing, He is perfecting us!

 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.

Father, may you teach us to indeed run our race well, persevering by faith; putting one foot in front of the next; trusting that You are the ground beneath our feet and that our path, however fraught with discouraging circumstances and moods, will lead us again to the realization that we too are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Yes Lord, right now in the midst of our inspirational vacuums, breath endurance and vision into our consciousness. Succeed wildly in your mission to perfect our faith. Having had our eyes fixed obediently upon You, may we each cross our finish lines in full-stride. All to your glory. Amen.