Heb 12:1-4
1Therefore, 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. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Sin has the tendency to entangle us. The reason that sin so easily entangles is that we experience sin as pleasurable. If sin just felt bad we would not do it. However, the bad news is that sinning will always bring consequences along with bondage.
The Bible gives us a prescription on how to overcome the yoke of sin. This verse from Hebrews is a key on how to win victory over sin.
Jesus was never under the yoke of sin. He was tempted (Matt 4), but He never gave in. The reason He did not sin was that He saw the victory before Him, and He knew the goal ahead. He saw you and me, and his love towards us made him not sin.
Even though Jesus won over the yoke of sin we still have a battle against it, but because He won over it, we also have the power to overcome it, if we want to, because it is always our choice. The gift of grace is available, but you need to receive it and act on it.
We could not become free without Jesus. His victory enables us to win.
The fight we need to fight is to have our eyes focused on Jesus and see the reward that waits for us in heaven and here on earth.
In situations where we get tired of resisting, the enemy can easily make us faint-hearted, but let us keep the focus on Jesus and what He did for us. Let it be an encouragement for us so that we will resist evil.
Let our eyes be focused on the race marked out for us. Then we can win the battle of freedom for our lives and save many others, even from hell.
Fear, in many ways, is the consequence of sin. The enemy tells you that sinning is good for you, but along with sin comes fear. He tells us that God is far away or that God doesn’t love you any more and so on. Also, there is the fear of others finding out about your sins. If you try to keep a public sin such as adultery hidden, it will definitely bring fear into your life. (Not all sins we commit are public, some are just between you and God)
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
In the areas of your life that you allow the Holy Spirit to rule over, there is freedom. If you have areas in your life that are in darkness you are still in bondage. Be free by living in the light. Don’t let sin rule over you, but you can rule over it. Don’t misuse your freedom. Don’t think that if you sin today you will get forgiveness tomorrow. This will not bring you into freedom .
Gal 5:13
13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful natureA; rather, serve one another in love.
God is not a tolerant God that allows you to do what you want. If your heart attitude is not right, you misuse grace and risk ending up in the wrong place when you die.
