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“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.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Who is your guy or gal? Everyone has a guy or a gal…or guys or gals. These are your go-to people that give you wisdom and inspiration in all, or some, areas of your life. You have a finance person you follow. You have a career gal that you want to emulate. You have a fitness guy you listen to. You have someone who motivates and inspires you.
Who is your guy or gal?
Whoever your guy or gal is determines whose race you are running!
The author of Hebrews knows the power and necessity of having a guy. So, before he challenges his audience, and us, to run God’s race in chapter twelve, he spends ten chapters establishing his guy. He lays out a beautiful, thorough case for why his guy is THE guy! Look at the structure of Hebrews. The author spends TEN chapters establishing his guy’s credibility, one chapter telling testimonies of others who have followed him, and then chapter twelve challenging the next generation.
Establishing your guy is THAT important to running God’s race. So, for TEN chapters the author of Hebrews labors to prove that THE guy of all guys, THE only One to whom all of humanity should look, is…
Jesus.
Surprised? The author of Hebrews does not present Jesus as just One guy for one area of your life, as one arrow in a quiver of other arrows. Jesus is THE One and only guy for all of life FOR ALL PEOPLE.
Consider these arguments establishing Jesus’s validity:
- 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son
- 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession
- 7:22 …Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant
- 9:12-14 But He (Jesus) having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified
Ten chapters to prove, prove, and prove again that Jesus is THE guy. Chapter 11 – testimonies of lives who have run the Jesus race. Chapter 12 – you, I, and others challenged to run the Jesus race.
Two brief observations from Hebrews 1-10. The book is written to a Jewish audience. Therefore, the author labors to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus over all things in Judaism. He is better than Moses, the Law, the Sabbath, a funny sounding guy named Melchizedek, and angles. The author confronts religious and cultural icons and proves why Jesus is greater.
For you to establish Jesus’s greatness in your life you will need to challenge all your cultural icons that cause you to doubt His worthiness. Is He MORE than pursuing money, title, reputation, land, businesses, sex, pleasure, and whatever other cultural icons to which you are vulnerable?
If He is not MORE, if He is not the MOST, then you will never be freed to run His race.
Second observation, the MORE of Jesus is not limited to eternal life. Many of us will look to Jesus as the source and security of our eternal life but not for our ABUNDANT LIFE. Sure, Jesus is the master of forgiveness and the holder of the key of the afterlife but I have other guys or gals who know more about experiencing FULLNESS today!
Anathema.
Jesus lived the FULLEST, GREATEST, and RICHEST LIFE of anyone…ever. And He came to offer that ABUNDANCE to those who believe. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38).
Of what do you have to be convinced so that you will enthrone Jesus in your life? Until He is your guy, He is not your guy. And if He is not your guy then you cannot run His race. And if you are not running His race then you are missing out on your potential, acceptance, anointing, and significance.
When He is your guy you can regularly relax back into Him knowing that your race will never be upgraded or outdated, you and run full out with Holy Spirit confidence, BECAUSE He will never be upgraded or outdated.
Make Him your guy.
And run.
