PM Bible Study Group; March 8, 2017 from Hebrews 12:12-17
Theme: The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to aid one another in living faithfully for Christ.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
The phrase esprit de corps is a wonderful one. It refers to the ‘spirit’ of enthusiasm and mutual devotion that the members of a group have for one another; expressing itself in an earnest desire to bring about the success of the cause, and the honor of each individual member. In a day such as ours—one that is overly concerned with individualism and personal gratification—it’s a rarity.
Depending upon the cause or the group, esprit de corps may be a very good thing to have. But wherever else it may be found, it is most appropriate—and most needed—in the body of Christ. And in the passage before us, the writer of Hebrews seeks to encourage that esprit de corps within the hearts of his readers.
He had just spent some time encouraging his readers to carefully consider the value of the gracious discipline that they receive from the heavenly Father (see Hebrews 12:3-11)—which, as we affirmed, is never a matter of judgment for the believer, but always a matter of much needed training and instruction and refinement. The believers to whom he wrote where undergoing a time of difficult persecution; and it may be that many of them were becoming weary because of the difficult ‘discipline’ they were undergoing. But before that, he reminded them that they were also in a great ‘race’ (vv. 1-2)—previously ran by the saints who came before them, and that was most recently run by the Lord Jesus Himself.
This is a remarkable race that they were in; and we are in it too. It’s not one in which each of us is trying to outrun the other; but one in which we are working to all win together. This passage is filled with instructions given in the second person plural—that is, ”you all” statements. And so, in this context, the writer wishes to encourage his readers to view themselves as in the midst of this great athletic run together; and—in spite of the difficulties they may feel—to support and aid one another in it as members together in a great cause with a strong, sanctified, Holy Spirit-empowered esprit de corps.
Notice then that he encourages them to …
I. STRENGTHEN WHAT IS FEEBLE (v. 12).
A. He tells them, “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees …” Hands are the instruments in our body by which work is done; and knees are the instruments by which standing and lifting is accomplished. And in a spiritual sense, when these instruments grow weak or feeble—through such things as immaturity or inexperience, or through overwork, or through misuse, or even through injury from trial or failure in some way—then it’s important for strong hands and strong knees to come to the aid of those which are weak and feeble—and to help make up the slack. And more than that; strong hands and strong knees need to work to actually help, and bring healing, and make those limp hands stronger and those feeble knees more sturdy.
B. The apostle Paul wrote much of this mutual care for the parts of the body in 1 Corinthians 12. He taught that we are diverse members of one body in Christ …
But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12:24-26).
Similarly, he wrote in Ephesians 4:14-16
… that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:14-16).
May God give us an attentive eye to those parts of our united body in Christ that need special encouragement and help; so that, together, every part becomes strong.
Next, note that he encourages his readers to …
II. MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS (v. 13).
A. He goes on to write, “and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” In any athletic race, the track must be made fit for good running. If there are any imperfections on the path, it will immediately reveal the imperfections in the feet of the runners. Potholes must be filled. Rocks must be removed. Slippery places must be cleared away. And in a spiritual sense, this is essential to our running the race for Christ. Those places in our mutual life together where we might cause one another to stumble must be taken care of—”straightened”, as the writer puts it; using the Greek word from which we get “orthopedic”—so that not only will there be no slipping or injury, but so that whatever is weak or damaged may have a chance to heal.
B. In our mutual care for each other, we need to be so concerned for one another’s welfare in the body of Christ that we are willing to give up our own rights and privileges in order to protect one another. Paul wrote about this as well. He encouraged his brothers and sisters in Christ to be willing to set aside the practices that they may feel at liberty to enjoy in order not to cause a brother or sister to stumble. He exhorted his readers to
… resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men (Romans 14:13-18).
Third, he encouraged his readers to …
III. PURSUE PEACE WITH HOLINESS (v. 14).
A. He wrote, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord …” These two things must go together. We must—to the best of our ability—be at peace with all people. Note that he doesn’t say “all believers”; but rather, in the midst of this world and surrounded by unbelievers, we must pursue a peaceful relationship with even the unbelieving people around us. But at the same time, in pursuing this peace, we must be careful not to compromise with the standards of holiness.
B. Similarly, Paul wrote, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Sadly, it isn’t always possible. But as much as it depends on us to do so, we must seek to live peaceably with all. But when there comes a time when such “peace” requires that we embrace sin, or live in concert with that which God says not to do, or somehow compromise God’s clear commandments, then we must also pursue holiness; because, as the Bible warns, an unrepentant embracing of certain sins will prevent someone from entering into the kingdom of heaven. In
1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul wrote;
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
We must look out for one another in this. We need to work together to encourage one another, and help one another explore how we are to pursue peace with all people in this fallen world; but at the same time draw the lines where the pursuit of peace may not cross the boundaries of holiness. In running the race of faith together, we must be careful that we not cross the lines and run off the track—and thus ensure that we are not disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27)!
Finally, the writer warns his readers to …
IV. LOOK OUT FOR PITFALLS (vv. 15-17).
A. He tells his readers to run this race, “looking carefully …” There are dangers along the way; and falling into these dangers may cause someone to fail in the race.
B. We must keep a careful eye out for one another in three specific ways:
1. First, we must look out “lest anyone fall short of the grace of God …” (v. 15a). It is by the grace of God that we are made able to stand in our relationship with Him (Romans 5:2). But someone can fall from that grace. It can happen when someone falls into sin and, in despair, and who then does not come—in the grace of God—to receive His full forgiveness through Christ; or it can happen someone looses a sense of God’s grace and seeks to make themselves righteous before God on the basis of their own religious works; or it can even happen when someone sets themselves up in self-righteousness to be the judge of others. Paul warned, in Galatians 5;
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace … You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:4, 7-9).
In our spirit of mutual care, we must watch out for such tendencies in one another. We must look out lest any of us fall from grace.
2. Then, we must look out, “lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (v. 15b). This may speak of a need to be on guard lest any of us fall into despair through bitterness and complaining and resentment, and thus hurt the spiritual well-being of others. But more likely, the writer is drawing his words from Deuteronomy 29; where Moses encouraged the people of Israel to remember the way God had delivered them from the Egyptians—having seen the destruction of the false gods the Egyptians worshiped:
… so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober” (Deuteronomy 29:18-19).
This, then, would be a “root” of idolatry that springs up and causes “bitterness” and trouble. We must constantly be on guard for one another to help each other in this race; truly encouraging one another to keep our eyes on the Author and Perfecter of our faith—and not turning aside to another!
3. And finally, he writes that we should look out, “lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright” (v. 16). Esau—the brother of Jacob—was a tragic man who, as Genesis 25:29-34 tells us, despised his right as the first born and sold his birthright (which entitled him to the privilege of the promise of God given through Abraham) for a mere pot of beans. He ‘sacrificed’ the future honor from God upon the ‘altar’ of present fleshly passions. He only cared about what he wanted then and there. And the writer warns; “For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” His was a truly pathetic story that was told to us in Genesis 27:30-40. After he saw that Jacob had taken the birthright from him, he regretted his loss and cried out for a blessing. But it was too late. No real, genuine repentance was found in his heart—and Jacob simply took from him what he was so easily willing to despise. We must be on guard for one another lest a lust for sexual gratification, or an emotional outburst, or the craving for material or fleshly pleasures cause one of us in the race to despise our privileged part in the race, and fall completely off the track unto eternal regret. As the writer of Hebrews puts it elsewhere:
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13).
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If God had wished to, He could have saved us as ‘free-agents’. But instead, He saved us and placed us together in a team. We need each other in this great race of faith. May God help us, then, to develop—in these ways—a good, sanctified esprit de corps to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.