The Bible says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 nlt)
I love this Book and Hebrews chapter (Read it again).
What are some key words in this chapter? "Weight" and “endure” (translated “patience”). See 2–3, 7, and 20. That word actually means “to bear up under trial, to continue when the going is tough.”
Q: Who were addressed here? Real Christians who were going through tough times of testing (Heb. 10:32–39). It happens, and trials are indeed part of our walk of faith. They were tempted to just give up and quit running (see 12:3).
Q: Who among them were called to die for Christ (12:4)? I don't really see any here, but their situation was not a cake-walk. It wasn't getting any easier for them.
Q: To encourage them with their trust in Christ, the writer reminded them of what? (See v. 5). Ditch the uneeded extra weight and go forward spiritually. Here are three basic encouragements that could aid them in progressing forward and growing in the Word spiritually.
* Follow The Son of God And His Good Example (Heb. 12:1–4)
In chapter 11, his readers looked back and saw how the great OT saints ran to win in the race of life through faith. Not faith in faith, but in a Person. Now the writer here urges believers to “look away to Jesus.”
Q: Have you been all hyper-focused on your surrounding circumstances and not on Jesus?
Be practical, but look away to Him. Have your personal faith and hope strengthened by the Word today!
Picture a sports arena. Who are the spectators? They are the heroes of faith listed in the previous chapter; the runners are the believers pressing on, yet going through trials. (Tip: The image painted doesn't necessarily imply that people up there in heaven are watching us or even know what is going on here on earth. Why should they be saddened by all the bad news and sin here? It's basically an illustration here, not some new revelation.)
Listen, if real Christians are to win the race of life, they must ditch the unnecessary bloat -- the weights and sins that make it overly challenging for each of them to run. They.. us.. we all must keep our eyes on Jesus as our ultimate goal, remembering that no matter the earthly problem.. He is the ultimate Solution.
You've often seen the impulse section at your grocery store, right? Many people want to lose unnecessary weight today. On the physical side of things, there are so many money-making scams and gimmicks regarding this area, but I say keep it simple: Get up and get moving. At the heart of the issue, it's spiritual. Got an idol you bow to? I say daily reduce your caloric intake (yep, watch your portion size.. easy to say, not easy to do. Deny yourself, ditch the sugar, the grease, chips, sodas, fun foods adding nothing good, endless snacking) and pull out those weights daily. Are there small ways to reward? Sure.
But what about losing unnecessary weight in other ways that are really important?
Do you feel kinda distant from God? That's not at all unique? Do you seek Him and experience Jesus firsthand.. or second hand? God has no grandkids.
All believers have been there before, but we are not to walk by sight or feelings. Even the heroes of the faith in the NT have experience this.
Think about sinless Jesus. He Himself cried, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 nlt).
Believer, if you are far from God, guess who moved? It wasn't Him.
Check out the ways that people of our day get distracted away -- close that distance between you and your first-love relationship with God! Ditch all that hinders.
Don't be "a heavy" -- don't get all heavy with others. They'll stop wanting to hang out with you. Why get hung up on their speck, and miss the log in your own eye? Check out all your personal baggage that keeps you from reaching your God-given potential (on every level), or really experiencing the kind of intimate, meaningful relationship with God that He desires for you to enjoy.
My wife, Liney, says I tend to overpack when I travel. I get all excited and start packing early, not wanting to forget something we might need.
Not like some, but we've both traveled a lot.. to some 29 nations or so.
If I am not careful, I'll still overpack. It shouldn't become so costly. It's too much weight to drag with all that excess baggage. She and I hate going downstairs to subways in Europe with fat bags! It makes traveling such a pain, a hassle, a complicated mess, and too expensive!
When we're running in the race of life, we want to win. We all need to travel light following Jesus. Ditch the excess weight early.
In the nlt version, the author of Hebrews said, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Heb 12:1).
Travel Well, No Weird Bulk: Running the Race God Set Before You
Sure, saved sinners (saints) and lost sinners today want to lose weight quickly. They count calories on apps, they join gyms and visit a few times, and they lace up the latest of running shoes (with tech built in).
Simplify! The formula is simple: move more and carry less. Submit to God's Word and resist the devil and your own flesh. What!?
Don't watch all those food commercials.. even while scrolling on your phone! Choose to deny your fleshly nature that demands what it demands when it demands it.
Do you really want to feel miserable and run your race to lose? Do you want it to become difficult to simply walk right? No! The Scripture quietly asks: What about the unnecessary weights of the soul?
Some things in life are wings that help us soar upwards (so to speak) towards God. Other things are weights that drag behind us like an ugly ball with chains. Godly Wisdom asks: Is this helping me run toward Christ in His will for me, or is it slowing me down?
Let's be patient and pre-think. Needed PHD! I need to pray hard daily and ask myself that sometimes, as I prioritize. I need to work hard (vigorously) daily too!
The writer of Hebrews captures this picture with unforgettable clarity:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1 amp)
The Christian life is not always a stroll through a lovely rose garden. It is a race—long, demanding, and glorious. Not really a sprint (so much), but a distance run, a marathon. And marathon runners know this: any excess fluff and fu-fu-baggage will cost you the race.
The Weight We Carry
Anyone who travels far and wide frequently knows they need not stay wide. I see wider and wider chairs everywhere now, like on planes and in hospitals etc.
The temptation to overpack it on.. or overpack for a trip is there. Even seasoned travelers can fall into this trap. Don't make food of any kind your killer enemy.
Suitcases bulge with items “just in case,” only for me to discover that the extra baggage will make my journey slower, heavier, lame, and more expensive. Undo all that bonus-packing before you exit for where you need to go.
Spiritually, we could do the same thing if we choose to.
We carry offenses and grudges.
We carry pride wanting to contol more than we should.
We carry secret beseting sins, iniquities, and silent distractions.
All of it just weighs down the soul that should fly free.
Hebrews calls these “the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1, kjv). That phrase describes wrongdoings, yes, personal pet sins, that cling on like burrs to clothing or belly fat, or traps that easily capture their prey. Other translations call them “sin that so easily entangles” (niv) or “sin that just won’t let go” (cev).
Let's learn to hate besetting sin as much as God hates sin. If we don't hate sins to the same degree that God hates sin then guess what.. there's room for growth, believer. I'm not merely talkin' about an occasional mistake—it is a recurring weakness, a fault that returns again and again to weigh on you.
Scripture illuminated by the Spirit is so refreshingly. God is honest about this struggle we face. Jesus is an overcomer and He can help us to overcome. Even giants of faith had weaknesses and sin to properly address with truth. Repent. Admit is and quit it.
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Abraham and Isaac repeatedly lied about their wives out of fear (Genesis 12:10–13; 20:1–2; 26:7–9).
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Samson was a he-man with a she-weakness. He was (via choices) repeatedly ensnared by lust (Judges 14–16).
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David and Solomon were deeply troubled by sexual temptations too (2 Samuel 11:2–27; 1 Kings 11:1–4). Dave was home from the battle, saw Bathsheba, was warm to her form, and it cost him a whole lot.
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Peter, bold yet fearful, denied Jesus three times and later struggled with the fear of man (Matthew 26:69–75; Galatians 2:11–14).
The Bible does not hide the flaws of its heroes--love that. Let's not like Adam and Even in the garden learn to hide. Be quick to come clean before the One who can make you really clean. Tell on yourself to God. The Bible reminds us that sanctification is a lifelong process of honesty and a battle related to denying self.
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” (1 John 1:8)
The bad news: We've all sinned and there are consequences. But the good news is this: besetting sins may try to haunt us, but they do not have to rule us.
Jesus declared,
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
And Paul testified,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Sin may stalk after the believer, but Christ has already broken its chains.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Ps. 23:5, 6
Running the Race That God Designed Especially For Me
Hebrews paints the Christian life like an Olympic stadium. The stands are filled with witnesses—not mere spectators watching us, but saints whose lives testify that faith works.
Hebrews 11 lists them: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, and countless others who endured hardship yet trusted God. Their lives cry out across the centuries: “God is faithful. Keep running.”
The race itself is not self-designed, self-determined. Scripture says it is “the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). God determines the course for each one of us, but doesn't call for bonus weight on that track.
He expects fruitfulness and faithfulness of us. Each believer receives a uniquely designed track—we have different trials, different responsibilities, different prep and dif callings in Jesus. But the finish line is the same: faithfulness to Christ.
Near the end of his life, the apostle Paul looked back and said:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
That is the goal—not man's applause (live for the applause of One), not mere comfort, but finishing faithfully.
The secret of endurance is simple:
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)
When runners look backward, they stumble. When they look sideways, they lose speed. But when their eyes stay fixed on the finish line, they run with clarity and purpose.
Jesus stands there—both the starter and the finisher of our faith.
As the old gospel lyric says:
“Runner, when the race is won,
You will run into His arms.”
The Discipline of Self-Denial is a Good Thang If Ya Will
Jesus made a statement that still cuts across modern culture:
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
Self-denial does not mean self-hatred. It means removing self from the throne of life.
Paul described it this way:
“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:7–8)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer summarized the call of Christ with sobering clarity:
“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”
The old self—the ego, the pride, the sinful cravings—must be nailed to the cross.
Yet this death leads to life.
Jesus promised,
“Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
Self-denial expresses itself in simple, practical ways:
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Serving others before ourselves (Philippians 2:4–8)
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Giving generously when it's right to those in need (Luke 11:41)
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Praying and fasting as the Spirit leads (Matthew 6; 26:41)
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Choosing humility over ego, titles, possions or status (Mark 10:42–45). Need some examples...
Ruth wisely leaving her homeland for Naomi.
Esther wisely risking her life for her rescuing people.
Paul wisely sacrificing comfort for the sake of the gospel.
These are pictures of lives no longer centered on fleshly nature or self.
Living Sacrifices in a Modern World
In Romans 12:1, Paul makes a startling appeal:
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Under the Old Covenant, sacrifices were offered and then died on the altar. Under the New Covenant, believers climb onto the altar alive. They trust the Lord.
Every day becomes an offering.
But what does that look like practically?
The next verse explains:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
Transformation begins in the mind. And the primary tool God uses is His Word.
We grow as we:
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Hear it (the truth. Romans 10:17)
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Read it (Revelation 1:3)
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Study it (Acts 17:11)
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Memorize it (Psalm 119:9–11)
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Meditate on it (for wise application's sake. Psalm 1:2–3)
Scripture renews the mind the way sunlight renews a garden.
As the great evangelist Billy Graham often said:
“The Bible is not an option—it is a necessity for the Christian.”
Caring for the Body God Created
God cares about the body as well as the soul.
Psalm 139 reminds us:
“You knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13–14)
Our bodies matter because they belong to God.
Paul wrote,
“Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)
That truth brings balance.
The Bible does not worship physical appearance. In fact, it warns against vanity:
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)
Yet Scripture also encourages stewardship of the body. Paul wrote:
“Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.” (1 Timothy 4:8)
God likes balance rather than haste. Notice the balance. Exercise has value, but spiritual growth has eternal value.
Jesus Himself showed compassion for physical needs—healing the sick (Matthew 4:23), feeding the hungry (Mark 8:1–8), and caring for the weary crowds.
Healthy bodies can serve God with greater energy and endurance.
Walking, lifting, swimming, or working outdoors can become quiet acts of gratitude toward the Creator.
The Modern Struggle
Modern life surrounds us with distractions.
Barna research repeatedly shows a sobering trend: less than one-third of practicing Christians read Scripture daily, even though most say the Bible is important to their faith.
The result is predictable—crowded lives but shallow souls.
We scroll endlessly but pray rarely.
We fill our schedules but starve our spirits.
And slowly, unnoticed weights accumulate.
But the gospel invites us to travel light.
Charles Spurgeon once said,
“The nearer a man lives to God, the smaller everything else becomes.”
He Is Thee Way. He Has A Specific Will For You -- Simple Path Forward
How do we run well?
The Bible gives a remarkably clear path:
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Lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1).
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Confess sin quickly (1 John 1:9).
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Renew your mind through Scripture (Romans 12:2).
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Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
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Run faithfully until the finish line (2 Timothy 4:7).
Step by step, day by day.. one foot in front of the other.. following Jesus by faith.
No shortcuts. No gimmicks.
Just faithful endurance, and victory.
The Finish Line Ahead -- Press On In Fellowship With Him
The Christian life may feel long, and sometimes exhausting. But Scripture promises a reward that cannot fade.
Paul described it as:
“An incorruptible crown.” (1 Corinthians 9:25)
One day the race will end.
The burdens will fall away.
The struggle with sin will cease.
Faith will give way to sight.
And the believer will hear the words every runner longs to hear:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
Until then, the call remains simple:
Travel light always. As light as He wants for you. Get moving in the Spirit in the right direction. Pause to pray earnestly, don't become a workaholic too busy for God. Solitude with the Savior comes before service for the Savior.
And keep running your race to win. Doin' my best, I commit the rest. To Him. He doesn't expect you to be flawless. Be yourself in Him.
Sin is sin, and it is all destructive. Yep, it's to be hated, it's so destructive and wrong.. Duh!
Giving in to temptations and sinning will always trip us up if we let it, causing us to fall.
Ditch the fat. Are there other weights in our lives—weights that aren’t necessarily sins, but nevertheless, they trouble us, they slow us down, and they impede our spiritual progress? These weights might include such things as certain habits, misplaced priorities, or seemingly harmless entertainment or distractions. The good can become the enemy of the very best for you. Often, they weigh us down without our realizing it. Ask God what needs to go?
Let's periodically take stock of our lives as Christians and look at the things we're repeatedly doing with free time, or at school or work.
I want to hunger for God and His truth more, not less. Ask the question: “Is it a wing or a weight? Is it speeding me on my way spiritually, or is it really slowing me down some? Is it increasing my spiritual appetite for the things of God, or is it dulling it?”
Often, we allow ourselves to become too busy doing a lot of things that aren’t really all that important or beneficial. They might seem important at the time. We must ask ourselves if we really need to do those things when God might have something else planned for us. Let Jesus be Lord every day.
Are they slowing us down? Are they keeping us from running the race well that God has given us?
Are you saved (like the Bible uses that term). You can be forgiven right here and now. Ask of Him.
man, what a relief to be freed from that burden! What are some things or habits that might slow you down, spiritually speaking?
Lay aside the extra weight and all the sins that hinder your progress of faith, and see how the Holy Spirit works. Watch how the Christian life changes for you--without overpacking in on board, it's an exciting adventure!
