10 02 07 No One to Show the Way?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely,
and run with endurance the race set out for us….”
(Hebrews 12:1 NET)

Check out THE MESSAGE version: “Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.” This is pretty straight forward, isn’t it?

The word witness, or martus, (Greek) refers to those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death. We get the word martyr today. While many of us may say we have never really had someone around to set the proper Christian example for us, today we are really without excuse. Once saved, even before in many cases, we have seen and experienced a relative, a friend, a neighbor, or someone who lives out the Bible in its true sense, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The problem is we have labeled them weird or, crazy, or politically incorrect and decided we just can’t live that way! You know what; that example just may be our Mom or even our Dad, yet we just don’t want to follow their example. We say, “We had NO ONE TO SHOW THE WAY!”

Paul went through a list of previous saints who had gone as far as given their lives for the cause of Christ. They weren’t looking for friends or a promotion. They weren’t pressured by a new law set forth by local governments. They weren’t afraid to say “Yes” when God said “Go”! They weren’t waiting for someone else to start a small group or organize a mission trip. Read Hebrews 11: are there enough witnesses, examples there for us to follow? “That was then”, we might say. Well, what makes then different than today? Was there not more pressure on the saints of old? Did they not face more adversity than we do today? Are we not close to the Lord’s return in 2007 than they were in AD 60-70? Still NO ONE TO SHOW THE WAY?

I believe we need to stop searching for excuses as to why we aren’t doing what God requires of us and start doing it! It’s not Mom’s fault, Dad’s fault or even our job that is holding us back. It’s our selfishness and lack of faith. I only know of one thing that can quicken us to follow Christ more closely: we must repent and do just that, follow Him!

How?

“…keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:2 NET)

More than all the examples we have ignored along the way, He is THE ONE TO SHOW THE WAY!