Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The writer of Hebrews has just listed out some Heroes
of Faith who served as a great cloud of witnesses. We are to shed ourselves of our sins, remove all the weight from their burden. The shedding doesn't come from within ourselves, but outside of ourselves. I have always loved races.
In NASCAR, the engines are highly regulated and inspected to make certain they don’t have an unfair advantage. The other way to increase speed is to shed weight and adjust the aerodynamics of the car. They are always looking for ways to remove
weight so they can go faster. We too are to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” If you don’t run with endurance, you will never finish the race.
We are to run with endurance, that is to set a pace that we can sustain until the end of the race and still win. Some will run faster, but will not endure and they will drop off. We are to run the race of faith to endure, not to quit. Jesus
said in Matthew 10:22 “ and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” After all, it is Jesus who is the founder and perfecter of our faith. Too often, we try to take credit,
but it belongs to Jesus.
I pray: O Lord, you are the founder and perfecter of our faith. We try to take credit for our own faith, but you knew us before the creation of the world... before we even
existed. Teach us to let you continue to work in our lives and for us to try not to get in your way. You are the potter, we are the clay. Amen.