Hebrews 12:3-6 English Standard Version

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

We all struggle but realize we do not struggle alone. It is not that we should or could take any comfort in the struggles of our brothers and sisters in Christ but rather that Christ Himself has gone through worse than we have and knows how to help us win our struggles.

We use words like “die to self” and end up making a vow to do better like it is as simple as a New Year’s resolution. That is a recipe for failure.

At the core of all change for what is good and right is the love of God for His children. This discipline spoken of here is the correction of failed behavior. His love needs to be returned with gratitude, submission and faithfulness. We will not come to the point of avoiding sin behaviors without loving God for all that He has done for us and in us.

We worry more about what we see as our problems rather than listening to what the Lord has to say to us in the moment. He leads us in paths of righteousness but if we do not listen, believe and obey, we will find ourselves off the path.

One of the reasons we covered judgment first is to come to that point where we are listening to the Lord rather than looking around to see what everyone else is doing. Those will become distractions from listening to God who abides in our hearts.

When we gave our hearts to Christ that became the center of right choices.

Psalm 37:6 English Standard Version (ESV) He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

John 1:5 English Standard Version (ESV) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Genesis 1:4 English Standard Version (SEV) And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

Light good, darkness separated from good. God did not declare darkness bad but rather separate from good. In the psalm light is connected to justice, the ability to see things for what they truly are because no one can hide from the light. Darkness cannot prevail.

Black has come to represent negative judgment, a convicting judgment simply because nothing can be found in darkness.

When we see everything in black and white, it means we are judgmental. There are no gray areas. Things are either right or wrong. Sin is not a matter of judgment, it is an act. Actions have consequences no matter if they are just or sinful. Good acts render good results, sin has the opposite effect. 

Here is the problem with seeing everything in black and white, it has nothing to do with how we act.

Romans 7:15 English Standard Version (ESV) For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Judgment is a function of the mind but does not rule the heart. Judgment does not always choose to do what is right. There is more at stake here than right and wrong. It is the struggle between flesh and spirit for the control of acts. Living a life of faith begins with hearing what we are asked to do without judging what is asked of us. Judgment can only interfere with faith.

Romans 7:24-25 English Standard Version

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

If that is confusing, know that you are not alone.