God
Disciplines His Sons
THEREFORE
SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED
BY
SUCH A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES,
LET
US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS
AND
THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES,
AND
LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE
MARKED
OUT FOR US.
2
LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS,
THE
AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH,
WHO
FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS,
SCORNING
ITS SHAME,
AND
SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD.
3
CONSIDER HIM WHO ENDURED SUCH OPPOSITION FROM SINFUL MEN,
SO
THAT YOU WILL NOT GROW WEARY AND LOSE HEART.
4
IN YOUR STRUGGLE AGAINST SIN, YOU HAVE NOT YET RESISTED
TO
THE POINT OF SHEDDING YOUR BLOOD.
5
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement
That
addresses you as sons:
'My
son, do not make light of the Lord's Discipline,
And
do not lose heart when He rebukes you,
6
Because the Lord Disciplines those He loves,
And
He Punishes everyone He accepts as a son.'
7
Endure Hardship as Discipline;
God
is Treating you as sons.
For
what son is not Disciplined by his father?
8
If you are not Disciplined
(And
everyone undergoes Discipline),
THEN
YOU ARE ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN
AND
NOT TRUE SONS.
9
Moreover, we have all had human fathers
Who
Disciplined us and we respected them for it.
HOW
MUCH MORE SHOULD WE SUBMIT
TO
THE FATHER OF OUR SPIRITS AND LIVE!
10
Our fathers Disciplined us for a little while as they thought best;
BUT
GOD DISCIPLINES US FOR OUR GOOD,
THAT
WE MAY SHARE IN HIS HOLINESS.
11
No Discipline seems pleasant at the time,
But
Painful.
Later
on, however, it produces a Harvest of Righteousness
And
Peace for those who have been trained by it.
12
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
13
'MAKE LEVEL PATHS FOR YOUR FEET.'
SO
THAT THE LAME MAY NOT BE DISABLED,
BUT
RATHER HEALED.
Warning
Against Refusing God
14
MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH ALL MEN
AND
TO BE HOLY;
WITHOUT
HOLINESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD.
15
See to it that no one misses the Grace of God
And
that no Bitter Root grows up
To
cause Trouble and Defile many.
16
See that no one is Sexually Immoral,
Or
is godless like Esau,
Who
for a single meal sold his Inheritance rights
As
the oldest son.
17
Afterward, as you know,
When
he wanted to Inherit this Blessing,
HE
WAS REJECTED.
He
could bring about no change of mind;
Though
he sought the Blessing with tears.
18
YOU HAVE NOT COME TO A MOUNTAIN
THAT
CAN BE TOUCHED
AND
IS BURNING WITH FIRE;
TO
DARKNESS, GLOOM AND STORM;
19 TO
A TRUMPET BLASE OR TO SUCH A VOICE SPEAKING WORDS,
SO
THAT THOSE WHO HEARD IT BEGGED
THAT
NO FUrTHER WORD BE SPOKEN TO THEM,
20
BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT BEAR WHAT WAS COMMANDED:
'IF
AN ANIMAL TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN,
IT
MUST BE STONED.'
21
THE SIGHT WAS SO TERRIBLE THAT MOSES SAID,
'I
AM TREMBLING WITH FEAR.'
22
BUT YOU HAVE COME TO MOUNT ZION,
TO
THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM,
THE
CITY OF THE LIVING GOD.
YOU
HAVE COME TO THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ANGELS
IN
JOYFUL ASSEMBLY
TO
THE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN,
WHOSE
NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.
YOU
HAVE COME TO GOD, THE JUDGE OF ALL MEN,
TO
THE SPIRITS OF RIGHTEOUS MEN MADE PERFECT,
24
TO JESUS THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT,
AND
TO THE SPRINKLED BLOOD
THAT
SPEAKS A BETTER WORD THAN THE BLOOD OF ABLE.
25
SEE TO IT THAT YOU DO NOT REFUSE HIM WHO SPEAKS.
IF
THEY DID NOT ESCAPE WHEN THEY REFUSED HIM
WHO
WARNED THEM ON EARTH,
HOW
MUCH LESS WILL WE,
IF
WE TURN AWAY FROM HIM WHO WARNS US FROM HEAVEN?
26
AT THAT TIME HIS VOICE SHOOK THE EARTH,
BUT
NOW HE HAS PROMISED,
'ONCE
MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH
BUT
ALSO THE HEAVENS.'
27
THE WORDS 'ONCE MORE' INDICATED THE REMOVING
OF
WHAT CAN BE SHAKEN--
THAT
IS, CREATED THINGS--
SO
THAT WHAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN MAY REMAIN.
28
THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE RECEIVING A KINGDOM
THAT
CANNOT BE SHAKEN,
LET
US BE THANKFUL,
AND
SO WORSHIP GOD ACCEPTABLY
WITH
REVERENCE AND AWE,
29
FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.
(Hebrews
12)
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