What's Weighing You Down

What's Weighing You Down

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so EASILY entangles
us." (Hebrews 12:1)

"The call to 'lay aside every weight, and the sin which so EASILY
entangles us' is indeed a call to the present-day saint. It comes
immediately following Hebrews 11's long list of men and women in the
Hall of Faith.

We are told of the faith and the sufferings of the faithful, and then,
because we are surrounded as it were by these examples of faithful men
and women, we are exhorted to lay aside something.

First, let us lay aside every weight, not just some, every burden, every
impediment, every stumbling block. Whatever it may be, if it interferes
with our service to Christ, or cramps our prayer life, or is harmful to
our bodies, it is a weight. It should be dropped.

Second, let us lay aside the SIN that so EASILY ensnares us. Here the
writer to the Hebrews is primarily concerned with apostasy. He addresses
Jews who professed Christianity, but some of them gave up and returned
to their previous Jewish customs and manner of worship and beliefs.

The principle is applicable to this: We are to lay aside the sin the
CLINGS to us. It is as if each of us has a specific monkey on our backs
to shake loose. There is some particular sin that is bothering you with
the devil's help. Its weight slows us up in the spiritual race of life.

God is saying, 'Lay aside, put off,' using the same word used for taking
off clothing. Life is a footrace, and we must strip down for it if we
are to run successfully. Through faith in the shed blood of Christ, we
are on God's team. May it be that we will be able to say to our captain,
'I have finished the race!' (2 Timothy 4:7) from DAILY MANNA by Dr.
William Banks, published by CLC

Good words for today. Why not pass it on to a friend and encourage them
to sign up today for FREEDOM FIGHTERS!

Great quote: "The effort to repay God in the ordinary way we pay
creditors would nullify grace and turn it into a business transaction.
If we see acts of obedience as installment payments, we make grace into
a mortgage. Let us not say that grace creates debt; let us say that
grace pays debts. John Piper, Future Grace