Jump Start # 3666

Hebrews 12:4 “You have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.”

Our passage today is a great reminder of the effort, dedication and commitment we must make to the Lord. Simply put, the writer is saying, “You haven’t tried hard enough.” How easily we give up. Any inconvenience, the least hardship, and many complain and quit.

I was reading about the Arkansas preacher, Joe Blue. He loved the Lord. He loved preaching. He often went without food because he had no money. And, the troubles he endured was amazing. One summer evening as he was preaching, there were those standing outside the meeting house throwing walnut shells at him through the open windows. In another place, still visible to this day, are the burn marks on the wood floor of an old church building, where a fuse was lit and dynamite was in the pulpit, with the attempts of killing Joe Blue. The blasting caps didn’t work and Blue went on preaching.

But our verse isn’t about persecution. It’s not about the Shadrach moments in our lives when we must stand while others are bowing. There are times like that. The whispers, the stares, the ignoring, those things hurt, but onward we march with the Lord.

The direction of our verse is about sin. Resisting sin. Yield not to temptation, as the hymn reminds us. Resisting blood, not in standing for the truth, but in fighting sin. Sometimes we might do a better job of handling hardships and opposition than we do in fighting sin.

Resisting to the shedding of blood in striving against sin. Here’s why:

First, sin will change our character. It’s hard to be strong in the Lord when we carry sin in our hearts. Either the word of God will drive the sin out of your life or the sin will drive the word of God out of your life. The two do not like each other and will not co-exist in the same heart. And, when we allow sin to dwell in us, our character changes. We become weaker in faith. Our walk is inconsistent. Compromises have been made. It will hurt us.

Second, multiple places in our New Testament reminds us that with the Lord, the fight against sin can be won. Be holy, as He is holy, Peter tells us. James says, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Also, draw near to God and He will draw near to you. With every temptation, the Corinthians were told, God provides a way of escape. So, the excuse, “I couldn’t help it,” really isn’t true. You can help it. You can resist. You can flee.

Third, your mind and the environment you surround yourself with makes this harder or easier. Have you noticed that it is harder to think bad thoughts when singing praises to God with others in worship? Have you noticed that when you are really focused in a sermon, looking up passages, and thinking deep, it’s hard to sin? But alone at night, watching some worthless movie, the thoughts of wrong come easily. So, you want to resist sin, change your setting.

To the Hebrews that originally got our verse today, the shedding of blood and the resisting sin likely were tied in to the troubles they faced being a Christian. Jesus shed His blood for us. Will we shed our blood for Him? I hiked several miles the other day. Half of it was uphill. And, most of it was walking on tree roots that were sticking out of the ground. The pace was slow. My ole’ feet were tired that night. Two things helped. First, I wasn’t walking alone. My sweet wife was with me. She was always a few paces ahead of me and she’d stop and ask me if I needed a rest or a drink. I’d tell her, “no,” and we’d keep going. The other thing that helped was seeing others coming down the path. Little kids. People older than I was. They’d made it to the top. Several would tell us, “it’s not far,” or, “it’s worth it.” So, we’d keep going. Sometimes we saw some, turn around and go back. That’s what the Hebrews were thinking about doing. That’s what the devil wants you to focus on. But we keep going. And, when we stay with it, we reach our goal.

How hard are you trying? Do you allow the words of someone who is inconsiderate stop you? Do you allow a little gossip to stop you? Do you allow a little trouble to stop you? It’s easy to turn around. But you never see the view and the beauty at the top if you do. And, if you do, all that you have done so far, will be wasted.

How hard are you trying?

Roger

Jump Start # 1021

Hebrews 12:4 “You have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.”

  This passage speaks of a dedicated effort. The athlete will push and push himself, even when he is tired, hurting and doesn’t feel like doing any more, because he wants to win. His drive is strong. The goal is clear in his mind. Those who start their own business will pour hours and hours into the new endeavor. They will sacrifice a paycheck to keep the thing going. They will spend more hours at the business than they do at home. They want the business to take off and succeed. They are dedicated to seeing that done. A college student will do the same. They are driven to graduate on time. They will stay up all hours studying. They will write papers on a Saturday morning. They will work and work at learning because they want that diploma. They are driven.

The drive that our verse is talking about is resisting sin. Earlier in the chapter, the readers were told to lay aside the sin which so easily entangles them. Now this verse. This verse seems to be a reply to those who might want to throw in the towel. This verse may be a response to complaints that it is so hard and that they can’t do it. You have not resisted to the point of shedding blood…

Jesus shed His blood to forgive us of our sins. We can’t get far away from that thought. He shed. Have we? Have we resisted so much that we have shed blood?

It’s hard to know exactly what the writer had in mind. Some of the Hebrew Christians had been persecuted. They had their property seized. They were made public spectacles. Some were imprisoned. They remained confident and joyful. It seems that some were growing weary of all this. Some were quitting. Some were thinking about quitting. This may be the point. You have resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

There may be a bigger picture here. It may touch all of us and our fight against sin. Resist. Resist the devil, James said, and he will flee from you. Resist hard. Resist to the point of shedding blood. There was a desire and drive to strive against sin. Hold on. Hold out. Fight sin.

Sin is a choice that begins in the mind. It is a battle for the mind. Our hearts tell us yes. Our hearts find reasons, excuses and ways to engage in sin. Our hearts only see the moment. Our hearts are blind to consequences. Our hearts are interested in fun and being happy. Our hearts forget to run these things by God. Our minds know what God says. Our minds have studied the Bible. So, it’s a struggle between the heart and the mind, or simply, the head and the heart. The heart says, “yes.” The mind says, “No.” The heart tries to convince the mind. The heart says “one time. Just one time.” The heart says, “others are doing worse.” The heart says, “You deserve it.” The heart says, “Have some fun.” The mind says “No.” No. No. No. Head and heart. That’s where temptation knocks the loudest. That’s where the battle is won or lost. Which ever one we listen to, the head or the heart, will determine if we resist sin or give in to sin.

Resist. Resist hard. Resist to the point of shedding blood.

Consider some “shedding blood”  resistance:

1. If every time you are with a certain friend, you find yourself thinking wrong, talking wrong and doing wrong, isn’t time to part company. What if this has been a life long friend? Shedding blood. What if this is someone you have been dating? What if this person got you your job? What if this person helped you out financially? Resist sin to the point of shedding blood.

Shedding blood doesn’t sound very easy to me. This isn’t pricking your finger. This is shedding. This is pouring. This is putting your all into it. How serious are you about resisting? So serious, that you’ll end relationships that seem to be taking you away from God?

2. If your work environment makes you ungodly and is pulling you away from all that is right, then shedding blood may mean, leaving that job. Shedding blood may mean that you have to take a lesser paying job. It may mean you have to move. It may mean that you suffer, but doesn’t the shedding of blood cause one to suffer. There isn’t a nice way to shed blood. There isn’t a painless way to shed blood. Quitting your job is radical—but so is resisting sin to the point of shedding blood.

3. Shedding blood may lead you to getting some professional help to break addictions such as alcohol, porn, gambling or even anger. Some sins can get a hold of us and control us. Cutting free is hard. Some can do it. Others need help. Seeking help admits you have a problem. Seeking help often costs and others find out about your sin. Hiding things is the natural way. Believing things will get better on their own is only a lie that allows us to continue with the addiction. Finding someone to talk to…going to a counselor…checking yourself into a rehab or addiction program is shedding blood. It’s serious. How serious are you about your fight against sin?

The battle against sin must be serious and fought courageously. That is the only way victory is possible in Jesus. He is there to help you. He is your strength. He has the answers. He provides the tools. However, we must engage in the battle our self. We must roll up our sleeves and get in there. If we quit at the first sight of blood, then Satan will win. He knows that we are weaklings and won’t put up much of a fight. However, if Satan sees that there is no limit to what we are willing to do to go to Heaven, then he’s in for a battle. John reminds us that “greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.” The wisdom literature tells us that if a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up. He will keep getting up.

Do you remember the first Rocky movie? It seems like a long time ago now. Rocky was going down. Bloodied. Eye swollen shut. It looked like Rocky was done. His trainer slit open his eyelid. Radical. Gross. The background music changed, Rocky found some momentum and got back in there swinging. He looked like a champ. He gave it his all. That’s us. Bloodied. Eyes swollen. Looking like a mess. Satan dances because he thinks he has conquered yet another Christian. We get up. Tired. Sore. We face that ugly opponent again. We swing with all that we have. We resist. We refuse to quit. We refuse to compromise. Blood splattering with every hit, we fight and fight until Satan leaves. We resist. We refuse to let sin conquer us. We refuse to simply play church.

How hard are you trying? Do you let the easiest thing mess up your attitude? Do you open the door to Satan at the first knock on the door?  Do you recognize sin? Do you turn shows off because they are not decent? Do you flip channels when immodesty  shows up on a commercial? Do you walk away from profane jokes? Do you refuse to take God’s name in vain? Do you defend God and His word? Do you resist? How hard are you resisting?

Shedding of blood…that’s serious.  That’s all we have. Put your all into it.

Roger