Take it off, take it all off

A provocative title for certain and likely not one you would expect to be associated with a devotional entry. Nevertheless, there it is.

In my ministry, I often confront men who go to the cross regularly to unburden themselves. They kneel, set down their burdens (sins) and pray. Then they get up, pick up their stuff (yes, the stuff they just set down) and walk away. Their burden has not been lightened, the yoke still chafes and they wonder why God doesn't relieve them of the crushing weight of their sin.

I myself have set in church and heard hundreds of voices singing "I surrender all..." when in fact, they have surrendered nothing; neither greed nor avarice, resentfulness, wagging tongues, selfishness, pridefulness, arrogance. gluttony, lust, covetousness, licentiousness, hard heartedness... the list goes on like the telephone directory. Like those men who keep picking up their habits after 'leaving them at the cross' what is being 'surrendered' is little more than lip service. And they too wonder why their walk with God is stymied. Why the blessings they read about in the Bible aren't raining down on them. Those that sing and the men who kneel are all expecting someone (God) to show up, pry their fingers off their sin behaviors and wrestle it from their grip leaving them bug-eyed and slack-jawed.

But that's not how God works. God does not forceably snatch sin from your grip, he requires that you 'lay it down' as a sacrifice. It requies an act of volition on your part, on my part. I was reminded of this fact this very morning by this verse;

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

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.

In looking at this verse, I see six important concepts. The first concept that is important for me to remember is that there are many who have gone before and having been counted as righteous they are now witnesses to God's power and glory as well as watching me in my own struggles.

Secondly, is the concept that we are to 'throw off' everything that hinders. Not lay aside gently but to literally cast away anything that hinders us. This might include any matter of your heart that separates you from God or from being a compassionate human being. Not only that but (#3) we are to also 'cast away' any sin behaviors that can trip us up. This includes thoughts, foul language, addictions and millions of other behaviors that we so love to cuddle up to.

The fourth point is that we are to run! We are to engage with all our efforts and with joy in our hearts. Once we have laid aside the weights of sinfulness, our steps are to be light and fleet of foot. We are not to live as those who have begrudgingly given up something and are reluctant to leave it behind. No, we are to not only 'flee' from the things we have cast aside (run away) but we are to also run towards our new destination. We are to run right to the open arms of our Savior.

Fifth, is the concept of perseverance. We know it isn't going to be easy, there will be tough times and hardship. Trials, temptations, tribulations and tests are the stock and trade of the Christian. But when confronted, when tempted, we are to pesevere. For God has not given us a spirit of weakness but rather His spirit of power and truth. He has equipped us to be successful as we persevere.

Lastly, there's 'the race marked out for us.' Proverbs says that we make our plans but God determines our steps. God has laid out a course through life and eternity for us. It is up to us, our responsibility, to run that race. If we try to run a race that we aren't in, we are destined for failure. On the other hand, if we run the race that God has put us in (marked out for us) then we are assured of victory.

I know what I am going to do. What are you going to do?

Shalom,
Carl