Hebrews 12: Christ Is A Better Prize (Enduring Trials)

Hebrews 12

Theme: Remain Confident in Christ

B) Ways
11) By enduring trials

Chapter 12 gives several reasons to endure trials for our
faith in Christ.

Because witnesses surround us (1).

All the examples of faith in chapter 11 refer to believers who
endured trials in hope of a better inheritance than the world
has to offer. Such faith motivated them to brave obedience,
and resulted in a better reward.

Because Jesus endured the cross (2-3).

By focusing on Jesus, the starter and finisher of our faith,
we may remain confident of our inheritance. Jesus endured
great hostility, shame, and death to secure the benefits of
our salvation, and this should motivate us to endure trials
for hope in Him.

Because chastening proves sonship (4-8).

One of the reasons we face hardships and testing is because we
are children of God. God disciplines believers like a father
corrects his children. The fact that we can't get away with
sin proves we are children of God, and this should encourage
us to endure His painful corrections.

Because discipline yields fruit (9-17).

Like the discipline a child receives from his father, God's
chastening is first sorrowful to us, but then bears the fruit
of righteous living in our lives. Knowing this should make
hardship easier to endure. Although in our standing, we are
separated from sin and consecrated to God once for all in
Christ, God continues to conform us more and more to the image
of His son in our daily experience. This grace calls for holy
living. Esau rejected the hope of his inheritance to escape
the pressure of daily trials, and was then unable to
experience the benefits of his inheritance during life on
earth.

Because inheritance awaits us (18-24).

A heavenly city and the fellowship of believers and God await
those who remain confident in Christ as their inheritance (cf.
Rev. 21-22). These benefits are better than anything which
can be gained on earth, because material things have been
shaken in the past and will be shaken in the future, so that
only God's eternal inheritance will remain.

Because God is consuming fire (25-29).

Those who refused God's promised inheritance under the OT
covenant did not escape the severe discipline of God. Since
God will shake away all those material things in which we
might be tempted to place our hope, and since God now warns us
from heaven instead of earth, we should be grateful for His
promised inheritance, and stand in awe of God.

--
Have you heard Christ died for our sins, and God raised Him
from the dead? Did you know God saves you from hell and
gives you eternal life through faith in this finished work alone,
not your merits (Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Thess.
1:8-9)? This is so man cannot boast, and God alone gets the
glory (Eph. 2:8-9).
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