Past Faithfulness Empowering Present Obedience

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. — Hebrews 12:1-2

There comes a time in each of our lives when we want to throw in the towel and give up on the calling that God has assigned to us. Dropping out looks a lot more appealing than continuing to press on. The pain of life in a fallen world and our own shortcomings stares us in the face, and we start to question if finishing the race set before us is really worth it. 

The letter to the Hebrews was written to a people just like that, a people like you and me. They started strong in their journey of following Jesus, but they began to experience hardship. Their old ways of living started to look not so bad in light of their present difficult circumstances. 

Turning back and giving up was a very real possibility. 

It was to that kind of weary and doubting person that the author of Hebrews writes: “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Don’t give up, don’t get tripped up by the circumstances of life or your personal failings, instead run with endurance and finish the race. Thankfully, Hebrews gives us more than just a command. Our source of power for present faithfulness is not simply that we try harder to obey or to grit our teeth and push through the pain. 

Instead, Hebrews 12:1-2 teaches that our present obedience is empowered by past faithfulness. We gain strength to persevere today by looking back at all who have come before us in faith. There are two ways to look back at past faithfulness to help us press on in present obedience:

1) Remember the witnesses

Weary Christian, remember the witnesses. Hebrews chapter 12 follows a remarkable chapter known as the “Hall of faith.” The author recounts story after story of God’s people who have endured in faithful obedience despite facing challenges of all kinds. How were they able to endure? Each person’s story was an exercise of faith - the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

Although their paths were anything but easy, they were able to endure and finish the race set before them because of their trust in God. Their faithfulness was recorded in part in order to encourage us to keep running, to not give up. Our ancestors in the faith are almost like spectators, a cloud of witnesses there not only to observe our faithfulness and to cheer us on to complete the calling that God has placed on our lives, but even more for us to look back and observe how they were able to persevere as we run our own races.

Looking back helps us to see that we’re not alone. The trials and suffering that we face in this world are not new. There have been generations of faithful followers of God that have persevered in the midst of great suffering. It can be freeing to be reminded that we are not alone, that there is a long, well-trodden path of suffering that leads to glory. We can remember the witnesses, the way they suffered, and find strength to face what will come our way. 

Looking back also helps us to see that this world is not our home. Here is how some of the witnesses are described in Hebrews 11:16: “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” This is a balm to the soul of high-achievers whose identities can be tightly bound up with worldly success. When we face trials and temptations to turn back, let those seasons of suffering remind us that we look for our fulfillment not in the circumstances of this present age, but in heaven our true home. The past obedience of the witnesses empowers our present obedience. 

2) Look to Jesus

Weary Christian, look to Jesus. Hebrews 12:2a reads “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” This means that our faith, which is our power to run with endurance the race set before us, starts and finishes with Jesus. 

The truth is, we will all look somewhere for reassurance, for strength, and to soothe our pain when we face trials in life. Only Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, can give the strength to ultimately endure. When the path looks daunting, looking to Jesus reminds us that everything we do in the Christian life, every act of obedience to God’s call, is first and foremost a response to what has been accomplished by Jesus. He lived an entire life free from all guilt and sin so that we could be accepted by God apart from any of our own works. Everything that needed to be fulfilled for us to be accepted by God was completed at the cross, so he could truly say, “It is finished.” 

Friend, God does not look upon your trials as one who is hoping to see you get tripped up so he can say, “I knew they weren’t worthy!” Instead, he uses our challenging circumstances to lead us, again and again, back to dependence on Jesus. The one who conquered the grave and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God is powerful enough to carry us all the way home. We can run with endurance the race set before us because we know that he has already crossed the finish line. If you are in Christ, you will too. Let his past faithfulness empower your present obedience.