Great Need for Godliness
Great Need for Godliness
In the twelfth chapter, verse one, the apostle exhorts us to “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and .... run with patience the race that is set before us.” The sin which easily besets us is unbelief or doubt which makes us spiritually blind. A person who is overweight cannot run a race till he controls his diet and comes to normal weight. “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22). The Lord wants us to take our share in the heavenly city which has foundations as we see in Heb. 12:10. We have to be chastened and rebuked by the Lord, to prepare us for that heavenly city, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Heb, 12:6-8).
We must be partakers of God’s holiness that we may be able to live in the heavenly city as heavenly kings and possess it forever. We must be constantly chastened by the Lord. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb. 12:11). God’s purpose is so great that He wants to make us citizens and kings in that heavenly city, to reign with Him where angels are ordained to minister to us (Heb. 1:13, 14).
In the end days God is going to shake everything (verse 26). All that has been accomplished by our own effort, wisdom, or strength will be removed. Only that which has been accomplished with His strength, for His glory and praise will remain. Constantly we have to examine ourselves and do nothing in our wisdom and strength, but do everything through the Holy Spirit for God’s glory. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (y. 28). We are going to be in that kingdom which shall not be shaken.