Paul isnt the author of hebrews, its not really Known, but nevertheless.
Hebrews 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
If you compare Hebrews 12:1-2 with 1 Corinthians 24-27 since you know Paul had written Corinthians, you can see Paul writing here.
1 Corinthians 9:[SUP]24 [/SUP]Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.[SUP]25 [/SUP]And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.[SUP]26 [/SUP]I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:[SUP]27 [/SUP]But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Paul is a companion of Timothy and so here is another clue;
Hebrews 13:[SUP]23 [/SUP]Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.
But I reckon we can move on ....
""I suppose it depends on how you define "press" in that verse. You see "man's striving" and I see "lean on Him for" since it is an upward call of God IN Christ Jesus; not In you as per your flesh or will power.""
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us<<<
this part though doesnt this if accepted into the equation, Kind of point to something we are meant to do, and its something we are meant to put effort into? Paul did say plainly on trial before agrippa what He taught to both Jew and Gentile if someone will accept His own words about His teaching..
Well, we are not to just do nothing as if we can do whatever we please like sow to the flesh while waiting on Christ to deliver us, but at the same time when you & I want to repent from sin and find it quite "hard", we need His help to trust Him more to do it.. as in "I cannot do it Lord and so I will lean on you to help me not do this sin any more, because you are my Good Shepherd and that is your promise to me so I can rest in you."
acts 26:20-23 "But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and DO WORKS meet for repentance......." Also acts 20:20 "And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. "
I can only do works meet for repentance when I turn to God for the help I need, therefore repantance towards God is the same as applying faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ to help me to repent.. to deliver me from my sins; to put away any provision for the flesh and to ste my mind on good things; that is what I am trusting Jesus Christ as my Good Shepherd to do.
Psalm 19:[SUP]12 [/SUP]Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.[SUP]13 [/SUP]Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.[SUP]14 [/SUP]Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
2 Timothy 4:[SUP]18 [/SUP]And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Faith toward Jesus" rpentance toward God" turn to God and do works meet for repentance" these are pauls own words, with His life on the Line on trial. making very clear I taught repentance meaning changed actions" works meet for" Our actions should be evidence of Our Faith, we can very Much end up on the wrong side of the resurrection. some of the subjects are tossed out in the end, the ones who wouldnt repent and obey the Lord is all im sayin . actually repenting of Our sin is essential to salvation. this is accheived Because we Have faith. Faith that Hears and obeys because we believe. Like noah and abraham, the hiers of rightsusness by Faith"
The bold above and this repeated below from earlier
Kind of point to something we are meant to do, and its something we are meant to put effort into?
Kind of opposing your faith in Christ Jesus to do it if you believe some effort on your own by the flesh or will power is required and on top of that repenting from all sins when you come to Jesus Christ to be saved. Either you surrender by denying yourself as being able, take up your cross in that you are crucified with Christ as it is not you who live, but Christ in you is how you are able to follow Him because you are trusting Him as God to enable you to follow Him.
Luke 9:[SUP]23 [/SUP]And he said to them all, If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Jesus had no confidence in man to be able to follow Him which is why He did not ask them to make a commitment to follow Him or a vow to follow Him when they are supposed to deny themselves as able to.
The repentance required at salvation is repenting from unbelief by believing in Him. Once the foundation has been laid, you have power to run that race by looking to Jesus, the author & finisher of our race to help you discern every weight & sin and depart from iniquity as you follow Him since He is in you and is with you always. That is how we live by faith.
The next thing here in hebrews 4, read this part first to realize whats being said.
hebrews 3:12-4:2 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.""
again this is a lesson were suppose to take from what happened in the desert under the first covenant. They Heard Gods word, but didnt mix it with faith. faith is when you do the word Like abraham, Like noah. its not Just to hear it, and believe that it is true. But to Hear it and Believe that it is Gods word and do it as if He is God.[/QUOTE]
But the sin highlighted was the sin of unbelief. It was not all sins, but the sin of unbelief. If you place salvation on all sins, when are you saved then? When will you receive the Holy Spirit since running that race in laying aside every weight & sin is daily? And yet we need Jesus Christ in us so we can run that race by faith in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd.
So we repent from the sin of unbelief by believing in Him is how we are saved and how that foundation is laid and now we have power to run that race with Christ in us, trusting Him to finish His work in us which is to His glory. It is not about looking to ourselves in doing the best we can but relying on Him all the time for living as His for we are the work of His hands.
John 1:[SUP]12[/SUP]
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:[SUP]13 [/SUP]Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Psalm 100:[SUP]3 [/SUP]Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Philippians 1:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:.........[SUP]11 [/SUP]Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.....[SUP]5 [/SUP]For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
So how do we wait for His workmanship in us? By faith in Him.
Hebrews 11:6-8" But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that HE IS, and that he is a rewarder of them that DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. 7 BY FAITH Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, MOVED WITH FEAR, and PREPARED AN ARK to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS BY FAITH. 8 BY FAITH Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, OBEYED; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
OBEYED what? What motivated him to "obey"? His faith. What motivated Noah to fear? His faith. He believed God.
Now when God says trust Jesus to finish His work in you, where is your faith to obey and be motivated to trust Him?
Can those that make commitments and promises to follow Him obeying Him in trusting Him to finish it? No.
So it is not about sdoing nothing when resting in Him; it is about applying faith in Him & trust Him to finish it, because we can't; not by our flesh; not by our will power; but by faith in Jesus Christ for He is able.
Faith is expressed By Obedience to God Because of what Has been done, Because He sent His Only Son to die and suffer in our Place, to teach Us the way of eternal Life and to become our interceding Priest in Heaven. from cain to the end of revelation, there never is a different message that would not be okay with the message " repent of your sins, and learn and obey Jesus Christ unto salvation" <<<that statement is flawless and infallible, and that one statement sums up everything I will ever really Know
But its okay to disagree i suppose i think if the Word says " you are to do these things" it just says what it says, its not saying " trust me to do the things i am commanding you to do" that to me makes no sense really. Jesus again and again says " do these things. Obey me. take my yoke upon you, why do you call me Lord and dont do what im saying, if you will onbey me...again and again i really cant see what you are saying in those scriptures that really are saying " dont think God wont punish you for your disobedience, look at what He did to the chosen people in the first covenant..."
Id rather Just simplify and believe rather than interpret How to understand it If it says " obey this. do this, dont do this , its meant to actsaully Just have the faithj of a child and say alright, i need to work out this part of my Life in prayer and commitment and sacrifice and surrender, i need to repent of this or that because My beloved savior said it Just before He died.....anyways these comments are pretty long so ....
Obedience is expressed when we place our trust, faith, hope, and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ to finish it. That is what is peasing to God. That is how we rest in Him by relying totally on Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd for everything; including following Him.
