Sin Weight

Heb 12:1 Wherefore 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.
Heb 12:2 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.


Are you compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses?


We just read a lot about the faith of the elders- are we witnesses to what they endured? Not first hand witnesses but we through faith believed their testimony, we believe the history of them. Do you believe there are unseen witnesses around us? Spiritual witnesses? Not everyone has family they live with, not every one has friends they associate with. We are living in a world of technology that enables people to live very solitary lives and yet have a social life through the internet. Are people witnessing us through the internet? We aren't sure who is at the other end of an email, or an instant message. We like to think we are sure but all too often people find out everything they thought about someone they call a friend online is all fake. We are witness to their deception though, aren't we? When we find out people we don't physically see are not who they pretend to be, we are witness to the real person's deception and that is still a witness.


Do you think it's true our every action has a witness?


What good does it do to put on a public face only to take it off in private and become something horrible? Without witnesses we are left to be our true selves and yet the question is… do you think it's true our every action has a witness?


Our every action does have a witness. You might not have a cloud of physical witnesses about you, but you are compassed about with a cloud of spiritual witnesses- both evil and good.


Mat 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.


Mar 4:22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.


Luk 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.


Luk 12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
Luk 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.


Psa 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.


Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.


Jer 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.


Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.


Mat 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.


2Ki 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
2Ki 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.


Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.


Satan himself knows us. Evil spirits know us. People find it easy to imagine that God knows us, that He knows everything but turn it around and try to get them to understand that Satan and his evil spirits see us just as God's angels can see us, that our lives, our secret actions are NOT hidden from Satan- it's a whole new ballgame.


We have witnesses whether we like it or not. We have physical witnesses and spiritual witnesses. You could hole yourself up in a cave for fifty years alone and still have witnesses. We can't ever believe we are not being witnessed by someone.


We have to live our lives in Christ always, not only when we are about other people.


Heb 12:1 Wherefore 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,
Heb 12:2 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.


We have to lay aside every weight.


What sort of weight? Anything that would hold us back and keep us from moving forward, ever forward in Christ. Things weigh us down all the time and I'm not talking physical clothing, or heavy shoes. We could streamline our bodies with the latest in professional swimwear, or bicycle wear, runner's wear and still we could be weighed down heavily by so much in life.


How much weight are we to lay aside? EVERY weight. Do you think we hold on to some of our spiritual weight because we just don't know how to live without it in our lives? Some weight or as people call it- baggage we carry around with us is like a friend to us. We're familiar with it, we just don't know what life would be like without that baggage, it often grows up with us from childhood. We hold on to a lot of unnecessary weight that would keep us down, that would keep us from running our fastest. Every day we wake up with weight on us and unfortunately we often add more weight rather than set it aside. Satan wants us HEAVY, he wants us spiritually weighed down as heavy as he can possibly make us. He will make opportunity after opportunity to increase the weight upon us laying burden after burden upon us as he tries to convince us there is NO way to get rid of the burdens. It works right into Satan's plan to make us feel hopelessly heavy so that we don't even want to run any race, in fact we don't want to walk, and he loves it when we barely want to move in Christ's direction.


Laying aside every weight, that can be a lot of weight and it's something we have to lay aside EVERY day, and as often throughout the day as we can when we realize we're putting on weight rather than keeping it off. There are no spiritually anorexic people, we are to have how much spiritual weight upon us? NONE. We are to lay it ALL aside, every last bit of weight. The spiritual forces we are to have with us are light and how heavy is light? No, I’m not talking lamps or flashlights but the light they produce. How heavy is the light they produce? It's not, light has no weight. Our spiritual armor isn't heavy, it isn't weighty, we aren't encumbered by it because it's all light! Jesus is the light of the world! Jesus sets us free!


Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.


Free in Christ, free from the weight of sin.


Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.


ALL their lifetime subject to bondage. If you're being bound you aren't free. If you're being bound you are not weightless. Bonds can be very, very heavy.


We are to set aside the weight that would hold us down. We are to dump all spiritual baggage and run free in Christ!


Salvation!
Righteousness!
Truth!
Gospel of Peace!
Faith!
Spirit of the word of God!


How much does all that weigh? Absolutely nothing!


Sin is heavy, sin is a spiritual weight. Death is heavy, the heaviest of all. Salvation is life, freedom from eternal death.


Take a few moments to think about the things that weigh you down spiritually, things that keep you from running spiritually unencumbered. What things threaten to hide the light of Christ from your life?


Every day we will face these things, threatening things. Satan is every ready with his bags of spiritual weight to toss upon us and keep us down. We need to recognize the spiritual weight and pray for freedom from that weighty spiritual tie of bondage. We know when we over eat we gain weight. We also know that when we choose to eat up spiritual problems that we should be giving to God in prayer, we'll gain spiritual sin weight- because it truly is a sin to trust in ourselves more than trusting in God.


We are warned….


Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.


CARES OF THIS LIFE- they can weigh us down and keep us from Christ.


It all has to do with faith in GOD's righteousness, faith in God and NOT in ourselves.


By faith!!!


By faith we will run the race, by faith we can and will set aside every weight!


In fact, only through faith is it possible to set aside EVERY weight.


May God help us to lay aside the weight that is upon us, the sin that so easily besets us through faith in Him.


By the grace of our loving Savior, in His mercy, in His righteousness forever and ever!


Amen.