September 2024
The theme verse for this coming school year is Hebrews 12:1-3,
“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. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”
The theme word for the year is ENDURE. Paul uses the word endure here both to describe the work of Christ our Lord as well as the sort of faith we are called to have. It may go without saying, but life isn’t easy. When you add faith on top of that and being called daily to die to your sinful nature and live counter to the way that comes naturally to the flesh, life gets even more difficult. There is never an extended period of time in the Christian life that we are not beset with this tension. It is inherent to the Christian life as we struggle against sin and seek to live according to God’s Word. The Holy Spirit certainly enables and empowers us to live according to God’s Word and will, and the eternal benefits of faith obviously far outweigh, but that doesn’t mean things are necessarily easy.
And so, Paul calls on us in v3 to Consider Christ who endured for us, Christ who saw the opportunity to endure hostility, pain, and death for us sinners as a joy! A joy to suffer for those whom He sought to gain. A joy to obey His Father even to the absolute end. A joy to die that He might bring life to us. A joy to endure life in this dying world for the sake of calling us out of it by faith into undying eternal life.
Considering this, it becomes easier for us to hear and place into practice Paul’s words to us in v2 where he calls on us to lay aside ever weight and sin which clings to us. Paul knows how hard it is to endure as God had used opportunities throughout his ministry to teach Paul reliance on God’s grace for all things. Phrases form the epistles like, “grace sufficient for you,” “content in all circumstances” or maybe most notably, “rejoice in suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope that does not put us to shame” show that Paul desires for us to have an enduring faith.
But endurance requires something to endure, something to stand up under, something to resist or push against, which brings us back to the weight, sin, weariness and faintness of heart that Paul encourages us to endure against. There is no lack of opportunities to build resilient faith. There is only the need to look to Christ, to look to the saints who have gone before us (v1), both in God’s Word and in our own lives, and then to go and do it.
Pray that such growth and endurance in faith accompanies the students of our school and each of us, not only through this coming year but for every day of our lives.
in His service,
Pastor Nick
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