Hebrews 12:3-17--Do Not Grow Weary

​Hebrews 12:3-17 English Standard Version (ESV)
Listen:  https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Heb.12.3-Heb.12.17
Do Not Grow Weary
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

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Jesus did the hard work so that we could rest in His finished work and not grow weary trying to fight the battles that He's already won and declared victory in for Him and for us.  That is the message of the first part of this passage.  Also, be sure that the Father regards you as His sons (and daughters) and only wants good things for His children, however, those He loves, he also reproves and corrects (disciplines) so as to make us even more like Him and like His Son.  We see this in the parable of the Vine that Jesus is the Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser and we are the branches and God the Father prunes all the branches that are fruitful so they may bear more and better fruit, and He cuts off all the dead branches and burns them up so that they may not spread the disease to the healthy branches.  The process of pruning and discipline is not always pleasant, but it is part of God's love for us, and we need to trust Him and know He wants the best for us--just like we do with our earthly fathers, only we can be even more sure of the goodness and intentions of our heavenly Father.

What happens when children are left undisciplined?  They usually become spoiled brats, and it is the parents who are at fault because they have not taken the duty and responsibility of raising a child seriously, and the the child may rightly ask one day, "Are you really my parents, because you don't treat me like you're my parents?" and the child may feel and appear to be illegitimate (not belonging to the adults raising him or her).

We are therefore to conduct ourselves in a way that is consistent with what we believe.  We do not need to walk around like we are under a heavy burden and under the heavy hand of an oppressive God.  We are to go to Him for healing and trust in His correction and that He knows what He's doing when He cuts things out of our lives--even things that appear to be bearing fruit, because He knows which things are the things we need in our lives and which things are distractions that need to be cut out.  Therefore, no one should walk around angry and bitter at life or at God who is a child of the King.  This kind of an attitude is a cancer in our own lives and in the body of Christ and something that will make others who are unsaved not want to trust in God and not come into a saving relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We are ambassadors of this king and kingdom, and how we act reflects greatly on how people view the king, the kingdom, and the kingdom citizens.  These people like Esau don't appreciate the value of what they have been given by God and are willing to "sell" it all for the things of this world like Esau sold his birthright for something as worthless as a bowl of stew.  Those who are apostates and turn away from the gift of God may find like Esau that they cannot get it back once they have thrown it away.  This is why the New Testament is full of warnings about not listening to false prophets and being aware of the apostate, especially during the end times.  People who are hurt and broken often turn to these false teachers for comfort because they are willing to tell the people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.  Do not be like those who just want their ears to be tickled.  That is not what God is out for...He's out to make a covenant people and make all things new as He brings everything into subjection under the authority of Christ.  The only question is if we will do so willingly and be a part of His kingdom, or if we will instead be a part of the rebellion that stands in opposition to the King and the kingdom and will be defeated and forced to bend the knee to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord on judgement day.