Achieving
Endurance
Today's
Three-minute Bible Study
Print,
Study and Apply
Title:
Achieving Endurance -------------------
Date: 12/11/2002
Keywords:
"achieve"
"endurance" "Jesus" "motivation"
Welcome
to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand
strong in the face of sexual temptation.
Passage:
Hebrews 12:1-3*
1. Therefore, since we
have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let
us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which
so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us,
2. fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.
3. For consider Him who has
endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so
that you will not grow weary and lose
heart.
Questions
1. Who are the "cloud of
witnesses" in verse 1?
2. How do you achieve endurance
in battling porn?
Practical
help
Being a distance runner
(or sorts), I can "feel" the imagery of verse 1 in
today's passage. For one thing, you just don't go out
and run with endurance. Endurance is acquired through
rigorous training. One of the toughest things about
developing endurance is maintaining motivation through
the early stages. It's very easy to let disappointing
results foster a "you'll never get there"
attitude.
There are two important points
in today's passage that we porn strugglers can gain
motivation from. The endurance required to un-entangle
from sin (like a porn habit) is achievable, and the
evidence is in those who've achieved it — the
cloud of witnesses surrounding us (see chapter 11).
And it's not only the faith warriors of Biblical times
but our contemporary brothers and sisters who, by
exemplified endurance, bring glory to our Lord Jesus
and motivation to us.
The second point is zeroing in
on how the achievers achieve. They realize that
endurance can't be achieved for themselves. It has to
be achieved for Jesus because it can't be achieved
without Jesus. There's only one perfect motivation;
only one who endured it all; and it's Jesus. Fix your
eyes on Him and train hard. Endurance will
come.
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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD
BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation
1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995. Used by permission."
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