"Looking Unto Jesus" ... Why?
"...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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.”(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Life is what it is. We don’t ask to be born, but here we are. We can’t request where we are born or to whom. It is what it is…God has decided. Sooo the best we can do is to "run with patience the race that is set before us”.
But why should we be “looking unto Jesus” in FAITH?
Jesus was a man just like us. He had a race to run as we all do. His particular race reveals to mankind what, but for sin, we could be now, and what, after sin is done away with, we all will be after God is finished with us in this present mortal life. Jesus died just as we will die, and he was resurrected never to die again, just like we will be. And that is what is meant by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our FAITH”.
"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters...It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—MORE THAN THAT, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons...nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:29-39)
"Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead...hold on to the progress we have already made...we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own..." (Philippians 3:13-21)
Life is what it is. We don’t ask to be born, but here we are. We can’t request where we are born or to whom. It is what it is…God has decided. Sooo the best we can do is to "run with patience the race that is set before us”.
But why should we be “looking unto Jesus” in FAITH?
Jesus was a man just like us. He had a race to run as we all do. His particular race reveals to mankind what, but for sin, we could be now, and what, after sin is done away with, we all will be after God is finished with us in this present mortal life. Jesus died just as we will die, and he was resurrected never to die again, just like we will be. And that is what is meant by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our FAITH”.
"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters...It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—MORE THAN THAT, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons...nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:29-39)
So we need to run our particular race as best we can, forgetting day by day the blunders we have made in the past, and focus on our eternal destiny by looking at what happened to Jesus and remembering where he is now. Then just keep on keeping on as best we can...
"Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead...hold on to the progress we have already made...we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own..." (Philippians 3:13-21)