Sermon Synopsis
This sermon addresses the devastating reality of sin through the lens of Hebrews, emphasizing that sin is rooted in unbelief, is ugly in God’s sight, relentlessly opposes the believer, and is ultimately unnecessary because of Christ’s victory. Using biblical examples and vivid illustrations, the message calls believers to examine their faith honestly, lay aside hindering weights, and run the Christian race with endurance. The sermon concludes with hope, pointing to dependence on Christ and the Spirit for victory. The intended impact is renewed faith, deeper holiness, and a determination to finish the race well.
Please note: This transcript is provided as close to verbatim record of the sermon.
Sin and the Race Set Before Us
Hebrews 12:1–4; Hebrews 3:12–15
Scripture Reading
Good morning, everyone. I want to share with you this morning from two passages in the book of Hebrews.
First, in Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 through 4—very familiar verses:
“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, 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”
Then please turn to Hebrews chapter 3, and we’ll read from verse 12 down to verse 15:
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”
God will bless the reading of His precious Word to us this morning.
Introduction: A Simple but Unpleasant Subject
I want to speak this morning on a simple but unpleasant subject: sin. I want to give you four very simple points:
You might ask, why would you want to speak on a subject like that? Particularly because I really believe that sin is devastating to our world. The trials and terrible things that have happened in our world all come down to this one thing—sin.
Think about Israel. They had an amazing victory when they destroyed Jericho. Then they came to the next place—a small place called Ai—and they suffered a humiliating defeat. What was the cause? One man’s sin affected the whole nation. Isn’t that amazing?
So we think of an assembly this size. Could it be that one person’s sin is hindering the progress of the work of God in this assembly? Clearly, from the history of Israel, it could be. I’d hate to think that I’m the one—or you’re the one—holding back the potential blessing of God and the victories we could be enjoying because of sin.
I believe that every sin is rooted in unbelief, starting in the Garden of Eden. God said, “The day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” Clearly, Adam and Eve did not believe what God said, because later the serpent came and said, “Thou shalt not surely die.” And who did they believe? They believed the lying serpent rather than the loving God.
As a result, our world has been cast into this cursed condition. It all goes back to the simple sin of unbelief.
Unbelief in the Dark
Look at Ezekiel chapter 8, verse 12:
“Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark… for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.”
They were doing what they were doing in the dark because they were convinced God was not watching. But the Bible says God sees everything—He is the all-seeing God. Even today, people do things in secret, thinking nobody is watching, but God is watching. Again, unbelief is the root.
“The Sin Which Doth So Easily Beset Us”
In Hebrews 12, notice the wording: “the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Not sins—plural—but sin—singular. There is one particular sin in view in the epistle to the Hebrews, and that sin is unbelief.
Hebrews 3:12 says:
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.”
Isn’t that an amazing statement? God calls unbelief evil. Your neighbor may be kind, polite, respected—but God says if they do not believe Him or His Word, their very heart is evil. The core of their being is unbelief.
Verse 19 says they could not enter in because of unbelief. Chapter 4 repeats it again and again.
Israel’s Failure to Enter the Land
The children of Israel saw the plagues, the Red Sea parted, God’s provision in the wilderness—and yet, at the border of the promised land, they did not believe Him. Twelve spies went in. Ten came back with unbelief. We don’t even remember their names. But we remember Joshua and Caleb, because they believed God.
For forty years, Joshua and Caleb attended funerals—forty years of people who did not believe God. Unbelief crippled them and hindered what God wanted to do.
Psalm 78 says they limited the Holy One of Israel. How do you limit an unlimited God? Through unbelief.
Even the Lord Jesus, in Matthew 13:58, “did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
So we must ask ourselves: Do I really believe God? Or is unbelief hindering me as I run this race?
Running the Race
The Christian life is described as a race—not a sprint, but a marathon. The goal is to finish strong.
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses—not watching us, but witnessing to us. Their lives testify to what faith can accomplish. Hebrews 11 is full of exploits that say, this is what faith can do.
One life that stands out is Moses. Hebrews 11 tells us that he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He had an eternal perspective.
Hebrews 11:6 says:
“Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Again, the question is honesty before God: Do we really believe what He says?
Weights and the Race
Before mentioning sin, Hebrews 12 tells us to lay aside every weight. These aren’t necessarily sinful things, but things that drag us down and hinder our progress.
You could run a marathon in an overcoat and hobnail boots, but it wouldn’t help. Some things simply consume our time and energy. They distract us from the race.
Perhaps indulging these weights is rooted in unbelief—we don’t really believe the race matters more.
Looking Unto Jesus
He tells us to run with patience, looking unto Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He started this journey, He will give us grace to finish it, and He will be there at the finish line.
I think of marathon runners crossing the finish line and being wrapped in a thermal blanket. One day, on the other side of the finish line, the Lord Jesus will be there, as it were, wrapping His arms around us and saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” That will be worth it.
I didn’t say sin isn’t pleasurable. The Bible speaks of the pleasures of sin for a season. But from God’s perspective, sin is absolutely hideous.
Isaiah 1 describes sin as sickness, wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores—from the sole of the foot to the head. That’s how God sees sin.
In contrast, Scripture speaks of the beauty of holiness. What a contrast—ugliness versus beauty.
A Living Illustration
Where we live in Missouri, it’s a major drug center—supposedly the methamphetamine capital of the U.S. You see people who once were beautiful young men and women, now reduced to hideous caricatures of what they once were.
Man was made in the image and likeness of God, but sin distorts that image.
The liar always shows the beginning, never the end. Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
Ask Adam if it was worth it. Ask David if it was worth it. But if you really want to see sin when it’s finished, go to Calvary. There hangs our Savior, marred more than any man. That’s what sin finished looks like.
I once asked an older brother, “Does it get any easier as you get older?” He said, “The older I get, the harder it gets.”
Paul said, “In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.” My flesh hasn’t improved in over forty years. My youth fled long ago, but youthful lusts never did.
So yes, we still have to flee.
Sin is unnecessary because the Lord has come to make us free—not just from sin’s penalty, but from its power.
Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Paul cried out, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me?” Not what—but who. And the answer is Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:2 says:
“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
When you come to the end of yourself and say, “Lord, I can’t live this Christian life,” that’s when you begin to experience victory.
Closing Illustration: Vitamin D3
During the pandemic, my wife and I had long COVID. We heard that large doses of vitamin D3 could help. By faith, we took it—and it worked.
If you want to live the Christian life successfully, you need vitamin D3:
Conclusion and Prayer
May God deliver us from an evil heart of unbelief. May He increase our faith in His Word and in Christ.
Let’s pray.
Father, we thank You for Your Word. Use it today as You see fit. May there be no one here hindering the victories You desire. Deliver us from Achans among us. Help us to run well, finish well, and receive that warm welcome from the Lord Jesus at the finish line. We ask this in His precious name. Amen.