Here begins a series of meditations on Hebrews 12:2 and a series of thoughts on how this verse can benefit the believer in his struggle against sin.

The first meditation will be on the phrase, “fixing our eyes on Jesus . . .” The idea here is fixing my eyes on Jesus in such a way that all ‘wind’ (Matthew 14:30) and all distractions (1 Cor. 7:35; 2 Cor. 10:5; 11:3; etc.) are eliminated and overwhelmed as I meditate on Jesus and His glory (His death and resurrection and His soon-coming return) and as I concentrate on my mission as His witness in the world.

“Fixing my eyes on Jesus . . .” means having Jesus so dominate my experience that only two clearly distinguished categories of thought occur to me: in one category are my thoughts of Christ and His glory and power and thoughts of my obedience to Him in everything, and in the other category are those thoughts controlled by the world, the flesh and the devil, which seek to enfeeble, to frighten and to distract me from my worship and my witness of Christ. Simply put, there is Christ and there are distractions from Christ. In simplest terms, all thoughts and actions are either for Christ or they are distractions from Christ (Matthew 12:30).

Therefore I must A) discipline my mind to distinguish between these two categories of thinking and then, having discerned the difference, B) I must focus my mind on Christ and His glory and His greatness and force out of my mind all other “flaming arrows” (Ephesians 6:16), which are designed to neutralize me and to blunt my witness.

Satan hates me and has structured the world such that the distractions and lies of this world are intended to silence me and to cause me to turn inward in self-pity and fear. Therefore, in anticipation of his attacks, I will unflinchingly fix my eyes on Jesus and when Satan’s attacks come, I will respond with skillful defense (Eph. 6:10-18) and damaging counter-attack (Acts 19:10).

In Christ, my weapons are stronger (1 Samuel 17:45; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18).

With Christ, my Champion is more powerful and He cannot be defeated (1 Sam. 17:46-47; John 19:30; Revelation 19:11-16). My Champion holds the keys to death itself (Rev, 1:18) and He has conquered death and the devil.

Praise the LORD, for He is the Champion and the Conqueror!

So I will discipline myself to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and His glory, while resolving to reject all distractions to my mission in life.   SDG   rmb   8/15/2016