Hebrews Chapter Twelve, Striving

 

Hebrews 12:4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

 

This verse implies shedding our own blood in the struggle against sin. “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood,” HCSB; see also the ESV. The New Testament writers never suggest, much less command, harming another in our struggle against sin. In fact, we are ordered to do entirely the opposite.

Jesus taught, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” Matthew 5:44. Why? “That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust,” Matthew 5:45. This ideology is simplified with the saying, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person,” Matthew 5:39. Paul contributes, writing, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” Romans 12:21. Christians are not to avenge themselves on their enemies, Romans 12:19. Therefore Hebrews 12:4 can certainly not be teaching any radical variation of shedding blood that is portrayed as harming another.

 

Mind you, neither is the author asserting the notion that we ought to bleed to perpetuate our stand against sin. The idea of this verse connotes that the Christian is to be more willing to have their blood shed than to enter willingly into sinful behavior, which is a weight and a snare, according to verse 1. If we look again at the metaphor of the race, it is counterproductive to carry weights into a race; it would be tantamount to determining that we are going to lose. Likewise with the snare. A careful runner has their eyes focused on the race course, not on his or her surroundings, which create distractions that easily lure us away, James 1:14.

 

The Greek word for “striving” is “antagonizomai,” and simply means, “to struggle against or antagonize.” The Reader’s Greek-English Lexicon employs the synonyms, “resist or stand in opposition.” Our stand against wanton sinful behavior is not passive then, but active. We strive, struggle, antagonize, resist or stand in opposition against sin’s temptation. This particular temptation, it seems from the verses being explored, emanates from persecution for the faith. It then would be the temptation to cease running, hence the mentioned weight. Or to fall into the snare; that is from the violent words or actions of those who hate Jesus, and in turn will hate us because of Him. It has happened to many saints, recorded even in the New Testament. We read, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world,” 2 Timothy 4:9.

 

Demas’ departure comes on the heels of Paul’s own confession that his death—rather, his martyrdom for his faith—is imminent, 2 Timothy 4:6, 7. He exalted that he ran his own race in the face of violent persecution from the very day he placed his faith in the risen Savior; he kept the faith: in summary, he practiced what he believed in good circumstances or bad, until the end. Demas saw where Paul’s end led him and likely became afraid. He didn’t want to die a martyr’s death and fled. Does this mean Demas was unsaved? Not necessarily; it simply means that in the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh, the flesh won that round and Demas was carried away by his own sinful urges, despite what his spirit might have known was right, Romans 7:15, 17. Many have said that because Demas forsook Paul he was never saved. But Paul doesn’t say that; in reality Paul CANNOT say that, because Paul cannot see Demas’ heart. It wasn’t the question of whether Demas was saved; it was how he responded to the pressure of persecution for his faith. And in this instance he failed his race; the encumbrance proved to be too much for him.