Hebrews 12

1A massive stadium crowd of faithful witnesses surrounds us! So let us strip off every heavy weight that slows us down. Let us cast off the sin that trips our feet! Let us run with endurance the long race marked out for us.

2Keep your eyes fixed firmly on Jesus! He is the champion who pioneered our faith and finished it. Jesus saw the glorious joy waiting ahead of Him. So He endured the agony of the cross and ignored its public shame! Now He sits in supreme honor at the right hand of God's throne.

3Think about Jesus, who put up with such hatred from sinful people, so that you will not grow tired and lose heart.

4In your fight against sin, you have not yet had to give your blood.

5And you have forgotten the encouraging words God speaks to you as His children: My child, do not treat the Lord's discipline lightly. Do not lose heart when He corrects you!

6For the Lord disciplines every single person He loves. He trains everyone He accepts as His true child.

7Endure your hardships as loving fatherly training. God is treating you as His beloved sons and daughters! For what child is never corrected by their father?

8If you are not corrected (and everyone is corrected), then you are not really His children at all.

9Besides, our human fathers corrected us, and we respected them for it. How much more should we obey our spiritual Father and live!

10Our fathers corrected us for a little while, as they thought best. But God corrects us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.

11No discipline feels pleasant while it happens; it feels painful! Later on, it produces a peaceful harvest of righteous living.

12So strengthen your tired arms and your weak knees.

13Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame foot will not be put out of joint, but rather healed.

14Do everything you can to live in peace with everyone, and to be holy. Without holiness no one will see the Lord.

15Be careful that no one misses out on God's grace, and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and to harm many.

16Make sure no one is sexually immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his rights as the oldest son for a single meal.

17As you know, later, when he wanted to receive the blessing, he was turned away. He could not undo what he had done, even though he begged for the blessing with tears.

18You have not come to a terrifying earthly mountain like Mount Sinai. That mountain blazed with roaring fire, pitch darkness, and howling storms.

19A deafening trumpet blasted, and a voice spoke thunderous words. The people trembled and begged not to hear another word!

20They could not bear the command: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.

21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said: I am trembling with fear.

22Instead, you have arrived at holy Mount Zion! You have come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have joined thousands upon thousands of angels celebrating with joy!

23You have come to the gathered church of God's firstborn children. Their names are written in the official records of heaven! You have come to God, the righteous Judge of all humanity, and to the spirits of good people who have been made perfect.

24You have come to Jesus, the mediator of the new agreement! His sprinkled blood speaks words of forgiveness, not revenge like Abel's blood!

25See that you do not refuse the One who is speaking. The people on earth refused the One who warned them. They did not escape. Now He warns us from heaven. How much less will we escape if we turn away from Him?

26Back then, God's voice shook the physical earth. Now He makes a greater promise: I will shake the heavens and earth!

27God will shake and remove all temporary, created things. Then only what cannot be shaken will remain standing!

28We are receiving an eternal kingdom that can never be shaken! So let us overflow with deep thanksgiving. Let us worship God with holy awe and reverent wonder.

29For our God is an all-consuming fire!