Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Hebrews 12:4
A silly story is told of an optimist who always refused to accept that anything but the best was coming his way. One day, he accidentally fell out of a window on the 99th floor of a skyscraper. As he went whizzing past the 20th floor on his way down, someone heard him exclaim, ‘So far, so good!’ But even an optimist must face the inevitable sometime… there are some things we cannot avoid. Taxes and death are certain. So are summer and winter, although the conditions can vary. And Murphy’s Law holds fairly true, most of the time. So when the writer of the Book of Hebrews uses the word ‘yet’ in today’s text, is he suggesting that resisting unto blood is an inevitable outcome for each Christian? No. But striving against sin is a certainty for us all.
Many dear saints are today resisting unto blood, as they find themselves surrounded by the cruel hordes of Moslems, communists, and Hindus who have butchered a dozen Christians since you started reading this message. Our hearts cry out in sympathy for these folks, but we know little of what they are going through. In our own society, we have little likelihood of encountering much if any opposition to the Gospel and to our testimonies. Apathy yes, but little real opposition. Our challenge in Canada and most of the western world is not that of resisting unto blood, but of striving against sin.
A godly man once asked how people could so vigorously rail against sin as being ugly, cruel, and unpleasant. He said that his problem was finding that sin is so attractive, soothing, and pleasant. Remember, our flesh is not yet redeemed. Our ransomed souls abide in a body that is attracted to the sinful pleasures and unholy delights of this world. Our flesh craves that which is opposed to what the Holy Spirit seeks to preserve us from. Striving against sin is a day-by-day, minute-by-minute occupation. And when we stop striving, the devil is delighted.
The best way to strive against sin is to strive to please our Lord and Saviour, to strive to be more like Him, in everything we do today. – Jim MacIntosh