The SIN That Doth So EASILY Beset Us

                                     
You know, we have not yet really grasped the Lord Jesus. I say that meaningly and knowingly. Oh, how many of our worries would go if only we had seen the Lord Jesus!

How many of those delaying, arresting things in our life would go if only we had seen the Lord Jesus!

What is it that is holding us back? What is "the sin that doth so easily beset us"?

What is it that is slowing us in the race, or even holding us up? 

Oh, this terrible sinful thing that I am! This wretched man that I am! This poor thing, so weak, sinful and faulty. 

I think about this, I dwell upon that, and what happens? I stop running! All the "go" goes out of my being!'
 
You stop and think about yourself for five minutes, and see how fast you will run forward in the Lord! Oh, yes, we all do it. We are overwhelmingly obsessed with this terrible, poor, miserable thing that we are! 

We dwell upon it, and then we flop down - and the race is at an end for us while we are there. We have not seen the Lord Jesus!
 
In Him we have been dismissed. In His death we have been put out of sight. In Him risen we no longer appear before God, for He appears for us as us. He is us. THAT is seeing Jesus! 

If only we could get hold of that! If only we could get hold of Him! If only our eyes really did see what God has made Him to be for us - "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30). 

Not dwelling upon our own foolishness and folly, but "unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 

What more do you want? That comprehends everything in redemption and unto glory! "Looking OFF unto Jesus."
 
Do you see what I am trying to say? The writer of this Letter to the Hebrews sees us as in a race and he says that if we are going on in this we have to see Jesus, and keep Him always in view; not by seeing ourselves and other people all the time, but keeping our eye on Him. 

Then we will keep going, but if we do not keep Him in view, then we will stop going.
 
That is very plain, very simple, but it is the Gospel concerning God's Son, Jesus Christ.

~T. Austin Sparks~