{"id":67,"date":"2003-11-09T20:49:03","date_gmt":"2003-11-10T01:49:03","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2008-03-04T21:02:09","modified_gmt":"2008-03-05T02:02:09","slug":"spiritual-weight-watchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/spiritual-weight-watchers\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Weight Watchers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Hulshizer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The statisticians tell us that the majority of Americans are overweight.
\nThis is no surprise since many spend most of their day sitting behind a desk, or in front
\nof the TV. Add to this a steady diet of fast-foods, and you have the perfect formula for
\nbeing overweight.

Many Christians are not only physically overweight, but spiritually
\noverweight as well. This excess spiritual weight limits their ability to make progress in
\nthe race of faith that is set before them. The writer to the Hebrews speaks of this when
\nhe says, ?Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
\nand let us run with patience the race that is set before us.?(Heb. 12:1)<\/p>\n

Those to whom he was writing had made professions of faith in the Jesus
\nChrist, but some of them were considering turning back to Judaism. There were two things,
\namong others, which tempted them to return. These were ?comfort? and
\n?ceremony.?<\/p>\n

Since they were suffering persecution from family members and former
\nfriends, returning would do away with the persecution and bring desired comfort. In
\naddition, Judaism was a visible religion. It had the temple, the priests, and the
\nsacrifices, while Christianity had none of these. Many professing Christians are drawn by
\nthese same things today. The comfort and ceremony of a big church, as compared to the
\nsmall, and often belittled small group of believers who attempt to be obedient to
\nGod?s Word. (Rev. 3:8) <\/p>\n

The writer of Hebrews goes to great length to show his readers that in
\nChrist they have One Who is far superior to Judaism, and that they would need to live by
\nfaith, taking God at His Word concerning the blessings that were yet future. To encourage
\nthem in their faith, a ?cloud of witnesses?is given in chapter 11. These were
\nthose who had gone before them and had exercised faith in God?s promises, despite
\ngreat opposition. They had run the race to the end, even though they did not receive the
\npromises. (Heb. 11:39) <\/p>\n

In chapter 12 they are encouraged to press on in the race which they began
\nwhen they came to Christ. They were to cast off any weights that would hold them back, and
\nany sin that would entangle them, making running an impossibility. They were to keep their
\neyes on Jesus in glory, the One Who perfectly finished what He began, enduring the cross,
\ncounting as nothing man?s mockings and hatred. <\/p>\n

Now the question is, ?What are weights for us today?? ?
\nWeights are those things that keep us earthbound. Things that slow us down in our progress
\ntoward our heavenly home, that turn our eyes away from a risen Lord in glory, and make us
\nfeel at home in this world. That which makes us forget that this world is headed for
\njudgment, and that our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil. 3:20)? Those things that
\ncause us to forget that we are pilgrims and strangers in this world.? Strangers
\nbecause this is not our land, and pilgrims because we are going to another. <\/p>\n

God warned Israel on a number of occasions that when they were
\n?fat?they would forget Him. (Deut. 32:15) So it is with many of His saints
\ntoday. (Rev. 3:17) Prosperity has caused many to be spiritually overweight. Weighed down
\nby the drive for success, the desire to be comfortable, and the false security that riches
\nbring, many have settled down in this world, forgetting about running the race of faith. A
\nrace that should cause us to trim down, casting off the weights of this world of sight and
\nsound. <\/p>\n

Just as with physical weight, spiritual weight has a way of sneaking up on
\nus. It has been wisely said, ?We do not notice excess weight while we are standing
\nstill.?? It is when we attempt to make progress that the weight becomes
\nnoticeable! It is when we attempt to live with eternity in view that we find we are
\nweighed down by the things of this world. How many of the Lord?s people are unable to
\nexercise their spiritual gifts and serve the Lord and His people because they ?mind
\nearthly things.?(Phil. 3:19)? Like Lot and Demas, they have settled down in this
\npresent world (Gen. 14:12; 2? Tim.4:10) Not this present ?evil world,? but
\nthis ?present world,? as compared to ?the world to come.?(Mk. 10:30) <\/p>\n

May we be ?spiritual weight watchers,? free to run without
\nweights towards heaven. (2 Cor. 5:7)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steve Hulshizer The statisticians tell us that the majority of Americans are overweight. This is no surprise since many spend most of their day sitting behind a desk, or in front of the TV. Add to this a steady diet of fast-foods, and you have the perfect formula for being overweight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church"],"yoast_head":"\nSpiritual Weight Watchers - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/spiritual-weight-watchers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Spiritual Weight Watchers - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Steve Hulshizer The statisticians tell us that the majority of Americans are overweight. 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