The writer sees all these examples of men and women of faith as an encouragement and motivation to us. There are a vast number of people who have proved in their lives that God is faithful. There are the examples in the Bible, there are examples of people throughout the world and throughout history, and there will be peopl in your local church who have shown that faith works.
So we are to throw off all hindrances, and one of the greatest hindrances is sin. Sin entangles us, it obscures and complicates things. We have all sinned, so we can see the truth of this from our own lives. Consider what happens to your own thinking when you sin, eg if you lie, or try to deceive someone, or let hatred get a hold of you. We no longer think straight in such situations. When we repent things become an awful lot clearer and simpler.
Jesus has marked out a path for our lives, it is one lived by faith in Him, and obedience to Him. This path will not be easy. Jesus Himself was prepared to endure pain and suffering because of the joy that lay at the end of it. And so He received a great reward. We are to meditate on the person and work of Jesus, and this will help to encourage us.
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