Resist Unto Blood

Hebrews 12:4. What is the meaning of "You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin"? Is the goal of Christians to avoid sinning at all cost?

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Introduction

On multiple occasions throughout these years, they encountered messages from Hebrews 12:1-4 that left a lasting impression, indicating that their struggles were far from resolved. The memories of their initial love for Christ when they humbly knelt at the cross were slowly fading away. Doubts began to arise, making them question whether God had truly forgiven them. Despite the limited number of sermons they heard on this passage, it only served to amplify the obstacles they perceived in their spiritual journey, planting seeds of doubt and fear regarding their eternal destiny.

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, ²keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. ⁴You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin (Hebrews 12:2-4).

The sin that easily entangles

The highlighted sections of these verses seem to affirm the widely accepted interpretation that we must exert ourselves to eliminate sin from our lives in order to successfully run the race set before us. It is logical, isn’t it? Just as an athlete must remove anything that could hinder their performance, it is understandable that sin becomes a significant obstacle that must be addressed in every aspect of the Christian race.

However, what exactly is the sin that easily entangles? Does it refer to commonly committed sins or a particular, unique sin? To find the answer, we need to revisit the beginning of the Book of Hebrews, where the author sets the foundation for us to discern the true nature of this sin.

In a previous section of Chapter 2, the author issues a caution to believers about the danger of drifting away. This provides us with a hint regarding what we should focus on when trying to identify what we might be drifting away from or towards. There are additional indicators that consistently lead us to the core truth, aiding in clarifying the actual problem and defining what it is not. However, for the scope of this article, it may be adequate to address these two main topics: the sin that easily entangles and the concept of drifting away. Let us now proceed to explore the notion of drifting away.

The danger of drifting away

¹Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ²For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, ³how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, ⁴while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

The majority of Christians hold the belief that they have drifted away when factors such as work pressure, family obligations, health challenges, or personal circumstances lead them to miss church, be unable to participate in church ministries, or engage in certain lifestyles that cause distress to themselves and others. In such situations, they begin to question their own salvation. They feel a potential drift if they fail to attend every prayer meeting or if they are unable to contribute a significant amount to the offering when a missionary visits their church for fundraising, among countless other things that they consider vital to staying on the righteous path.

However, whatever this drifting away entails, it cannot be limited to the things mentioned earlier. The reason being, in verse 3, there is an unmistakable sense of urgency conveyed by the question, “how will we escape?” If the drifting away referred only to those aforementioned factors, then no Christian would be able to escape it, as all of us are susceptible to experiencing such circumstances that, whether justified or not, instill a fear of falling away within our hearts.

The method of salvation established by God cannot rely on a constantly changing foundation. If He has provided mankind with a singular path for salvation, then the loss of salvation must be attributed to a failure to follow that specific path. However, the prevailing message from numerous Christian sources appears to be far more intricate. According to these sources, while there is indeed one way to be saved, there are countless ways in which one can drift away, leading to eventual destruction.

Let us continue from the point where we ascertain what we may drift away from or towards. Without a clear identification of this aspect, a vast ecosystem of instructional guides may emerge, consuming significant resources without providing any substantial assistance.

The shedding of blood

Upon encountering this particular portion of the passage that states, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin,” our initial inclination is to associate it directly with our fight against the desires of the flesh. However, we must explore what the Book of Hebrews specifically conveys regarding the significance and intention behind the mention of bloodshed.

Within chapter 9 of the Book of Hebrews, the author delineates the duties of the priest, who would enter the most sacred area to offer the blood of bulls and goats as atonement for the sins of the people. In doing so, the author proceeds to draw a comparison between this blood, which provides only ritual or ceremonial purity, and the supreme significance of Christ’s blood. Unlike the inferior blood of animals, the blood of Christ possesses the power to dismantle the barrier between the holy of holies and the fallen world of human flesh, granting mankind access to God. This is accomplished by purifying their consciences.

¹³For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, ¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God (Hebrews 9:13-14).

In this context, whether it is the blood of animals or the Son of God, the role of blood is to provide the forgiveness that people require in their relationship with God. While the blood of animals offered temporary forgiveness, the blood of the Son of God brings eternal forgiveness. Both types of blood serve the purpose of forgiveness.

Hence, the statement “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin” does not primarily refer to the struggle against sinful temptations, but rather to the means by which one can atone for committed and future sins. All individuals are prone to sin, and the issue lies in how they can make amends for their transgressions. In the Old Covenant, ceremonial sacrifices of bulls and goats served as a temporary payment for sins, whereas in the New Covenant, Christ’s sacrifice provides eternal redemption. This is how He resists sin. It is important to recognize that Christ cannot be tempted due to His sinless nature and His divine identity as Almighty God. The purpose behind His shedding of blood is entirely distinct from the contemporary notion propagated by pulpits, which focuses on controlling one’s fleshly desires. Furthermore, we should have already learned from the requirement of animal sacrifices that shedding blood was not for combating sinful temptations, but for the forgiveness of human sins.

At this juncture, it seems appropriate to remove the aspect of shedding blood from the equation. However, despite this omission, the article cannot conclude abruptly, even though its title is “Resist Unto Blood.” The derived implications from the notions of “drifting away” and “the sin that easily entangles” still require further exploration and examination, as their significance is profound.

Back to “The Sin”

Let us revisit the inquiry: “What is the sin that easily entangles?” It is crucial to note that the question pertains not to various sins (plural), but rather to a singular sin that has a propensity for entanglement. We are seeking to identify one specific sin.

In John 16:8, Jesus describes the role of the Holy Spirit when He comes, which takes us back to a time long ago.

When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin … (John 16:8)

In what manner is the world mistaken concerning sin? The prevalent belief in the world is that sin pertains to the wrongdoing committed by individuals or the good actions they neglect to perform. How could they possibly be incorrect? However, Jesus proceeded to elaborate on this matter:

… in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me (John 16:8).

Even if someone were to succeed in avoiding the same sins committed by everyone else, they would still be in a state of sin due to their sinful nature. However, the moment they place their faith in Jesus, they are liberated from sin.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, and the responsibility of reconciliation was left in the hands of man, the task of reminding mankind of the true meaning of sin was given to the writer of Hebrews by God years later.

¹⁸And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? ¹⁹So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter (Hebrews 3:18-19).

God’s rest is a sacred space where sins are pardoned, allowing humanity to stand before God with uncovered faces, free from shame. It is a place where individuals can intimately connect with God as their loving Father, addressing Him as “Abba.” The writer of Hebrews, in his message, served as a reminder to his audience about a significant event when God’s people reached the Jordan River. At that juncture, all they needed to do was obey God’s command to cross the Jordan in order to enter the long-awaited promised land. However, instead of trusting in God’s promise to lead them into the land, they succumbed to doubt and fear by heeding the discouraging report of the ten spies who spoke of formidable giants inhabiting the land. This act of disobedience and lack of faith incited God’s wrath, resulting in His solemn declaration that they would never attain His rest.

Once again, the writer of Hebrews reasserted the same message conveyed by Jesus regarding the nature of sin: unbelief.

This is the very sin that ensnares individuals, leading many to fall short of embracing Jesus’ promise of salvation for those who put their faith in Him. It is the sin that arises from ministries meant to reconcile people to God but, unfortunately, results in their further drift away from Him. These ministries, by focusing their efforts on battling against multiple sins instead of aiding individuals in wholeheartedly believing in the One whom God had sent (John 6:29), prove themselves misguided in their understanding of sin.

The drift away …

Let us reconsider the verse from Hebrews 2:1, which states, “Therefore, we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” What exactly had they heard? Was it not the fundamental truth that the ultimate sin is the sin of unbelief? Did they not hear that those who possess the Son have eternal life (1 John 5:2)? Should they not recall the consequences faced by those who failed to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land due to their unbelief? Should they not remember the words of Jesus when He walked among them, proclaiming that the true sin is the sin of not believing in Him (John 16:8)?

Stay anchored to, don’t drift away from, the timeless truth that Jesus is the only way to God, the embodiment of truth, and the source of eternal life. Avoid any temptation to add or subtract from this simple yet profound message.

Resist unto blood

Let us reexamine the prevailing belief that the sins we must resist to the point of shedding blood are those contrary to expected Christian conduct. However, as demonstrated in the preceding section on “The shedding of blood,” this interpretation does not pertain to the struggle against our human nature, but rather to the forgiveness of sins. Allow me to reiterate the crucial verse within its immediate context here:

³Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. ⁴You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin (Hebrews 12:2-4).

Verse 3, as mentioned earlier, illustrates the struggle against sin that Jesus endured from sinners. It serves as an encouragement for us not to grow weary when we encounter opposition while serving as ambassadors for Christ. Unlike Jesus, who endured to the point of shedding His blood, the Hebrews writer reminds the readers that they have not yet faced the same extreme circumstances. However, regardless of whether they will ever have to shed blood, the struggle described in this context is not against their own flesh but against external factors, be it someone or something else. Therefore, in the context of Hebrews 12:4, the struggle pertains to the sins of others, not their own. Consequently, misinterpreting and misapplying this verse traps Christians in a cycle of frustration without a means of escape, as they try to combat an enemy that has already been rendered powerless. Nevertheless, this enemy remains formidable, as it looms large in their unbelieving hearts. In this sense, it becomes an imaginary foe that cannot be overcome, akin to the giants perceived by the unbelieving ten spies in the promised land.

In Conclusion

The act of shedding blood is not about engaging in a battle against the flesh; rather, it is intricately linked to the forgiveness of sin, a provision that only Jesus can offer. In the Old Covenant, the shedding of blood was accomplished through the sacrifice of unblemished bulls or goats, but its efficacy was limited. However, in the New Covenant, the shedding of blood is exclusively and supremely accomplished through the Son of God. It is through His sacrificial offering that life-giving righteousness is granted to those who believe. Apart from these prescribed instances, there is no other shedding of blood within God’s plan of salvation.

The sin that causes great hindrance is none other than the sin of unbelief, which refers to the failure to put complete trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross for one’s salvation.

During Jesus’ struggle against the sin of the unbelieving world, he endured to the point of shedding his own blood. As ambassadors for Christ, some of us may also face opposition and challenges, but it is important to recognize that shedding our own blood is neither necessary nor effective in granting forgiveness to anyone.

The personal struggle against sins has already been overcome by Jesus through his death on the cross. Through our faith, we have also overcome the effects of sin. Our current struggle is not against our own flesh (as mentioned in Ephesians 6:12), but against spiritual forces that seek to undermine the effectiveness of Christ’s work. While we may still sin, our focus is no longer consumed by the issue of sin.

Nghi Nguyen

- Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.