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True Beauty by Porter Johnson
I
n December of 2021, I went on a backpacking trip to Big
all hindrances are sins. Therefore, God’s people must not be
Bend National Park in Texas. My best friend and I were
content with asking the question, “Is this a sin?” Christians
celebrating college graduation. When we planned the trip,
must move forward to the question, “Does this help me run
I didn’t know that the park has an incredible view of the stars at night. Big Bend is one of the top five darkest places
after God?” When we conclude that an action, relationship,
in the United States. There is virtually no light pollution, so
substance, topic of conversation, or anything else does not
you can see every star in the sky. I thought I had seen the
help us run the race of life, the biblical command is to lay
beauty of the stars growing up in the mountains of Northwest Georgia, but I had no idea their true beauty until I saw them in Big Bend. The point of this story is that I could not see the true beauty of the stars until all light pollution was removed from my sight. Similarly, we cannot see the full beauty of God until all hindrances and sins are removed from our hearts. “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross,
it aside. Paul wrote a parallel statement in 1 Corinthians
despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
10:23, “‘Everything is permissible,’ but not everything is
throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2, CSB).
beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible,’ but not everything
There is a significant nuance in this passage from the
builds up.” The heartbeat of a born-again Christian is to get
book of Hebrews. An exhortation to lay things aside in order
closer to God. Nearness to God is best accomplished when
to run after God is found. The author encourages readers to
all hindrances and sins have been cast aside. Dear Christian,
“lay aside every hindrance and sin that so easily ensnares
lay aside sins and lay aside all other hindrances as well.
us.” It is easy to see that sins will hold the Christian back
Then you will be able to run with endurance the race that is
from seeing God. However, sins are not the only thing
set out for you, and you will clearly gaze upon the beauty of
that keeps Christians from running with endurance.
the Savior.
hindrances and sins. According to this passage, there are hindrances that are not sins. All sins are hindrances, but not
52 // April 2022
About The Author
Hebrews 12:1-2 specifies that Christians must lay aside both Porter Johnson is a Shorter University Graduate, a current student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and College Pastor at Sherwood Rome.
