12:1 (B) How is "every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us" (KJV) defined?
12:1 (B) How is "every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us" (KJV) defined?
Every weight here means everything that gets in the way of our Christians walk. If we are hanging onto anything that does not help us to advance the cause of Christ we must get rid of it, whatever it is (CP Mt 10:37-39; 16:24-26; Lu 14:25-33).
The sin which doth so easily beset us refers to any evil tendency in our life. Some believe it refers to a specific sin to which every believer has been addicted. Others believe that it refers to the sin of unbelief in this context, in contrast to faith, which was the subject of Chapter 11.
But any sin can easily beset us if our mind is not focused directly on Christ as the originator of faith (CP He 12:2). The faith-filled Christian walk demands perseverance and patient effort on the part of Christians.
It is likened to a race in which Christians are running, which they could never hope to win if they are encumbered by any excess weight, especially sin, that impedes their progress (CP 1Cor 9:24-27; Php 3:13-14; Col 3:1-11; 2Ti 2:4; 1Jn 2:14-17).