The Christian life is not intended to operate on a minimalist ethic, on prohibitions. Don't touch that, don't do this, avoid that. Success in the Christian life is not merely a matter of avoiding sin, and yet often we make it into a life of exclusions. This is a point John Piper makes in his 1997 sermon titled "Running with the Witnesses," a sermon on Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 on laying aside every weight.

Here's what he said. Everything else in this text explains running or motivates running. So the point is don't stroll, don't meander, and don't wander about aimlessly. Run as in a race with a finish line where everything hangs on the race. Now what supports it? In verse 1 there are a couple of things said here as a means to running.

It says, "Lay aside every encumbrance and sin which so easily entangles us." Now I remember as a boy the effect a sermon had on me on this verse. The only thing I remember was the distinction that the preacher made between, he was preaching from the King James at the time, weights, translated encumbrances here, and sins.

And he looked out on us and he said, "Not just sins, don't just lay aside sins to run this race, lay aside every other weight that gets in your way." As a boy, you know what the effect, it was a revolutionary effect that that had on me. Because what it said to me was, and I speak it now especially for young people, kids if you can get this, but especially young teenagers and teenagers, but it applies to everybody.

What this says is, don't just ask, "What's wrong with it?" in life. Don't just say about your music, about your movies, about your parties, about your habits, about your computer games. Don't just say, "Well what's wrong with it?" Don't just ask, "Is it a sin?" That's about the lowest question you can ask in life.

I'm going to do it if it's not a sin. So tell me, is it a sin to do this? Well, not exactly. Okay, that's all I want to know. I'm going to have to do it. And the preacher said, and I'm the preacher now, saying, this text says, "Look to Jesus and lay aside sins for sure and lots of other stuff too." Now that's a different way to live.

So what, well, preacher, what question as a 13 year old, 14 year old, should I ask if it's not, "Is it a sin?" And the answer is, "Does it help me run?" That's the answer. Does it get in my way when I'm trying to become more patient, more kind, more gentle, more loving, more holy, more pure, more self-controlled?

Does it get in my way or does it help me run? That's the question to ask. Ask the maximal righteousness question, not the minimal righteousness question. That was the difference it made in my life. And I've been ever since then, I didn't always live up to this. I'm not making any claim that from age 12 on I did some great spiritual thing, but, oh, I had a trajectory that was so much better than the minimalist ethic that comes with, "Well, what's wrong with it?

What's wrong with it?" "Well, I don't even want to talk about what's wrong with it. Let's talk about, does it help me run?" Now, you know why that question isn't very often asked? Because we're not passionate runners. We don't want to run. We don't get up in the morning saying, "What's the course today?

What's the course of purity? What's the course of holiness? What's the course of humility? What's the course of justice? What's the course of righteousness? What's the course of love? What's the course of self-control? What's the course of courage and witness? Oh, God, I want to maximize my running today." If you have that mentality about your life, then you'll ask, not, "How many sins can I avoid, but how many weights can I lay down so that I am fleet-footed in the race of righteousness?" So good.

That was from John Piper's sermon on August 17th, 1997, titled "Running with the Witnesses." It's one of many of his sermons we host in their entirety at DesiringGod.org. This sermon clip was sent in by podcast listener Alexander from the Ukraine. Thank you, Alexander, for this. We need your sermon clips.

If you have a favorite section from a John Piper sermon, send us the name of the sermon and the timestamps of when and where the clip appears in the audio, and we'll share it on this podcast. And of course, we'll give you credit for it. Send us the details in an email to askpastorjohn@desiringgod.org, and put the word "clip" in the subject line.

Well, we often struggle to read our Bibles, and the struggle is often with doubt and cynicism. It's a spiritual battle we face whenever we open our Bibles. And tomorrow, John Piper will explain this dynamic and what we can do to confront it. I'm your host, Tony Ranke. Thanks for listening to the Ask Pastor John podcast.

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