WisconsinChristianNews.com
Page 17
Volume 26, Issue 6
By Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Set Apart Ministries The Sin That So Easily Entangles Us
ties and one who has borne witness to his faith.” it further notes: used in Hebrews 12:1, and trans- lated “which doth so easily beset,” lit. signifies “stand- ing well (i.e., easily) around” (eu, “well,” “peri,” “around,” statos, “stand- ing,” i.e., easily encom- passing). It describes sin as having advantage in favor of its prevailing. It is the same word
October 2025 “He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he him- self is also subject to [entangled -encom- passed about by] weakness.” Hebrews 5:2
NKJV. “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews 11:39-40 NKJV. “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 NASB. The phrase “so easily entangled by sin” is what caught my eye and my heart. We are living in a time of great deception and du- plicity. As our Elohim outlined in Scriptures, He had guidelines for how our communities or assemblies were to function…and operating within that framework provided protection for those who honored His ways as well as those who had yet to come to a personal understanding and choice to walk in His ways. Today, paraphrasing as Dr. James Dobson used to say, all the doors on the hallway of life that led to dangerous things were firmly closed to us during childhood but now they are all wide open. As I considered this verse and how it applies for us today, I saw that many commentators concentrate on trying to figure out just what “the sin” is. There is no entirely conclusive answer to that. Here is one of the more clear statements about “sin” but not THE sin noted here. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4 NKJV. Although some sin is clearly delineated in Scriptures, some is also more personally relevant. It may pertain specifically to any kind of direction that our Father has given someone and their choice to go the other way. When Messiah walked on the earth, He was surrounded/en- compassed by people who were lost. He was entangled with those in sin yet did not sin Himself. He knows exactly what kind of temptations and opportunities to sin that we all face. As we approach the end of the age and time of Messiah’s re- turn, opportunities to sin abound and children are not only not shielded from it, they are all too often victims of it and even in- volved in committing violent crime. In Hebrews 11, we find an awesome compilation of all those who walked through the sinfulness around them and found their faith could hold. Today, there seems to be some kind of revival or renewal of faith, especially since Charlie Kirk’s death. I do hope and pray that this is seed that falls on good ground and can reproduce, not like the temporary “explosion of faith” that followed 9/11 and quickly faded. However it goes, each of us has a personal choice: follow Mes- siah and His ways or accommodate the world system, the flesh and the adversary. The ease of our becoming entangled in sin just has gotten more blatant to me in recent years. The devel- opment of Artificial Intelligence, or as some say, “Ancient Intel- ligence,” as it quickly enters the main stream of life, is capable of some good but also riff with dangers; particularly deception and control of humanity. Our vulnerability there is too often sim- ply preferring convenience...we are willing to allow someone or something to make our lives easier without realizing the potential dangers. If any of us trust our own selves/flesh to be able to entirely avoid sin, we will be found mistaken and in deep trouble! The good news is that our Father already knows how vulnerable we are and has provided the way through Messiah’s work on our behalf. This is not new to any readers probably, but the actual outworking of it is still awe inspiring to me! I started parsing out this phrase, “entangled in sin” and moved outward as I considered other important works in the verses. Looking at the entire context led me to examine Hebrews 11 as well. The “Therefore” in the next verse refers to that material in chapter 11 as the “solid reason and definitive source;” NOT just a possibility. S5105 per Strongs: “This phrase has a confirma- tory sense, rather than a modifying effect.” These verses compare the crowd of witnesses which sur- rounds us and the entanglement of sin that also surrounds us. It is really not a specific sin that is being addressed here so much as a process. The Greek word, Perikeimai, G4029 is what is underneath “en- tangled” in Hebrews 12:1 but also the earlier phrase “encom- passed about by a great cloud of witnesses.” Vine’s Expository Dictionary notes that it can refer “to being bound, to being fet- tered, to hang about a person’s neck, metaphorically to infirmi-
found here… “But who- ever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” Matthew 9:42. This led me to consider what I could learn from the “cloud of witnesses” that encompass us. The word for “cloud” is G3509 “nephos” and per Outline of Biblical Usage refers to a great shapeless vapor in the sky and metaphorically to a throng or a crowd of people. This is confirmed in Vine’s expository Diction- ary. “Witnesses” is G3144, martys which is easy to see as the Eng- lish word, “Martyr,” and refers to a spectator in a legal sense and Outline of Biblical Usage confirms “in an ethical sense those who after his example have proved the strength and genuine- ness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death.” I really appreciated the Outline of Biblical Usage observations on the word “compassion” G3356, metriopathe ō as used in Hebrews 5:2: 1). to be affected moderately or in due measure. 2). to preserve moderation in the passions, esp. anger or grief of one who is not unduly disturbed by the errors, faults, sins of others, but bears them gently. I think this is a worthy goal for all of us, to show compassion, meaning to not be “unduly disturbed” but bearing gently the fail- ings of others. “Bearing gently:” remembering that all of us can be misled or fall at nearly any time and thus moderate in our re- actions when it happens. Although this is sometimes true of me, I do wish I could report it is ALWAYS so… Reader, how are you doing? I don’t think this means excusing failures so much as not com- ing from any kind of arrogant place that would imply that “this would NEVER have happened to me!” “There but for the grace of God go I.” This statement about our humility is or WAS commonly known although there are sev- eral possible sources as to who said it. In this case, as A.W. Tozer observed, the “bird of truth has two wings;” the balance between humility and grace and know- ing when accountability still applies. To encompass about still seems to me to carry a reflection of the importance of boundaries, or a wall. One Hebrew word for “wall” is Chomah which refers to an encircling/encompassing wall, is a central point of a series of intensive studies on Prepar- ing Messiah’s Bride, found on our website. Specifically: I am a Wall in Need of Rebuilding: https://set-apart-ministries.org/our- teachings/articles/index.php?cat_id=6&id=22 I put together the more full picture I now have of this portion
ing most overwhelmed with the difficulties of our lives is also when we most need to remain on guard, looking to Messiah, ap- preciating receiving and offering encouragement to those around us to remain faithful. Many years ago, I wrote an article about difficult times and whether we would allow them to spin us closer together or fur- ther apart. We do have the choice but it may seem counterintu- itive when the world offers to make life easier for us if we will only go along with their ways! It isn’t a trite saying that we need to look OVER our circum- stances, especially when they are most compelling to fall entirely into them! As I wrote last month, I am seeing the importance of being able to experience things, feel them or grieve them but then accept and move on more quickly rather than dwelling in what HAS been. The more I have been researching some diffi- cult topics presented in the Word, the more I am finding that there are many things that may not actually be as they have ap- peared… so again, we must look to Messiah first to be found in Him; looking at all things through His eyes…not in our flesh, or soul. We need to be in alignment with His plan and purposes: body submitted to the soul, soul submitted to our human spirit and our spirit submitted to the Holy Spirit.We do this through prayer, asking HIM to bring us into alignment with Him. In this way, things of the world don’t look nearly as inviting and we are less likely to be entangled in sin. It is as in the days of Pharoah, when he took away the straw the Israelites needed to make brick, yet told them to make as many bricks…thinking that the extra burden would so consume them that they would forget all about honoring God. Does your modern-day Pharoah keep demanding more bricks from less straw? What will be your response? “[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to ma- turity], Who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].” Hebrews 12:2 AMP. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 NKJV. ONLINE: Set-Apart-Ministries.org EMAIL: info@set-apart-ministries.org
referring to sin entangling us as it appears to me. In the context of there being an ongoing assembly of those who have endured retributions and sin and yet remained faithful, we can be encouraged ourselves and empowered by their experience and presence around us to have confidence in the compassion of our Father and His Messiah even when we fall. It seems to me to be yet another form of “iron sharpening iron” as we live out our time here before eternity…in the context of com- munity! When we stand together and grow together we are coming more and more into the likeness of our Messiah. We will not be perfected standing alone but in the company of others. “In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22 NKJV. “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spir- itual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5 NKJV. The adversary is quite bold now as it appears its time may be short. Just when we may be feel-
There is a difference between the western/Greek way of thinking and interpreting Scripture and the Hebraic worldview context that our Father chose to usher in our Messiah. The foundation of the Old Testament gives us what we need to correctly understand all that happens in and since the New Testament times. Join in with us for a topical Bible study that identifies the context of the Hebrew worldview and how it is that we have come to believe that the WHOLE Bible remains relevant and necessary for us today. The WHOLE Bible Is Relevant!
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“Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the command- ments of God and their faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12 NASB).
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