Do You Seek God or Just His Blessings

That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Hebrews 12:16–17

Perhaps the saddest and most godless person in Scripture outside of Judas is Esau. On the surface, their acts against God do not seem as wicked as those of many brutal and heartless pagans. But the Bible strongly condemns them. They had great light. They had every possible opportunity, as much as any person in their times, of knowing and following God. They knew His word, had heard His promises, had seen His miracles, and had had fellowship with His people; yet with determined willfulness they turned their backs on God and the things of God.

Esau not only was immoral, but was godless. He had no ethics or faith, no scruples or reverence. He had no regard for the good, the truthful, the divine. He was totally worldly, totally secular, totally profane. Christians are to be vigilant that no persons such as Esau contaminate Christ’s Body. See to it … that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau.

Jacob, Esau’s brother, was not a model of ethics or integrity, but he genuinely valued the things of God. The birthright was precious to him, though he tried to procure it by devious means. He basically trusted God and relied on God; his brother disregarded God and trusted only in himself.

When Esau finally woke up to some extent and realized what he had forsaken, he made a half-hearted attempt to retrieve it. Just because he sought for it with tears does not indicate sincerity or true remorse. He found no place for repentance. He bitterly regretted, but he did not repent. He selfishly wanted God’s blessings, but he did not want God. He had fully apostatized, and was forever outside the pale of God’s grace. He went on “sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth,” and there no longer remained any sacrifice to cover his sins (Heb. 10:26).

We must be vigilant so that no one turns from the truth, becomes bitter, or follows the course of selfish Esau, who wanted God’s blessing desperately—but not on God’s terms (cf.Mark 10:17–22).

Comments

Is Your Pastor a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?

In this age of cultural Christianity, and what I mean by that is Christianity that is changed to fit the current popular ideas. Christianity that is custom tailored to suit the community’s various wants, tastes, and needs. Did you know that when one of the trendy new “modern churches” are planning to plant a campus (that’s the new trendy name for these modern, progressive churches now, “campuses” ) they send interviewers into the community to talk with people to find out what they want in a church. What sort of programs they like and what kind of sermons they want to hear, and then they tailor the entire worship service around what the community wants. This is not church folks, this is a social club. The problem with this new fangled Christianity is that people may know very well what they want, but what they need is an entirely different story. Many people today want to be entertained in a worship service. They want loud music, they want drama skits...

The Nahum Principle

This principle is clearly taught in the prophetic message that God gave to Nahum to deliver to Nianevah, the capitol of the Assyrian empire. Nahum pronounced that the nation’s wounds had become “incurable” ( Nahum 3:19 ). Jeremiah used this same terminology when he later pronounced God’s doom upon Judah. Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you Will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually. It is an ominous message of truth that Americans, even Christians, will rebel against. The Christian community will reject it because it has compromised its values with the world, it has wrapped itself in the flag...

A Beautiful Doctrine

A Beautiful Doctrine In some churches, it is a word that conjures up images of an angry and capricious God who acts arbitrarily to save some, but consigns most sinners, including deceased infants, to eternal Hell. For many professing Christians, it is the mother of all swear words. Let the pastor breathe it in the presence of the deacon board and he risks firing, fisticuffs or worse. A God who chooses is anti-American, anti-democracy. It bespeaks a long-faced, puritanical religion, a doctrinal novelty invented by a maniacal 16th-century minister whose progeny manufactured a theological “-ism” that has plunged countless souls into a godless eternity. In other churches, it is a cherished word that describes a beloved doctrine, one that bestows comfort and unshakable confidence that not one maverick molecule, not one rebel subatomic particle exists outside of God’s loving providential control, even in the matter of salvation. Want to start a lively convers...

The Faithful Christian a blog of The Lighthouse Ministries

Search This Blog