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See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. ¹⁷ Afterwards, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

She took sermon notes, and I found a sheet in her Bible on which she had jotted down some great ‘quotable quotes.’ I was struck by this phrase: ‘Don’t sacrifice the ultimate on the altar of the immediate.’

That’s what Esau effectively did.

‘Short-term relief, long-term misery’, observes Tom Wright.

Someone said, ‘We make our choices, then our choices turn around and make us.’

Esau’s issue was not sexual, but he did nevertheless cave in to another lust of the flesh. He was like a child who preferred to have a chocolate bar, rather than a cheque for £1,000.

However, the text does speak seriously about avoiding sexual immorality. The church is increasingly hated in these days because we applaud, and communicate, and seek to honour the fences God, in His Word, has put around sex. ‘For best results follow the Maker’s Instructions’, and He who created human sexuality knows what is best for us. People are quick to say that the church is oppressive and repressive, but we want to simply say that the Lord has put those fences there for our protection, not to spoil our fun. He knows the danger that lies beyond them.

We cross His boundaries at our own peril.

‘God’s grace does not fail, but we can fail to depend on God’s grace. Esau is a warning to us not to live for lesser things.’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘New Testament Commentary’, p.841.

 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (New Living Translation)

To fall short of God’s grace is to fail to avail ourselves of it.

Hebrews 4:16 says:

”Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Whatever our trials, tests, temptations, challenges, difficulties etc, the grace of God is available to enable us to endure, resist, turn away, press on – whatever it is we need to do to ‘pursue holiness’.

‘God’s grace does not fail, but we can fail to take advantage of His grace. At the end of the chapter, there is another emphasis on grace (Heb.12:28).’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘New Testament Commentary’, p.841.

The way the ‘New Living Translation’ puts this, we see that we can remind each other of the resources richly available in Christ, and help one another lay hold of them. ”Peace” is important (v.14) because fellowship is crucial to growth in holiness. As Christians, we are to be watchful of the spiritual welfare of our brothers and sisters in the church.

One thing that can happen when someone fails to receive and rely on God’s grace, is that they can become a bitter root and cause trouble for the entire congregation. David Peterson, in the ‘New Bible Commentary’, says that the imagery recalls Dt.29:18, where Moses warned that bitterness could be spread throughout the entire community of God’s people by one rebellious member.

 Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. (The Message).

It is possible for Christians to disagree without being disagreeable. But where bitterness starts to mark the debate, and then fuel and control it…in that direction lies damage, and even, possibly, ruin.

 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Two other key verses come to mind:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)

 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18).

I find it interesting that the writer seems to be bracket peace and holiness together. To my mind, living at peace with others is a social manifestation of holiness. As we grow in our vertical relationship with God, so there should be a healthy outgrowth into our relationships at a horizontal level. (See 13:1-3, 7, 16,17).

What will it mean to ”Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy…”? Each one of us will need to think and pray this through, and then act accordingly.

‘It is not possible to live at peace with everyone, because some people will oppose us simply because of our faith in Christ. But we must try as far as possible to remain at peace with everyone. And if we are supposed to remain at peace with non-believers, how much more should we strive to remain at peace with our fellow-believers.’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.880.

Clearly, ”holiness” is not an optional extra for a few especially saintly types. Literally, ”be holy” means ‘pursue holiness.’ But we know from verse 10 that we cannot grow in holiness apart from God’s work in us.

The implications of verse 14 will be drawn out in the following verses

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

An old hymn says, ‘It is not by trying, but by trusting.’

Really?

We get the point, of course, that we are not saved by works, but I think the New Testament continually calls believers to try trustingly to make progress in the life of discipleship.

Someone said that grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to works.

Paul expresses the balance called for exquisitely in 1 Corinthians 15:10:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. (New Living Translation).

Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. (The Message).

Try trustingly!

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. (N.I.V.)

 So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! (The Message).

I have never been a great runner, but I discovered quite early on that, although I wasn’t fast, I could plod. I have a vivid memory from my teen years, of taking part in an inter-house cross-country run at school. I came close to last in the places, but I was nevertheless in the points, and my house scraped a win in the competition. I realise today, more than ever, that my P.E. master, Mr. Goodwin, was an outstanding psychologist, because he told me my house won because of me! His point was, of course, that I made an important contribution, and without it my house would have fallen short. But it makes me realise what a difference the right words from a wise coach can make to a runner.

Warren Wiersbe writes:

‘Hebrews 12:12-13 sound like a coach’s orders to his team! Lift up your hands! Strengthen those knees (Isa.35:3)! Get those lazy feet on the track (Prov.4:26)! On your mark, get set, GO!’ (‘New Testament Commentary’, p.840).

We have the privilege and responsibility to be coaches to one another in this ‘marathon’. It’s certainly not a sprint. We can help each other to keep moving towards the tape.

”And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…encouraging one another…” (10:24,25).

God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off big-time, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. (The Message).

I need to say that I have not known the levels of persecution experienced by these Hebrew Christians. This would be the case for most believers living in the Western world. But I think it is also true to say that many of us have gone through trials, hardships, losses we would not have chosen for ourselves. We would not have ticked those particular boxes on life’s menu. Nevertheless, speaking personally, I can say that I am grateful for all the things God did in me when it felt like life was beating up on me.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (v.11 ‘New International Version’).

Everything that comes our way is under His Sovereign control, and He uses it all for the furtherance of His purposes in us. It is also an indicator that we truly are His children. As someone said, you might wish you could discipline the neighbours’ kids, but you can only legitimately do it to your own your own.

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline,
    but don’t be crushed by it either.
It’s the child he loves that he disciplines;
    the child he embraces, he also corrects. (The Message).

I have a warm and vivid memory of sitting on my mother’s knee, feeling her loving embrace, just after being sternly disciplined for some misdemeanour. I can’t remember what wrong I had done, but I know I was in big trouble. The memory, however, is the feeling of warm assurance that I was deeply and tenderly loved, even though I was a ‘sinner’. The parental discipline I had experienced was not about expressing hatred, but was meant to be corrective and educational. The overwhelming memory was of feeling loved.

In the ‘New International Version’, the quote from Prov.3:11,12 is described as ”this word of encouragement” (5). The writer points out that in all their suffering, his readers have not yet had to die for their faith (unlike some of the ‘heroes’ mentioned in Hebrews 11). What they are going through is not a sign that God doesn’t love them. To the contrary, it is an indicator that they truly are His children.

…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Here are some thoughts from Warren Wiersbe on the life of faith in Jesus:

‘ ”Looking unto Jesus” describes an attitude of faith and not just a single act.

When our Lord was here on earth, He lived by faith. The mystery of His divine and human natures is too profound for us to understand fully, but we do know that He had to trust His Father in heaven as He lived day by day…The fact that Jesus prayed is evidence that He lived by faith.

Our Lord endured far more than did any of the heroes of faith named in Hebrews 11, and therefore He is a perfect example for us to follow…Like Peter, when we get our eyes of faith off the Saviour, we start to sink (Matt.14:22-33).

Since Christ is the ”author and finisher of our faith,” trusting Him releases His power in our lives. I could try to follow the example of some great athlete for years and still be a failure. But if, in my younger days, that athlete could have entered into my life and shared his know-how and ability with me, that would have made me a winner. Christ is both the exemplar and the enabler!‘ ‘New Testament Commentary’, p.839.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

”Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us not be distracted. Let us not gaze at all the pleasing things of the world. For if we do, we shall not be able to run in a straight line, but shall wander from side to side. And maybe we shall not even reach the finish line.’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.878.

The first readers of Hebrews were experiencing opposition to their faith, but Jesus faced ”such opposition”. No one has gone further than He in doing the will of God; no one has suffered so much in the cause of God. The key to living the Christian life is to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the initiator and completer of our faith. He got us started in the Christian life and He will bring everything to maturity. If we look at Jesus, we see in Him the hope that on the other side of pain there lies unending joy. He is our pattern and our prize.

I love how Eugene Peterson translates this in ‘The Message’:

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!