Striving For Holiness pt. 2

English Standard Version Chapter 12

15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Introduction

There is a common understanding in the Christianity that is practiced in western civilization that since we are under grace there is no need for believers to concern themselves with the pursuit of holiness in obedience to God.

This understanding is not something that comes from the Bible but it is derived from western culture and civilization.

The church is increasingly looking like the culture in an attempt to win the culture over. Culture is never won over that way. Simply because to be “won over” to God’s side is not done by attempts at being non-offensive. It is something that is simply not initiated by man.

The gospel being preached is the means that God has decreed to transform people. No one is “won over” by any other means than the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit opening the eyes of sinners to the truth of the gospel.

There is nothing wrong with being nice and respectful, and we certainly should strive to be in our evangelism, but our niceness and our respectfulness is not the means of the regeneration of the lost. The gospel message empowered by the Holy Spirit is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16-17).

And as we have seen over the past several weeks, the gospel is a gospel that in the end calls us to turn from sin. The gospel changes our disposition towards sin, because the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and empowers the believer in the battle against sin.

There is no other gospel but the Biblical one. If your view of the gospel contradicts the Bible then it is a false gospel and powerless to save yourself or anyone else. The gospel is a grace initiated gospel that produces fruit in keeping with repentance.

And our text this morning explains the emphasis of the grace dynamic which contextualizes the believer’s pursuit of holiness in obedience.

15. Look back at your text to Hebrews 12:15 where we see the emphasis of grace:

I. The Emphasis of Grace (15).

15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

As a Christian community they are to see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.

They have a responsibility and obligation towards others to assist them in obtaining grace through the secondary means of gospel proclamation.

Not just referring to salvation but the ongoing work of grace in the lives of their fellow believers as they are being sanctified in the body.

Remember theses were predominately Jewish believers who were coming to Christianity out of Judaism.

They would know all about the common tendency to be tempted to rely on their own good works as a basis of their justification before God.

Remember that justification is referring to being counted righteous by faith in Christ alone before God. The basis of our justification could never be our good works because all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags before Him (Isaiah 64:6).

Being justified by works only cultivates self-reliance in our hearts and it will in the end result in a root of bitterness. Which is exactly what Deuteronomy 29:18 warns us against.

Self-reliance turns us from a God reliance in a walk of faith and dependence on grace. Self reliance conditions the heart to find security in ourselves and not in the gospel of God’s gracious provision. In the end it is rooted in the prideful idolatry of the human heart and it actually comes natural to us but will lead us to disappointment.

It turns us inward looking to ourselves for our security and hope in life. And what do we find but a fallen and corrupt nature? And Hebrews 12:16-17 warn us by giving us a great example:

II. The Corruption of Flesh(16-17).

16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

The main verb is “See to it” from verse 15. Believers are to guard one another from sexual immorality and unholy action like Esau. If you think sexual immorality is no big deal you got that from the culture not the Bible.

You remember Esau don’t you? Jacob’s brother? (Genesis 27).

Esau was older but he sold his birthright as the oldest son for a bowl of stew. And yet still thought he would get the blessing. But Jacob disguised himself as Esau before Issac and recieved the blessing from Issac’s hand.

Esau sold it out of the motivation to satisfy his fleshly appetite to eat. The reference to sexual immoral behavior is probably in regards to his appetite for foreign and pagan women. And would refer to sexual immorality that is contrary to Biblical instruction.

When it was discovered what Jacob had done, Esau wanted the blessing but Issac said no, he only had one to give. Issac spoke over him but it was hardly a blessing.

Romans 9:10-13 gives us the theological backdrop for what was going on in the relationship between Jacob and Esau:

10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

God left Esau to himself and his status as firstborn was the basis by which he made his appeal. He acted out of how he was seen by Issac instead of God seeing him in His covenant favor.

No mistake that Issac was blind in this account. Which denotes the limited ability that man has to see when it comes to the eternal things of God.

Esau worshipped the appetites of his own fallen nature. Thinking that he could actually obligate God to bless him in the covenant because of his external actions while his heart’s focus was all about himself and his appetites.

Application

Christian the gospel of God makes us come to the biblical reality that salvation is of the Lord. It is initiated by Him and worked in us by Him and it is producing fruit in us because of Him.

This is the basis by which sovereign grace works in us. And it is the theological truth that undergirds us in the experiential dynamic of the Christian life. It is the spiritual life force in us as believers.

Trying to live out our Christianity without that spiritual life force in tact would be like trying to win the Daytona 500 on a bicycle.

Failures in our own efforts are dime a dozen. And the O.T. has more examples than just Esau of the failure of human ability to comply with God’s commands.

Did you ever try to do something that you just couldn’t do? You wanted to do it but you just couldn’t.

Trying to run faster than C.L. Thomas in the eighth grade. He had long skinny legs and was very athletic and I was, well the opposite. Regardless of how determined I was.

Some of you may even be thinking that maybe I could have talked to C.L. and got Him to run slower then maybe you could have beat him just once. That would be absurd.

There is nothing true about such a race because the standards of the ability of C.L. Thomas to run is compromised. He would only run in such a way as to accommodate me and my desire to win.

It is even more absurd to think that God would lessen His standards and minimize His the glory of His holiness just to make us feel better about ourselves and our own limited ability.

But many embrace that view and things like “Jacob I loved and Esau I hated” rub them the wrong way. No one likes it that Esau was out in the cold when it came to the covenant. They like a God who can be obligated by human actions of “goodness” regardless of the fleshly appetites of the sin nature. This is why the idea of repentance is often conveniently left out of the gospel and its implications.

This is why ministers today don’t preach against sin too often, if they ever do. Because the reality of sin reminds us that we don’t have what it takes to measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. God Himself must provide it for us in a way that is consistent with His holy nature.

Christian grace holds you up in Christ to the standard of God’s righteous holiness without compromising the character and nature of God. And in doing so turns us away from self and the pitfall of bitterness over the reality of our inability in our fallen nature. The gospel is all about God’s provision.

And we have to keep preaching it to one another and to ourselves because we are bent in a direction to trust in ourselves instead of the provision of God’s grace to us through Christ.

Unbeliever believe the gospel.

Just like God’s provision of an Ark to Noah when His wrath came upon the earth in the flood. The Ark had Noah and His family along with the appointed animals. God designed it and told Noah how to build it and He told him of His coming judgement. Scripture tells us in Genesis 6:8

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

God also told Noah who was going to get in the Ark. Just Noah and his family. The floods came and the Ark floated, the Ark rose above the waters. It was coated with pitch, sealed over to keep all the remnants of wrath out.

Christian that is what the gospel of grace does. It floats you up in Christ and protects you from the righteous judgement of God.

Can’t you imagine that Noah years after the flood looked at that Old Ark again and again as the reminder of the salvation of the Lord. I am sure it weathered and deteriorated over time but there it was that massive structure that testified to the gracious provision of God to him and his family when the judgement of God came on the earth.

Conclusion

Christian that is what this table is all about this morning. It is the perpetual reminder of God’s provision of grace to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This table proclaims the sufficiency of His death to us.

We can’t loose sight of the grace of God or we will gradually turn inwardly to ourselves and that which appeals to our own appetites.

In I Corinthians 11: 27-32 the Apostle Paul issues a warning in preparation for the Lord’s table.

Christian confess your sin and rest in Christ

Let’s pray. (Dustin Sings after Prayer)

No closed everyone together at the appointed time.

Give instruction*