“14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Heb 12:14-17 AV)
As I celebrated the independence of our nation from Great Britain I again contemplated that document that declared such action on the part of the United States of America. Justification for such action was based upon a recognition of God and the self-evident truths that all men possessed. The desire of these men that crafted this declaration was not for power, money, or fame; but for liberty to pursue righteousness and justice. At the time of the declaration the battle for liberty had already begun and would not be finished without tremendous cost that tested their resolve and courage.
We usually focus on the military battles which may not be the most important challenges to the liberty that they so desperately sought. For underlying this effort were the battles of words, ideas, and philosophies. These battles continued to rage for years even after the military battles were over. I believe the end result culminated with a God inspired constitution, a humble God fearing president, and a nation dedicated to God. As an American Citizen I view this as my birthright. This is the heritage I celebrate.
I also recognize this is not the nation that I live in today. Many in this nation have rejected their heritage and forgotten where we have come from and how we got here. Our nations leaders have rejected God and neglected his commandments. Our elections increasingly reflect a population that is willing to trade our heritage and the tremendous blessings that it has brought to us for , in essence, a bowl of soup. In their short-sightedness they say as Esau did, “Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” (Ge 25:32 AV) Our elections have revealed a population willing to give up their liberty for promises of food, healthcare, and security. In return our government is able to supply these things temporarily, at least until they run out of our money. Which they already have done and now are borrowing money to continue the illusion.
I will suggest that Esau should rather have asked the question: What good is my living if I don’t have God’s blessing? If America continues to despise their birthright it may soon be too late to rescue the liberty we once had. And as Esau experienced, tears cannot restore that blessing. Only God can.
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Heb 12:14-17 AV)
Although I have intense concern for my nation and the direction that it is going, be advised, we as individuals are not in bondage to the choices of a nation. We can live in a liberty that only God can give and be recipients of the blessings that come with it.
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (Joh 8:36 AV
The freedom that Christ offers us is a freedom from the bondage to sin. Not just freedom from the penalties of sin but also freedom from sin itself. In Christ we are given a heritage and a birthright that is beyond our comprehension, eternal life. But be advised. Let us not despise our birthright and trade the liberty we have in Christ for false promises. The temporary pleasures of sin bring heart aches and pain. The promises of God are eternal and bring joy and contentment.
Bob Gunderson