Bible Study
Hello there,
Welcome to the second part of this short blogpost series. This study has been both sobering and liberating for me. And I pray it blesses you too.
Friends, we are in a race, a faith race. We should aim for the finish line where our faith is perfected and completed and we’re welcome warmly by Heaven.
Our text is Hebrews 12, particularly verses 1-2
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
Hebrews 12:1 NKJV
In the first part we said; Weights Won’t Let Us Run and successfully complete our race of faith. We teased out 2 race-limiting weights from Hebrews 12;
1. Bitterness resulting from unearned hostility
2. Resentment resulting from chastening.
Now to number 3…
3. Unbelief resulting from godlessness (and vice versa)
“and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.”
Hebrews 12:16 AMP
“lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.”
Hebrews 12:16 NKJV
Esau: An Example of Profanity
I find it particularly instructive that Esau was Hebrews 12 example of godlessness.. Esau’s crime essentially was that he lacked the fear of the Lord. He had no regard for holiness and righteousness. He lived and exhibited unbelief and that informed his way of life.
Unbelief is simply a lack of faith in something.
So here is Esau, with a firstborn position, a free gift from God that endowed him with lots of privileges, but alas, Easu didn’t see any advantage in being firstborn.
What positional gifts do we have as sons of God but may not be fully utilizing? …healing, riches, deliverance, protection, peace, etc. All Esau needed to do was recognize his gift, recognize the Giver, accept and settle into his gift, to just live his gift (selah).
If we don’t appreciate our rights and privileges in Christ, and don’t appreciate the difference they can make, we’re unlikely to appreciate the Giver. And one of the dangers of not recognizing our privileged position is that over time we feel hopeless, unloved, uncared for, which can again lead to unbelief and eventually we choose our own way (godlessness). Seems like a vicious circle to me.
See how the word profane is succinctly used to describe Esau…
A profane thing is something that is more secular than religious or sacred. And a profane person is someone lacking reverence or respect for sacred or religious practice. Notice how Hebrews 12:16 first mentions sexual sin as an act of godlessness before quickly connecting Esau’s profanity. Why so? Because both are related and both show poor prioritizing. Esau put his belly (food, appetite) above a divine privilege to lead. Just the same way a fornicator consciously makes a decision to satisfy his sexual urges and desires, disregarding God’s commands.
Can we be living this way and not know it? Are we in anyway putting our belly above our divinity? At work? In our marriages? Relationships? Interactions? etc, etc
These urges, desires and perceived needs are best handled, where a healthy relationship exists between us and God. Then we know His thoughts, and we are guided by His Spirit. This way, we never go astray.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”
Galatians 5:16 NKJV
Esau was godless, he had no regard for God and therefore did not value the gift of his birthright. Self gratification seldom regards or recognizes the place of divinity. And sometimes, people purposely choose to live an unguided live, so that they’re under no obligation to be Godly or do right.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting“
Romans 1:28 NKJV
This is commonly seen among unbelievers. They live in and exhibit unbelief. I’ve met people who don’t want to become born again simply because they’re not ready to forsake certain habits and start living right.
Sadly, some ‘Christians’ also fall into this group. Probably more disturbing is a situation where a church group is known to believe and operate under the illusion of ‘once saved, always saved’. Salvation therefore being seen as a license to be immersed in iniquity.
Godlessness is many times an expression of unbelief. God hates unbelief, He abhors it, He detests it, God cannot be God to us where we allow unbelief. Unbelief limits God, unbelief restrains God from blessing us, unbelief does not allow us to maximize our benefits in Christ, and so unbelief ultimately steals from us. Unbelief is a besetting sin. We will not complete our race of faith living like this. Lay it aside.
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.“
Hebrews 4:11 KJV
4. Strife resulting from unguided envy and jealousy
Everyone gets a little envious sometimes. The problem is not the transient burst of envy we feel, but a decision to accommodate envy and act on it. Many times, the reactions that follow aim to prove the other person wrong, portray him or her as inferior to us or to make ourselves appear better. That is competition, contention, and strife.
What Is Strife?
Strife means vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism, quarrel, struggle, competition or rivalry, struggle, contention, contest, animosity, disagreement, discord, bickering, etc
Strife is also subtly mentioned or at least implied in Hebrews chapter 12;
“Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14 AMP
And I say that because, if according to Hebrews 12:14, we are to; ‘continually pursue peace’, then when we continually engage in competition, quarrels, bickering, that is walking in strife. The antonyms for strife include; good will, peace, amity, friendliness, etc
Strife In Preaching
See something else about Strife….some people even preach from strife……
“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill”
Philippians 1:15 NKJV
Pastor rising against Pastor. Brother rising against brother.
“For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”
I Corinthians 1:11-12 NKJV
Clearly, these acts lead to division in the Body of Christ. We will not finish our race of faith this way…. 1 Timothy 6:3 admonishes us to disconnect from these kind of preachers…
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself“
I Timothy 6:3-5 NKJV
“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy”
Romans 13:13 NKJV
How Strife Emanates
According to Proverbs 26:20, strife doesn’t just happen, it is incited. Listening to gossips, having a tendency to twist and misunderstand what people say, predisposes one to expressing strife.
“Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.“
Proverbs 26:20 NKJV
God abhors godlessness. And God Already Gave A way Out through the sacrifice of Jesus.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness“
Romans 1:18 NKJV
Making Jesus Lord and Savior of your life is the only way to avoiding the eternal condemnation for godlessness. And if you are already a Believer, walk in the Spirit and you will not satisfy the urges and desires of the flesh.
Thanks for being a part of this study. The third and concluding part will be on; how to successfully lay aside the weights and besetting sin we have discussed.
Have a Blessed Week!
