Warning against Refusing God (12:14-12:28)
The Letter to the Hebrews
12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one
misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause
trouble and defile many.
Living at peace with all men means living a life of forgiveness
because as sinners we will wound each other emotionally with the
passage of time. Holiness is an exclusive characteristic of God and
we find holiness only as we are close to God. We only come close
to God through his grace and forgiveness since in our sinful nature
we are hostile to God (Romans 8:7). When grace is not cherished
bitterness is the natural result in the human heart. This bitterness is
the cause of gossip and malice and the desire for revenge. Only
God’s grace can deal with the latent bitterness of the carnal nature.
12:16 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 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing,
he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though
he sought the blessing with tears.
Esau is prophetic of Judas who was in the same boat as the other
disciples, literally and idiomatically. But when he was sorry for his
betrayal he could not find it in his heart to fall at the feet of Jesus
Christ and be reconciled. Why not? Where does this idea come
from that we cannot repent? Why does the devil not repent? Why
is it too late for him to repent? Because he has purposefully violated
his own integrity so many times that he now doubts his own
sincerity. As a consequence one comes to doubt the forgiveness of
God.
Unbelief or un-faith may also be that one has exchanged the
truth for a lie that one now believes. Abusive people have repeated
their actions so many times they now believe they are doing what
is right. A hardened heart is one that is in denial, one that cannot
repent because it honestly does not see the problem. The heart is
hardened to the point it cannot comprehend another point of view.
When this point is reached then all the opportunity to change is
rejected in self-righteousness.
Extract;
Letter to the Hebrews by Ian Hartley
The Letter to the Hebrews
12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one
misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause
trouble and defile many.
Living at peace with all men means living a life of forgiveness
because as sinners we will wound each other emotionally with the
passage of time. Holiness is an exclusive characteristic of God and
we find holiness only as we are close to God. We only come close
to God through his grace and forgiveness since in our sinful nature
we are hostile to God (Romans 8:7). When grace is not cherished
bitterness is the natural result in the human heart. This bitterness is
the cause of gossip and malice and the desire for revenge. Only
God’s grace can deal with the latent bitterness of the carnal nature.
12:16 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 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing,
he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though
he sought the blessing with tears.
Esau is prophetic of Judas who was in the same boat as the other
disciples, literally and idiomatically. But when he was sorry for his
betrayal he could not find it in his heart to fall at the feet of Jesus
Christ and be reconciled. Why not? Where does this idea come
from that we cannot repent? Why does the devil not repent? Why
is it too late for him to repent? Because he has purposefully violated
his own integrity so many times that he now doubts his own
sincerity. As a consequence one comes to doubt the forgiveness of
God.
Unbelief or un-faith may also be that one has exchanged the
truth for a lie that one now believes. Abusive people have repeated
their actions so many times they now believe they are doing what
is right. A hardened heart is one that is in denial, one that cannot
repent because it honestly does not see the problem. The heart is
hardened to the point it cannot comprehend another point of view.
When this point is reached then all the opportunity to change is
rejected in self-righteousness.
Extract;
Letter to the Hebrews by Ian Hartley
