OUR TRUE
BIRTHRIGHT
Introduction:
Liberty
or Freedom is one of the inalienable rights that Americans cherish. You know what
it is to fight for, obtain, and retain Freedom at all costs? How do we define
what real Freedom is? From what are we freed? Freedom at what cost? On January
6th, to maintain their privileges, an unruly mob of rioters
vandalized Capitol Hill. It was a frightening sight to watch.
This revolt resulted in damage to property and five
lives lost. Many rioters are supposedly have been Christians, only in namesake,
carrying banners like "Jesus Saves." How could any faithful follower
of Christ justify such heinous acts committed in the name of Freedom? In this
emotionally heightened situation, let us hear the words of Abraham Lincoln.
According to an eyewitness, Lincoln spoke to the crowd
of slaves around him: "My poor friends, you are free--free as air. You can
cast off the name of a slave and trample upon it. Liberty is your birthright."
But Lincoln also warned them not to abuse their Freedom.
"Let the world see that you merit [your freedom],"
Lincoln said, "Don't let your joy carry you into excesses. Learn the laws
and obey them."[1] That is very much like the
message Jesus gives to those he has liberated by his death and resurrection.
Jesus gives us our true birthright—spiritual Freedom. But Freedom isn't an excuse for disobedience; it forms the basis for learning
and obeying God's laws. It gives us direction in action. Last week we saw how
God addresses us as his sons and daughters. John 1:12, "But to all who
believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."
Our true birthright is that God has set us free from
our bondage to sin and given us new birth into His family of light. By a birth
that comes only from God, we become His children. How are we to exercise and hold
on to Our True Birthright? Hebrew 12:14-17
After establishing that God is our father,
and we are his sons and daughters, the author explains our spiritual birthright
comes with responsibilities. He gives four instructions on how God's children
must behave among the unbelievers in this world. Let us look at them one by
one.
I.
A CALL TO LIVE IN PEACE
Vs. 14, "Work at living in peace with everyone."
It is one thing to know that God is our father, but it is another thing to live
like the children of God. Our true birthright gives us access to all that God
has for us, but it also lays a tremendous burden on us to bear.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman believers how God
would exhibit his children to the world one day. Romans 8:19, "For all
creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his
children really are." In one way, that day of reckoning has already come.
We are a small fraction of God's children, bearing His
name in this fallen world. The world is watching how God's people will respond
when they face challenging situations. Unfortunately, the world watched the
events unfolded in the past few weeks, and they cast a dark shadow on
Evangelical Christians in our country. Such events hinder the cause of Christ.
We are called to pursue peace, not with some but with
everyone. Why Peace and why with everyone? Here the verb pursue is not a one-time
thing but calls for continued action. This theme of seeking Peace is a repeated
theme in the scriptures. Consider the following:
Psalm 34:14, "Turn away from evil and do good. Search
for Peace, and work to maintain it." Romans 14:19, "Let us,
therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual
edification." During a sermon on the mount, Jesus called out his disciples
to be different than the hypocritical Pharisees and power-mongering religious
leaders of his time. Matt 5:9, "God blesses those who work for peace, for
they will be called the children of God."
The world needs Peace, and our country desperately
needs peace and healing. Jesus gave a gift of Peace to his followers. John
14:27, "I am leaving you with a gift—Peace of mind and heart. And the Peace
I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don't be troubled or afraid."
Are you afraid and in need of Peace? Don't look to political
leaders who might be selfish and only concerned about their ambitions, but look
to Jesus, who gives you Peace of mind and heart. If we call ourselves God's
children, we must follow the example of Jesus. It is not enough for us to sing
or say, "Peace on Earth," but do all we can to live in peace with
everyone. One day Christ will establish His Kingdom of Peace. Until such time
we are called to Purse Peace.
II.
A CALL TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE
Vs. 14b, "and work at living a holy life, for
those who are not holy will not see the Lord." Part of exercising and
maintaining our true birthright as children of God is to work at living a holy
life. Last week we looked at how God disciplines and punishes his children by
sending all kinds of trails so that we might share in his holiness. As a child
of God, we must live holy lives.
Holy living doesn't necessarily mean sinless living
because as long as we live in this fallen world, we are prone to sin, but it
does mean that we live as we belong to God. When we recognize that we are set
apart for God and His purposes, we try to get rid of ourselves from every sin
that easily entangles us. Holy living affects the choices we make regarding
relationships, food, entertainment, etc. Living a set-apart life is our true
birthright.
III.
A CALL TO LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER
Vs. 15, "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." In this scripture,
our birthright is best exercised in the context of a church. Again, the verb
here implies a continued action. What does "look after each other,"
and in NASB, "See to it," mean?
It calls for the corporate responsibility of the
believers in the family of God. We are called to watch our own lives to give a
testimony of Peace and holiness and help struggling believers in their faith
and those who need salvation. There is strength and safety when you belong to a
group of believers than trying to run your Christian life all by yourself.
If you are not yet already, I challenge you to be part
of the Sunday Bible times or Wednesdays connect groups where you will grow. We
need one another to keep us in check and receive the grace of God. This
scripture also calls for us to watch out that "no poisonous root of
bitterness" grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. What is this poisonous
root of bitterness?
The author is warning here to the bitter root of
apostasy or turning away from God by reminding them of a covenant that God has
made with Israelites while they were in the land of Moab. Deut 29:18, "I
am making this covenant with you so that no one among you no man, woman, clan,
or tribe will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other
nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit."
Gall and bitterness are likened to a root that springs
up and defiles others. When a person is deceiving himself by wandering away
from the truth, the bitterness of spirit results, and this causes him or her to
"fall short of God's grace." If they are not corrected, they will
defile others.
While
giving signs of the end of the age, Jesus warned us that false prophets would
arise and deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. (Matt 24:24). The
recent events surrounding the November election results exposed several
prophets' deception of failed predictions.
Unfortunately, many Christians blindly followed their
prophecies without checking them, and now they are hurting. The false prophets are
the poisonous root of bitterness in the body of Christ. They are a real danger
to the well-being of any Church and society. We need to be aware and correct
them graciously when we see some by pointing them to the Truth of God's Word.
IV.
A CALL TO PROTECT OUR TRUE BIRTHRIGHT
Vs. 16-17, "Make sure that no
one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn
son for a single meal. You know that afterward when he wanted his father's
blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he
begged with bitter tears." To understand the gravity of what Esau did, we
need to look back into Genesis.
Genesis 25:29–34 depicts Esau
as a man who lives only for the moment and does not take the cost of his
decisions into account. Jewish tradition deemed Esau sexually immoral, probably
originally based on his initial preference for Gentile wives (Ge 26:34 – 35),
which dismayed his parents (Ge 26:35; 28:8). Esau had no regard for his
birthright; he even sold it for a single meal.
Our True Birth Right of being a son
or daughter of God is not something we have inherited or earned but has been
given to us from the time we accepted Christ. Let's be grateful, and let us not
despise our spiritual birthright. Esau stands as a failed example. We are
warned not to be immoral and godless like Esau. If we are not careful, we too
can lose our eternal blessings.
By our spiritual birth, we become
the children of God; therefore, let us act like we are indeed the children of
God. How can we let the world know that we are God's children? I John 3:10, "So
now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil.
Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not
belong to God."
By our right living and love for
other believers, the world will know we are children of God. Let's Imitate our
loving heavenly father by reflecting His love and nature to the people around
us. Jesus has brought glory to His Father by completing the work He was given.
As God's faithful children, we can also bring glory to Jesus by completing the
work he has given to us. Let us do it by the power of the Holy Spirit without
complaining and grumbling so that we can shine as bright lights in a world full
of crooked and perverse people. Amen.
