Stability and Purpose

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 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; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 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. Hebrews 12:12-17

We will endure discipline and hardship in our earthly sojourn as believers in Jesus Christ. That’s a given. Our Savior suffered on our behalf, first by laying aside His glory and becoming true humanity. Then He was hated by the world system, ridiculed by traditional religion, tortured for our sins and He died spiritually under the crushing weight of our sins.

We who belong to Him are set apart unto God. That is the definition of holiness. Our holiness identifies us as Royal Family of God. Our holiness places us in exactly the same category as our Lord. If one is not holy (set apart as belonging to God), one will not see God. We were eternally sanctified (set apart) at the moment we believed in the finished work of Christ. We are experientially sanctified by the filling of the Holy Spirit and by spiritual growth, which comes by studying and applying the Word of God to all circumstances of our lives.

“…unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake…” Philippians 1:29. Expect it. Don’t be shocked when it happens. It is part of your grace package.

So, shape up! Stand tall and move forward. You know where you are going. Keep moving in that direction. Whatever has been hurt will heal. Wallowing in self-pity will not accomplish anything. Self-flagellation is totally non-productive. Failure to learn and apply the principles of Faith Rest to our Christian experience results in anxiety and even bitterness, because we humans are limited in our capacity to see everything as God’s perfect provision for us. That takes divine viewpoint, and divine viewpoint takes disciplined study and application of Bible doctrine. We must be willing to learn God’s Word and take it personally. That instruction is for me!

Those believers who are still cluttering their souls with trying to advance spiritually by works are falling short of God’s grace (2 Corinthians 6:1, Galatians 5:4, Hebrews 4:1). We didn’t work for our salvation and we don’t work for spiritual growth. We must learn to rely on the provision of God for all our needs. When the self-pitying and self-absorbed believer becomes distracted by his failures, his personal problems, his disconnect from worldly friends or his religious family, there is a danger that the root of bitterness will sprout in his soul, causing adversity to everyone who cares about him (“many become defiled”). That is not faith. That is not confident testimony. That is not God’s Rest. That is childish whining and is unbecoming in any member of the Royal Family.

Another setback for the advancing believer would be sexual immorality. That is self-indulgence for which there is no excuse. It defiles the body and the soul, and causes the believer to fall out of fellowship with the Lord. Spiritual growth stops right there. Spiritual immorality in the manner of Esau, whose worldly attitude and materialism took priority over his birthright, is another means of stunting one’s spiritual growth (Genesis 25). He was hungry NOW and wanted food NOW, and he had no respect or gratitude for the promise of God. Later, of course, he became anxious, angry and bitter about his loss. He had made a volitional decision—the wrong one—to appease a physical appetite, and his tears and anger couldn’t bring back what he had frivolously given away.

He blamed Jacob, he blamed Isaac, he blamed God for a hasty, stupid mistake of his own doing (Genesis 27). He could have confessed his sin to God and he would have been cleansed. The birthright belonged to his brother now, but God has a way of turning adversities into great blessings for those who recognize His authority and appreciate His goodness. He will turn our failures into accomplishment, when our priority in life is His perfect Word of Truth. God forgives the truly repentant one who wants to obey His will. God would have taken Esau under His wing like a wounded chick the moment Esau changed his attitude. Esau would rather be bitter. He didn’t have to be.

He never knew how God’s love would embrace him, because he rejected it. There is contentment and sense of purpose in those of us who believe God. Everybody has adversities. Everybody makes mistakes. Those who know and love the Lord understand that He has designed for us a destiny, and His purposes for us will be fulfilled, no matter what.

So we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and keep plugging in the direction He leads. That’s the only way progress can be made in the Christian Way of Life.

Keep moving, Pilgrims.