Have You Sold Your Birthright?
While Esau was not wrong in being hungry, he was wrong to give up his rightful place in the world and eternity for the food he ate. The food only lasted for a time, and then he was hungry again. What did he have left to trade for food? Nothing. Had he trusted in God from the beginning, his birthright would not have been lost, and his stomach would have been filled, for God has promised us all that we shall not do without.
Genesis 25:31 says: and Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. Genesis 25:32: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die. And what profit shall this birthright do me? Genesis 25:33: Swear to me this day (Jacob said) and he swear unto him; and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Genesis 25:34: Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way; thus Esau despised his birthright.
Esau violated the sacredness of his birthright. He gave up what should have been his most valued and precious possession so that his desires might be fulfilled.
It was not necessary for Esau to sell his birthright for food. God provides that without question. Genesis 1:29: And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth and every tree, in the which is the fruit of the tree yielding seed, to you it shall be meat.
If we are not careful, we too can become as Esau. Therefore, we must always be careful in our endeavors of life, that we do not allow our own lusts and desires to displace the will of the Father as the direction in our lives. We may think we know what is best, but ultimately, God knows, according to His plan that was laid even before the foundations of the earth, what is right for our lives and our well being. For instance, maybe you want a new car, or a bigger house. There’s nothing wrong with desiring a step up, but don’t let Satan use the desire for a way to manipulate your actions. Don’t let Satan lead you into sin in order to achieve the new car or bigger house. And never forget to give thanks daily for the things you do have.
Satan tempts us every day. Whether or not we realize it, he does. He sometimes does it brazenly, other times more subtly. Either way, we are tempted every day, and at times, we all slip and allow that temptation to invade our lives. We can’t help it. We were born into sin, and we will sin until we die.
When we allow Satan to continuously lead us into sin, without remorse, without our hearts being convicted by the Holy Spirit, we are lost souls, or at the least, severely backslidden. We are bound for Hell and the eternal burn of its flames, if we are lost. A lost soul cannot enter heaven. A severely backslidden soul will not inherit the gift in heaven that a faithful soul will receive.
Lost souls are Satan’s best friend. They never resist what he wants them to do, and they allow themselves to be his agents here on earth. Allowing Satan to have that kind of control, to be in charge of our lives, is a dangerous thing. We can die at any time, and if we die as a lost soul, we are lost forever. Satan will take us to Hell with him for eternity. 1 Peter 5:8 says: Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.
Many people allow Satan this control in their lives because of the pleasures of sin. Sin is pleasurable. It’s supposed to be, because that’s the way Satan designed it. After all, he committed the very original sin, even before Adam and Eve, because he turned against God and was cast out of Heaven. He wants to make sin a pleasurable experience, so we continue to do it. What he doesn’t bother to tell you, though, is where sin leads you: Hell. And when you allow Satan this kind of control, and you enjoy having your desires and lusts fulfilled, you have committed the same crime as Esau: you have sold your birthright. You have allowed Satan to take your rightful place in Heaven from you.
Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We’re all going to die, someday. We have no way of knowing when we will leave this earth. There is no way to know in advance. That is why salvation is so important today. But there is good news. (No, I didn’t just save 15% on my car insurance by switching to Geico.) God offers us an alternative. He gives us the chance for eternal life, in the Kingdom of Heaven dancing around the throne. Romans 10:13 says: For all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
We can cast off our life of sin, our life of lust and fleshly desire, and come to know eternal life by coming to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for our sins, and He is alive and sitting on the right hand of God in Heaven. His blood still flows through the years, through generation after generation, cleansing those who will give their hearts and souls to Him for eternity.
To come to know Christ, we have to do certain key things. We have to understand that He is the only begotten Son of God, born of a virgin, sent here to die for all of our sins, that we don’t have to die. He was nailed to a cross on Calvary, between two common criminals, and allowed to hang there until His death.
Three days later, He was resurrected, and carried to heaven by His Father, our Lord God. We must confess Him, acknowledging that we believe and understand the aforementioned facts. We have to confess with our mouths, but believe with our hearts.
Finally, we must ask God for forgiveness of our sins, we must ask Him to take away the old man, and allow us to put on the new man and live a life of righteousness. We won’t stop sinning completely, but if our hearts are right with God, we will sin less each day, and when we do sin, our hearts will be convicted by the Holy Spirit and we will feel remorse for our actions.
Brethren, attending church is also critical. Failing to attend church won’t send a saved person to Hell, but it definitely goes against God’s commandment, and it prevents us from a true loving, close relationship with God. Church is important. It allows for fellowship with other Christians, allows us to grow in our love for one another, and allows us to learn together of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It doesn’t matter, though, what church you attend. It doesn’t matter what the sign says over the door. Whether you attend a Methodist church, a Baptist church, a non-denominational church or the Lawrence County Church of the Most Holy, it doesn’t matter, so long as the church is Christ-centered and your heart is right with the man who died on that cross, so you can sit in this pew today and know that you have the option of everlasting life rather than a cold grave and the hot flames of hell.
It is our birthright, our gift of God, to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and to dance around the throne for eternity, standing in our Maker’s grace and love forever. It is His will that we should have this, that we should have life after death, in Heaven with Him. This earthly body will die, but our souls, our spirits, will live on in Heaven with God, if we have accepted our birthright as his children. God doesn’t want us to burn in Hell. He wants all of us, his children, in Heaven with him. 2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That is his wish. Not all of us, however, will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
Heaven will be beautiful, with no pain or suffering. Revelation 7:16-17 gives us a glimpse of the wonders we will find there: 16:They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17:For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
For those of us, brethren, who accept our birthright, who nurture our relationship with Christ rather than our own desires and lusts, we have this promise of eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. For those of us who do not accept that precious gift, we only have one thing to look forward to: eternity in Hell, with no glimpse of the wonders of heaven.
Examine your hearts, and ask yourselves: have I sold my birthright?
