Today’s devotion comes from Hebrews 12:14-17.
“Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” Hebrews 12:14-17.
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What is our birthright? Can we figuratively sell our birthright?
By grace alone, we who were born of God were given the right to be children of God. This is our birthright.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13.
Rather than embrace this birthright, there are some who are content to be like everyone else. In a sense by their actions, they have sold their birthright.
Rather than embrace the distinctiveness of Reformed Doctrine and “TULIP”, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, in which they were raised, they are content to be like every other Christian. They act as if they are ashamed of predestination and will not mention it, or they will obscure or minimalize it.
The only grace that there is a particular grace originating in God’s “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”. The only “chance” for salvation that we have is predestination. God unconditionally elected some to receive salvation. Only those were born of God. There is no common grace that should cause us to seek to be like everyone else.
“Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9:13-16.
So, you believe in the Word of God? Good. So does everyone else who claims to be a Christian.
So, you try to live according to the Word of God? Good. So does everyone else who claims to be a Christian.
So, you believe in Christ and claim that He is all you need? Good. So does everyone else who claims to be a Christian.
Reformed believers, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” Matthew 5:13
What is your birthright?
You don’t know? You already lost it??
At one time, I didn’t know my birthright. In a sense, I lost it.
Although I grew up in the Christian Reformed church with my family having deep Reformed roots, I moved to an area of the country which had few Reformed churches. For almost 20 years, I attended, was a member, and even a lay leader in a wide-range of churches from Assembly of God to Calvary Chapel to Baptist to a very large United Methodist church to a small nondenominational “fellowship” to “community” churches. Some of these churches did not label their doctrine as Arminian. I was disturbed by some of the sermons, but I could not pinpoint what was wrong. Often, I thought the problem was just the particular minister. Eventually, a friend asked me if I remembered “TULIP”, the acronym for the Five Points of Calvinism which is the most important part of Reformed Doctrine. I began to study the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. I then understood that it was Arminian doctrine presented in some of these churches. I began to realize more and more the importance of Reformed Doctrine a/k/a Calvinism.
In the link below is the rest of my story and my study as to why this birthright is so important …
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 