Remember the point of discipline isn’t punishment. Their punishment will either be God pouring His wrath on them in the future or The wrath has already been paid for in death of Christ. The difference in where the wrath resides is if someone is truly a believer and that is where repentance is needed. Where there is no repentance there can be no forgiveness of sins. If you are of the elect God may allow you stray for a bit but you will come to repentance. If you are not elect you may be fooling yourself and others by your appearance of Christianity but when push comes to shove you will chose the fleeting pleasures of sin over repentance and eternal communion with Christ. This is brings us to verses 15 -17:
[15] 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; [16] that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. [17] 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 12:15-17 ESV)
These verses demonstrate that there is a point of no return. This point is only known to God Himself but once you cross the line there is no repentance, even you seek it to the point of tears. I find it very interesting that the writer goes from the “root of bitterness” causing defilement to sexually immoral to “unholy like Esau.” What Esau became was in fact bitter about his own sin of selling his brithright to his brother for a meal, but what does being sexually immoral have to do with Esau? I think this what the writer truly is talking about.
Bitterness has caused many people to become sexually immoral. Sometimes it is a way to get back at the other and others have given up on the marriage because they hold something against them. Either way or both many people feel like when they are sinning they are justified or that it is ok because “God has to forgive me so I can do what I want.” When presented with this argument most counselors immediately go to Romans 6. That is a great passage but may not really have the stinging effect that responding to them with “What if God doesn’t have to forgive you?” has. I know this is hard to swallow and it has taken some time for this to really settle with me, but repentance is a gift and if we refuse it until our sin is fully formed we may be to late.
The story that I’m sure everyone is thinking about now is David and Bathsheba. I mean no sexually immoral sin has ever been more fully committed than this one. He committed adultery, tried to trick her husband, and when that didn’t work he killed him. This was fully formed and executed but God forgave him so God has to forgive me right? Well David was also running stupid without the Holy Spirit and he did repent as soon as someone brought attention to it. If you have thought through your sin enough to fully know it is sin, that you need to repent, have I’ll formed what you will say to those who confront you and yet still don’t repent, you are in a completely different situation. But what about Esau? He was blindsided by his sin and was unable to receive repentance when he sought it. He didn’t seek it until it was time the inheritance. He simply waited far to long to repent.
The point is you can’t be confronted and say, “I know it’s sin but I really want it so wait to the divorce is final, and I have married another to repent.” You have more than likely crossed the line. Once again I cannot speak on behalf of God as to where the line is but I feel confidant in saying that is probably crossing the line. I am not saying that everyone who is divorced is going to the lake of fire. The Bible allows for divorce in very specific situations. Some people were not believers when they got divorced and many are not divorced by their own choice. I am speaking solely about those who are believer’s and are divorcing for their own lusts. Now obviously divorce and “sexually immoral” are also just an example of many things that if we ignore or excuse so we can hold unto our sin until God removes the gift of repentance and showing us that we are not truly His chosen.
With all that said I pray that by reading this some who are heading down the path of no return repent and take their pleasure in God and enjoy him forever. I also pray that if someone knows someone who walking down that path that we will be strong enough to confront them before it is to late. As Martin Luther wrote in his 95 theses the Christian’s life is to be one of repentance. We cannot repent of sin we doesn’t know exists and sometimes we know it exists but we need the prodding of our friends. Let us spur (irritate) one another up to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24) so that we may be able to live a life of repentance, while God is still willing to give it to us.
Musings of a Contemporary Calvinist
