We are taking a deep dive into Hebrews 12:15-17 this week and learning how to avoid missing out on the grace of God.

Hebrews 12:15-17 (ESV)
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.

So far, we have seen that we can fail to obtain the grace of God by not living according to the will of God and allowing bitterness to abide in our hearts.  A third way we can do this is by engaging in sexually immoral behavior.  Have you ever noticed how often Paul warned brethren about this sin?

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)
¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Ephesians 5:5 (ESV)
⁵ For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV)
³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 (ESV)
⁸ Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹ in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

Why did Paul warn brethren about this so often?  We have to remember that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Galatians 1:16; 2:7), and sexual immorality was almost a part of their daily living, even using it as an act of worship.  Since sexual immorality is contrary to the will of God, Paul knew he had to stay on top of this problem lest it infiltrate the local churches with which he worked so closely.  Souls were at stake.

Sadly, the world today is not much different from Paul’s day.  Maybe it is not popular to commit sexually immoral acts as a way of worship, but it is certainly viewed as an innocent activity.  Today, premarital sex and extramarital affairs are the rule rather than the exception.   People are so unaware of God’s moral standard that they do not think twice about their immoral behavior.  Wherever you go, you see people, both men and women, dressed, not only immodestly, but literally half-naked.  Pornography is at an all-time high, partly because most people do not see anything wrong with it.  Sexual immorality is a big business these days, and those selling it have no problem finding customers.

Our responsibility in this environment is to be holy.  The Hebrews writer tells us not to be sexually immoral or unholy.  A part of being holy is being set apart from the ungodliness that surrounds us, at least from a behavioral standpoint (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).  Paul tells us not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2).  We must not allow ourselves to grow numb to the sexual sins around us.  If that happens, the next step is to compromise, followed by participation, the result being to fail to obtain the grace of God.

Let us be like Enoch and preach against the ungodliness around us (Jude 1:14-15).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.