Pastor’s Pen EBC Week of 10/04/2015
As we enter the month of October, many children look forward to October 31st to
celebrate Halloween. They get dressed up in their costumes and go our, knocking on
doors, “trick or treating” to fill their bags with candy. As a kid, this was a very
important holiday to me because I loved candy (and still do by the way). However,
as time goes on, you get too old for Halloween and so the day becomes like any other
day when you get to be an adult.
This being said, as you have time to study history, you find out that October 31st has
another special meaning that should be near and dear to the hearts of every
believer. October 31st is “Reformation Day”, the day when Martin Luther famously
nailed what was called the “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy
of Indulgences” or the 95 Thesis to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg,
Germany in 1517, which ultimately sparked the Protestant Reformation.
This reformation brought with it five key teachings concerning the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, known as the “Five Sola’s”. The term “sola” simply means “alone”, and so you
had the following teaching that blossomed from that day in October, so many years
ago:
1.) “Sola Fide” or by faith alone.
2.) “Sola Gratia” or by grace alone.
3.) “Solus Christus” or by Christ alone.
4.) “Sola Scriptura” or through the Scripture alone.
5.) “Soli Deo Gloria” or for the glory of God alone.
While time would escape me to write about each of these great truths, I would
encourage you to study out the history and the reason for each of these teachings.
Today however, I would like to zero-in on the second “sola” namely Sola Gratia, or
by grace alone.
James Montgomery Boice defined sola gratia by stating the following:
“When the Reformers spoke about “grace alone” (sola gratia), they were saying that
sinners have no claim upon God, none at all; that God owes them nothing but
punishment for their sins; and that, if he saves them in spite of their sins, which he
does in the case of those who are being saved, it is only because it pleases him to do
it and for no other reason.”
In other words, salvation is completely of God and His immense and particular
mercy. Bearing this in mind, the passage we are going to take a look at in Hebrews
12:12-17, gives us a clear picture of what someone looks like who has indeed
“obtained” the grace of God and of someone who has, as our text says, “fails to obtain
the grace of God”. Let’s take a look:
Hebrews 12:12-17: “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.”
I think this passage evens out a lot of our varying views on grace. It teaches us that
salvation by grace alone brings along with it certain life changes that must
accompany that grace, if we have indeed “obtained” it in our lives.
Many times Christians tend to be unbalanced one way or another in their view of
what the grace of God truly is. Sometimes you have people who wrongly believe that
having the grace of God through Jesus means that you are free to live however you
want, or usually, as sinfully as you want. As you can see from this passage, this is not
true. This is what we call “anti-nomianism” or anti-law.
On the other the end of the spectrum, you have people who minimize the grace of
God in way or another, trying to earn their salvation through their own merits. This
is what we call “legalism”.
In either case, be it anti-nomianism or legalism, I believe this passage should give us
a fresh perspective on what grace is and what it means to have “obtained” it.
Therefore, my main admonition for us, or what I want us to walk away with is: Do
Not Fail to Obtain the Grace of God.
Hebrews was written to a group of Jews who were intellectually convinced of the
truths of the Savior, the Lord Jesus, however they were only a couple steps from
apostasy in one direction or the other.
Apostasy is simply the abandonment or renunciation of the faith either in word or
deed. I say word or deed specifically, because as the old saying goes: “Your actions
speak louder than your words”. There were many people in the days when Hebrews
written, as well as today, whose actions do not match up with their speech. The
author of Hebrews main goal of his book was to point to Jesus Christ, showing Him
in His greatness and glory.
Displaying the salvation these people intellectually have accepted and then giving
them very clear and distinctive warnings of what becomes of those who do not
change as result of that knowledge, namely hell.
Our text is no exception. This passage is a clear warning to those who intellectually
think they have obtained the grace of God, but are indeed failing to obtain it by their
actions. They know all this stuff about Jesus, but it hasn’t affected them and it is not
driving them to true saving faith accompanied by repentance.
The author is giving them clear warning of the results of what happens, in order for
them to repent and change before it is too late, as he goes over in the final verses of
the passage. The implications for us today are vast. We can fall, even easier, into the
exact same trap if we are not careful. We can indeed “fail to obtain the grace of God”
and not even be aware of it.
So, I want to show the difference between the two. What does it look like to obtain
the grace of God and what does it look like to fail to obtain it?
Again Hebrews 12:12-15 states:
“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”
The main point of this paragraph is to exhort believers to act on the truths that have
been previously laid out in the book. Truth that is known but not obeyed becomes
judgment, rather than a benefit, as we will see.
We see from this description that those who have not “failed to obtain the grace of
God” as vs. 15 states, lack what I believe verses 12-13 describe as “spiritual laziness”
or apathy. The author commands the people to “lift their drooping hands and
strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet”. This has the
idea of constant readiness and spiritual evaluation.
True Christians, who have obtained the grace of God are constantly exercising
spiritually. What does this mean? It means, like the guy who is trying to get in shape
physically, they are making every effort to do what is best for their body. They cut
out the foods that have a lot of fat content and are always at the gym running on the
treadmill, burning those calories.
Spiritually speaking, for the Christian, this means the believer is always taking in the
right spiritual foods, namely the Word of God and they are always ready and willing
to be at the spiritual gym when it is open, namely the church. They are not lazy
when it comes to the prize they wish to obtain, in the case of our text, the grace of
God.
They are constantly in the habit of “lifting their (spiritually) drooping hands and
strengthening their (spiritually) weak knee” just like the guy lifting the dumbbells in
the gym. As the rest of the text goes on to say, they strive for “healing” as verse 13
states. They no longer want to be “lame” and “out of joint” when it comes to their
walk with the Savior. They are always trying to get into better shape spiritually.
They are never done getting into shape spiritually. It like when you go to the gym
and you see that huge, muscular, body building dude, still lifting weights, staying in
shape. I don’t know about you, but my natural thought when I see one of those body
builders in the gym is: “Dude, you are done! What are you doing here!?”
We know however, that we are never done training spiritually. We should never get
the idea that we are done. No. We should always be striving to obtain more and
more of God’s grace.
The author continues to describe the person who is striving to obtain God’s grace as
one who, as vs. 14 states: “strive(s) for peace with everyone and for the holiness
without which no one will see the Lord”.
A person who claims to be a Christian and is striving for the grace of God does their
best to be at peace with their brothers and sisters in Christ. They look around at
others who are striving to please the Savior and they try to encourage them rather
than compete with them.
They do as the author of Hebrews said earlier on in chapter 10:24-25 when he said:
“consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another”.
They are always pondering what ways they can be at peace with others and be a
blessing to others in the household of faith. They write encouraging notes and
openly tell others that they are appreciated and loved. They watch their words, lest
they unintentionally bring down someone through their carelessness. Sinners who
have obtained the grace of God cannot help but do this.
They also “strive for… holiness” knowing, as the text states, “without which no one
will see the Lord.” This one goes without saying. The grace of God changes you to
live a holy life. Period. If you cannot describe yourself as holy, or one who is striving
for holiness, but instead are striving for the opposite, you have not obtained the
grace of God.
The author continues by stating: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of
God”. In the original Greek, this has the idea of “looking carefully”. The Christian is
always reevaluating themselves and reassessing their spiritual walk.
Does this mean they are constantly doubting their salvation? No. However,
assurance of your salvation must be based upon the right things, namely, as our text
says, whether or not you have obtained the grace of God.
This being said, we have gone over what it looks like to obtain God’s grace
practically from our passage. Now let’s take a look at what the text says it looks like
to “fail to obtain the grace of God”.
Hebrews 12:15-17 states: “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.”
Those who have failed to obtain the grace of God have a root of sinful bitterness that
eventually “springs up, causes trouble” and ultimately “defiles”. The author in the
direct context is referring to the development of particular people in the church who
have become apostates who become a corruptive influence. This is a clear warning
about not being influenced by those who cause trouble and help to defile others.
However, the natural application in the flow of the passage and the book can be
directed at the individual. Someone who fails to obtain the grace of God eventually
backslides into severe apostasy. They are like the seed that Jesus talked about who
is planted on the rock but never takes root. It looks like they are growing, but
eventually their shallowness is made plain for all to see when they dry up.
I think John Bunyan put it best in his classic work Pilgrim’s Progress when Christian
and Hopeful are discussing what exactly happens to a backsliding Christian, which
would, pretty much be equal with what our passage is talking about concerning
those who have failed to obtain the grace of God.
I think everything he states here fully applies to our passage and is very helpful to
understanding it. He says concerning backsliders:
“1. They (cast out of) their thoughts all that they may from the remembrance of God,
death, and judgment to come.
2. Then they cast off by degrees private duties: as closet prayer, curbing their lusts,
watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.
3. Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians.
4. After that, they grow cold to public duty: as hearing, reading, godly conference,
and the like.
5. Then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly; and
that devilishly, that they may have a seeming colour to throw religion (for the sake
of some infirmity they have spied in them) behind their backs.
6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and
wanton men.
7. Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they if
they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more
boldly do it through their example.
8. After this they begin to play with little sins openly.
9. And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus, being
launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they
everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.”
What Bunyan describes here aligns perfectly with the rest of our passage doesn’t it?
He then warns in vs. 16 about “sexual immorality” and the “unholiness of Esau”.
John MacArthur writes in his study Bible, commenting on this verse that:
“apostasy is often closely linked to sexual immorality”.
Being able to commit sexual sins such as fornication outside of marriage,
homosexuality, adultery in or outside of the mind, is the epitome of selfishness and
as Hebrews 10:26 states “willful sin” which will result in what the rest of that verse
describes as “a fearful expectation of judgment and fury of fire which will consume”.
The person who can willfully commit sexual immorality has not obtained the grace
of God and should have tremendous fear about their eternal state. Like Esau, as the
text describes, who desired God’s blessing but did not desire God, the person who
merely regrets sin but never repents of it, has indeed developed a root of bitterness,
which produces the fruit of unholiness, ultimately resulting in a failure to obtain the
grace of God.
When they stand before Almighty God one day in judgment, they too will seek after
this grace with tears but find none. Only God’s wrath. Frightening, yes, but true.
Therefore, today my challenge to you is do NOT fail to obtain the grace of God! Strive
for it. Beg God for it. If there is sin in your life do not become complacent or
apathetic towards it.
When you sit under the preached Word every Sunday your prayer should be, as the
Psalmist put it in Psalm 139:24: “See if there be any wicked way in me” allowing the
Holy Spirit to convict and bring you true and genuine repentance, thus obtaining His
grace.
Perhaps there is a root of sin in your life that needs to be rooted out. It could
anything from sexual immorality to apathy towards your service in the church,
maybe you aren’t giving as you should, perhaps there is pride or anger towards a
brother.
No matter what it is, repent. Obtain the grace of God. Beg God for the grace to
overcome that sin and He will indeed give it to you. An apathetic and complacent
attitude toward sin of any kind will result in your failing to obtain His grace and
ultimately your own spiritual destruction.
By His grace alone, do not let this happen. Look to Christ. See Him in light of the
Gospel news, which you know in your head and allow it to penetrate and affect your
heart in such a way as you desire nothing but His loving and infinite and marvelous
grace.
May he do this in each of us today.