Despising the Spirit?
Text: Genesis 25:29-34; 1
Thessalonians 5:19
In Genesis
25:29-34, Esau traded away his birthright for a meal of porridge. A birthright
could be sold like Esau did. A birthright could be forfeited through sinning
like Reuben’s in Genesis 49:3-4 and 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 who slept with his
father’s wife. His first place position and all that goes with it were
transferred to a younger brother. God Himself, based on His Sovereign powers
can set it aside (1 Kings 2:15).
A birthright
entitles the holder to many blessings among which include earthly, material,
spiritual, generational blessings and the most valuable is the eternal
inheritance. Esau let his appetite rule him and he sacrificed his birthright
and all that are attached to it to satisfy his appetite for a day which ruined
his destiny.
The greatest
riches in life are spiritual riches. The salvation of the soul of a man is the
greatest achievement on earth. There is nothing comparable to it and Jesus
asked the question in Matthew 16:26, ‘what is it profited if a man gain the
whole world and lose his soul?
What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Psalm 39:4-5
says that the best state of a man on earth is VANITY! This is to say that
without the salvation of the soul, whatever a man may become on earth is a
total waste, a VANITY!
Matthew 6:33
says, ‘Seek you first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these
things (i.e. riches, cars, houses, wife,
husband, children, promotion, honor, fame etc.) shall be added unto you.’’
This is
telling us to first secure our soul in the Kingdom of God before seeking the
other things that we will leave behind at the end (the vanities). For we came
into the world with nothing and will leave with nothing, not even a pin!
Are you
seeking for bread outside God’s Word?
Are you
placing a meal of porridge (temporal benefits on earth) above your eternal
reign with Christ in heaven?
Are you
willing and ready to sacrifice your eternal relationship with Christ for the
sake of ephemeral, mundane vanities of life (meal of porridge)?
Are you
following Christ just for earthly comforts and not interested in an eternal
reign beyond the earth? (John 6:60-66) (Colossians 3:2-3)
Are you a
Christian now mingling with the world and comfortable with the ways and attitudes
of the world from which you were called out? (1 Corinthians 1:1-3), (2
Corinthians 6:14-18) (James 4:4)
Do you
despise the things of the Spirit like Esau?
Do you
esteem fleshly and carnal desires above the Spiritual? (1 Corinthians 2:14-15)
On earth, we
are in the flesh subject to appetites and passions but we are not supposed to
be ruled and dominated by them.
The Bible also teaches self-control and
moderation in the indulgence of the appetites and passions.
When it
comes to passions like sexual urge, some people brazenly lose total control and
composure as if life and marriage is all about sex. Some are willing and ready
to park God and His business aside, and be gratifying their fleshly desires
e.g. having sex on a Sunday morning when the church service is in progress i.e.
gratifying the flesh over the Spirit and indicating lack of self-control and
reverence for the Lord.
When it
comes to money, many go crazy and are ever willing to pack God and His business
to one side and run after the money even in indecent ways to get it first
before honoring God’s presence. Can one keep himself alive (Psalm 22:29)?
Exodus 20:2
says ‘thou shall have no other gods before me’ & Matthew 22:37 says ‘thou
shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind. These verses
tell us that God should take first place in our lives, not quest for money, not
fleshly desires.
Anything
that takes God’s first position in our lives has become an idol and we are
guilty of idolatry and despising the Spirit. In the lives of many, things like
sports, food, sex, friendships, television, internet, social media and mobile
phone have become idols bogging them down in spiritual terms.
When one is
browsing the net on his phone at a time he should be observing quiet time, he
is despising the Spirit and the things of the Spirit.Many can spend countless
hours daily chatting on Facebook but cannot devote a mere 15 minutes to reading
the Word of God to grow in grace.
Food is a
carnal desire but it is not a sin to take food because our bodies need it for
growth and healthy development. But when we overdo it, it becomes gluttony and
gluttony is a sin before the Lord. A carnal desire can become sinful carnality
when we indulge in it in ways that violate other laws of God.
God is
merciful, not willing that we perish but to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
If we can humble ourselves before Him and repent, He will show mercy and
forgive and accept us back into His fold. He is more willing to forgive than to
judge (James 2:13).
Let us pray:
§ Mercy of God, overshadow my life in
Jesus name
§ Power from on high to walk in the
Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, fall on me (Galatians 5:16)
in Jesus name
§ Power of God to break loose from
weights and entanglements bogging me down spiritually, fall on me in Jesus name
·
God,
my Father, arise and deliver me from the power of the sin that easily besets me
(Hebrews 12:1) in Jesus name.
·
Weights
and chains tying me down to the earth, obstructing me from flowing in the
Spirit, break by fire in Jesus name, amen.
·
Lord
Jesus, give me a new heart that will place you first, fear and obey you
(Deuteronomy 30:6) (Ecclesiastes 12:13) (Matthew 22:37) in Jesus name.
·
Lord
Jesus, deliver me from the power of presumptuous sinning (Ps 19:13)
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
