If you can get by in your sins then watch out! We are not to be complacent in our Christian lives. There are dangers that can lead to the chastisement of God. There are three watch outs in this passage least we forget the holiness of God.

1 – Watch out that no one falls short of the grace of God (vs. 15)

Christianity is simple in its message but illogical as a religion. The concept of grace goes beyond even mercy. We naturally want the punishment to reflect the crime. Without grace there is no other saving mechanism. Yet people look for other ways to please God or ignore the whole thing altogether. We are to listen for His voice. See Deuteronomy 29:19.

2 – Watch out that no one is sexually immoral (vs. 16-24)

We live in a world of increasing sexually immorality. It led to collapse of the Roman Empire. There is a natural attraction to the opposite sex. God does not follow the standards of society. He never has and He never will. The pleasures of this world are evil when they go outside God’s standards. God’s standard is one man and one woman in marriage for life. God hates divorce and permits it reluctantly in a few circumstances. Every other sexual act is immorality to God and brings with it God’s judgment. Too many are addicted to sex. Pornography is everywhere in society thanks to the media and Internet. It does not satisfy for long. It is a drug that becomes a habit.

3 – Watch out that no one is godless like Esau (vs. 25-29)

God is to be number one. Esau despised the spiritual. He was more interested in the physical and carnal. He rebelled against his parent’s wishes by taking foreign wives. In Amos 1:11-12 Esau’s attitude is described as continual anger and a stifling of compassion. Esau was an immoral man, and his only hope to avoid his wrong actions would be to humble himself and repent. See 1 Peter 2:1-3. It was too late when he realised his mistake. When the people rejected the Ten Commandments they faced the wrath of God. They were in fear as to even touch the mountain meant death.

Categories: Hebrews