Birthright

[Neanias]

Hi all! I haven't posted much lately, I've actually been away on training for a new job... But here's something that hit me today that I thought I should share.

I was reading the back of a book a brother gave me, and it said '[Christianity is] a new reality of relationship, both with God and with His people. If you have been born a second time, that life is your birthright.'

The birthright of the one who is born from above is to be a part of the family of God, "the royal priesthood, the holy nation". We are like Jacob and Esau. Both brothers came from the same womb, but there is a choice.

Esau, for earthly comfort, would give up his birthright. Jacob, for the birthright, would give up his earthly comfort. It is the same with any christian today; we have a choice to give up our earthly comforts to be with God and with our brothers. The last, I have found in my own experience, is the least common. And as John says, if we say we love God, but not our brother, we are liars.

So, if we as Christians give up a oneness with our brothers, a coming together where our lives are shared for the sake of some comfort, are we not then selling our birthright like Esau?

Thoughts?

[Neanias]

The other option is to give up the comfort of the individualistic life for the sake of the birthright, ie for the sake of being with the brothers, the family of God, although this can be difficult and challenging at times. Then we are like Jacob.

One is pleasing to God, the other is not.

[Neanias]

The world, which is individualistic, leads us straight to the path of Esau, once we are born again, if we follow it. It leads us to think for ourselves, and to do what is best for ourselves, as opposed to sacrificing our comforts for our brothers.

That is why being born again is not enough, then we need a renewing of our minds that we would not be conformed to the pattern of this world.

We could either be as Esau, or as Jacob.