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Colin Smith: Esau missed the grace of God. He rejected it. Felt sorry for himself, felt angry with his brother, remained at a distance from God, and that was the story of his life. And in that position, no one can repent. Now, says the Book of Hebrews, you make sure that you're not like that.

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. Colin, I would think that we may have some listening today who find themselves in a position similar to Esau. They know that there's something wrong, but they're so angry they don't want to have to deal with that.

Colin Smith: Yeah, that’s right. And of course, the problem with Esau is that the Bible says he was a godless man. That’s why he couldn't repent because the only way to repent is to draw near to God, and that’s what Esau refused to do.

And that’s why the Book of Hebrews says, "Now make sure that no one misses the grace of God. Make sure that you don't find yourself stuck at a distance from God. Come near to him, because there’s grace that’s to be found for every person who will draw near to him in Jesus Christ."

Steve Hiller: But there may be someone listening today who says, "I hear you say that, Colin, and I know that there's something hard in my heart, and I should do that, but I’m struggling to do that right now."

Colin Smith: Yeah, that’s right. You’ve got to come with the heart that you have. You know, you don't come because you've got a good heart. You come because you need a good heart. And it’s a marvelous thing to say, "Lord, I need, by your grace, that you will change this heart."

And that’s a wonderful thing, that he is able to change the heart. So don't wait until you're in the right condition of heart and of mind before you come to God. You come as you are and receive what you need. Don't come because you have repented, but because you need repentance, and you'll find that his grace gives you what you don't have.

Steve Hiller: What an encouraging way to start today's program. With that, we’re going to pick up in a message entitled "The Man Who Could Not Repent." We’re in Hebrews chapter 12, so join us there. Here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: I want to offer a definition of repentance that I have found to be extremely helpful. I found this a number of years ago in the writing of Dr. Jim Packer, and the moment I read this, it was as if a light went on in my mind and I thought, "That’s repentance. That’s it stated as clearly as ever it could be stated."

Dr. Jim Packer puts it like this: Repentance, he says, is turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of God. It's a marvelous definition.

Now, over these next weeks, we're going to use, God willing, Packer’s definition as a kind of framework for learning what repentance is and how we can pursue it joyfully together throughout the entire course of our Christian lives. Repentance: turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of God.

And as we grow at each of these points—knowing my sin, knowing myself, and knowing my God—so my repentance will grow deeper, and the effect of that is to be transformed increasingly into the likeness of Jesus Christ, or as Paul puts it, to move from one degree of glory to another.

So we're trying to clear away the baggage of misunderstanding. And to the beating-up-on-yourself Christians, I want to say this morning, repentance is positive. For us "been there, done that" kind of Christians, I want to say repentance is progressive.

Now, the last thing that I want to say this morning, and here we come to Hebrews in chapter 12 more clearly, is that repentance is possible by the grace of God. It’s positive, it’s progressive, it is possible by the grace of God.

And it seems to me that this is very important to say because some of us will, in our first response to this word "repentance," feel a great sense of sadness. You feel defeated. You come into church, you hear, "Okay, we're going to focus on repentance," and you think, "Oh dear, here we go again. I already know that I can't change." And you feel that very deeply.

Maybe you've been a Christian for a long time and there are certain sins that have taken root in your life. You've tried to get free, but in some particular area, you've not yet been able to do so. And so you feel the need for repentance, you would very much like to see change in this area of your life, but you are deeply convinced that because it has been there a long time, this is no longer possible for you.

So when you hear the word "repentance," you say in your head, "I would if I could, but I can't." And the truth is that you feel trapped, you feel defeated. You say to yourself, "I just can't change."

Now, the title for this series is *Repentance: The Hidden Path to a Transformed Life*. And the reason for calling it a hidden path is the very obvious fact that many people never find it. There are many who would love to overcome bitterness, or resentment, or pornography, or alcohol, but they remain in the grip of these things. They have deep regrets, they shed many tears, but they do not change.

They seek repentance, but they cannot find it. That is their testimony. Now, the Bible tells us about a man just like that, and it tells us what his problem was so that we may have a different outcome. And that’s why we’ve read from Hebrews in chapter 12 this morning, and I do hope you’ll have your Bible open at that place in front of you.

I'm referring, of course, to the sad story of Esau and the fascinating statement that is made about him in Hebrews chapter 12. Now, I'm going to read from verse 14. Please follow the story with me. Hebrews chapter 12, and I'm reading from verse 14.

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. And see to it," the writer says, "that no one, no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See to it that no one is sexually immoral or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son."

Now, the writer is referring here to the Old Testament story about two brothers, Jacob and Esau. Esau was the firstborn, and he held the rights of inheritance as the firstborn in the family. But Esau was an impulsive man, and as many know the story well, he came home one day from hunting, he was desperately hungry, and his brother Jacob was cooking stew.

Jacob was a cunning, twisted kind of a man until God got hold of his life, and he said to Esau, "I'll give you some stew if you sell me your birthright." And Esau was desperate for a meal, so he sold his birthright, the Book of Hebrews tells us, for a single meal.

Now later, when Isaac the father was about to die, Jacob pulled another stunt, and he pretended to be Esau, and through that impersonation received Esau’s blessing from the father. Later, when Esau arrives on the scene, he asks for the blessing and finds that it has already been given by his father to his brother.

And at that point, the writer to Hebrews takes up the story because Genesis tells us that when Esau heard this, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry. It places great emphasis in Genesis on the weeping of Esau. Now our writer takes up the story in verse 17: "Afterward," that is, after this extraordinary incident in which he discovered that the blessing was not his, "afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears."

Now, it’s an extraordinary statement. What does it mean? The word "change of mind" that is used here is, of course, the word repent or repentance. And other translations have this clearly. The New American Standard Bible says, "He found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears." The English Standard Version says, "He found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears." The New International Version, from which we're reading in the pew Bibles, says, "He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought this blessing with tears."

Now, when it says that Esau could bring about no change of mind, does it mean that he could bring about no change in his father’s mind with regards to the blessing that had now been imparted to Jacob? Or does it mean that Esau could bring about no change in his own mind? In other words, he could bring about no change in himself. And the answer is both.

He could neither change the decision that had been made about him, nor could he change the pattern of behavior in himself that had brought about that decision. Esau was, Hebrews is telling us, the man who couldn't repent. Pause and take that in.

And the evidence of what we find in the Book of Hebrews, of course, is in the story of his life. The man never changed. He never changed. Plenty of tears, but no movement towards God. Lots of beating up on himself, no transformation. See, repentance isn't beating up on yourself. You can do that and never change. Esau did.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message called "The Man Who Could Not Repent," part of our series, *Repentance: The Hidden Path to a Transformed Life*. If you ever miss a broadcast in the series, you can always listen online. Just come to our website, openthebible.org.

Open the Bible is a listener-supported ministry. It's your generosity that allows us to bring you Pastor Colin's teaching whether you listen online, on the radio, podcast the program, or however you've connected with us. And as you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to send you a copy of Pastor Colin's brand-new 30-day devotional. It's called *Grow in Faith*. Colin, why did you write this book?

Colin Smith: Well, the Bible speaks to us repeatedly about the central importance of faith, and of hope, and of love. At the end of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul speaks about everything else is going to pass away, but these things are going to remain: faith, hope, and love. So they're of central importance, and of course, they speak to the needs of our world today.

I mean, we're living in days where so many people experience fear and a sense of gloom, and where there's so much conflict. We need faith, hope, and love. And so, *Grow in Faith* is actually the first of a series of three books that are coming out beginning this month and then in the two months that follow.

I'm really excited and grateful for the opportunity to do this. If God's people can grow in faith, grow in hope, and grow in love, then the world is going to see something distinct about us that is very powerfully attractive. And so, I hope that these books are going to be a means of God's blessing and encouragement to many. Start this month with *Grow in Faith*, and follow up next month with *Grow in Hope*, and the month after that with *Grow in Love*.

Steve Hiller: Well, we'd love to send you *Grow in Faith* this month to say thank you for your financial support. You can give online at openthebible.org or when you call 1-877-OPEN-365. That might be easier to remember as 1-877-673-6365. And again, our website is openthebible.org. Let's get back to the message. Here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Now, here’s the obvious critical question. Since we're all struggling a little bit, I think, with the idea that there ever was a man who couldn't repent, the obvious question is, why couldn't Esau repent? Isn't that the question? And the Book of Hebrews exactly gives us the answer.

In fact, there are two answers. Here is why Esau could not repent. It's right here in verse 16 and then in verse 15. First, he couldn't repent because he was godless. Verse 16: "See to it that no one is godless like Esau." Godless? Well, Esau believed in God. I'm sure he would have been here on a Sunday morning along with all the rest of us if he was living today. He wanted the blessing of God. He burst out into tears when he didn't get the blessing that he wanted.

But the reality that we're being told here in the Book of Hebrews is that Esau had no real place for God in his life. To him, God was a means to an end, and if he got the blessing, he was happy. If he didn't get the blessing, he had no other place for God in his life.

Esau was a godless man. And a godless man or woman cannot repent because real change begins not with seeking repentance, but with seeking God. You can't repent at a distance from God. And because Esau insisted on living his life at a distance from God, he remained the man who could not repent. And the writer to the Hebrews is saying, "Please see to it that none of you are in that position."

The second thing that we're told here is that Esau missed the grace of God. Look at verse 15: "See to it that no one misses the grace of God." Remember he's writing to a community of believers. The Scripture is saying to us, "See to it that nobody here misses the grace of God and that nobody here ends up like Esau, in whom a bitter root grew up."

See to it that nobody's like Esau. Godless man who misses grace. And without God, without grace, you can't repent. In order to repent, I have to draw near to God and I have to embrace the grace that he offers to me in Jesus Christ. That's what we're learning here. Otherwise, we'll be like Esau, and we'll spend the rest of our lives saying, "I can't repent. Can't change." That’s not the Gospel.

Let me quote to you a comment from John Calvin in his commentary on Hebrews in chapter 12. I found this wonderfully helpful. Calvin says, "Whenever a sinner sighs on account of his sin, the Lord is ready to forgive him. God’s mercy is never sought in vain, for to him who knocks, it will be opened. Period."

"But the ungodly, however they may deplore their lot, complain and howl, do not yet knock at God’s door for mercy, for this cannot be done except by faith." See, what he's saying is, it’s all very well beating up on yourself at a distance from God. You never change that way.

You can be absolutely sure that whoever comes to the Lord will indeed receive mercy and grace, for to him who knocks, it will be opened. The problem with the ungodly, the problem with Esau, the problem with a person who stands at a distance from God and just says, "I can't change," is that they never come.

And though they howl and complain and moan about their lot and are full of self-pity, yet they do not come to God’s door for mercy. Why? Because that can only be done by faith. In other words, only by faith can you repent. Think about that.

Only by faith can you repent. Repentance begins when we have the faith to believe that God’s mercy will forgive us and that God’s power can change us. And you see, the very essence of the problem where you sit there and say, "I can't change in this area," is that at that point, you are not believing the Gospel.

Therefore, you're standing at a distance. You're not knocking at the door of God’s mercy. You're not believing that there is a Christ and a Spirit who is able to bring change in your life. Esau missed the grace of God. He rejected it. Felt sorry for himself, felt angry with his brother, remained at a distance from God, and that was the story of his life. And in that position, no one can repent.

Now, says the Book of Hebrews, you make sure that you're not like that. Don't be like Esau. Because the grace that Esau rejected is offered to you in Jesus Christ. Listen to this marvelous statement that again might help us as we think about repentance over the coming weeks from Acts chapter 5 and verse 31, where we're told in the apostolic preaching that God has exalted Jesus Christ to his own right hand as Prince and as Savior. Why? That he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. He'll give repentance.

You say, "Wait a minute, isn't repentance our responsibility?" Yes, it is. But it is God’s grace we're learning that makes it possible. That is why David says in the Psalms, "Lord, search me and know my heart. See if there is any offensive way within me and lead me in the way everlasting."

Why does he pray like that? Because he knows he needs God in order to repent. "Lord, show me my sins, otherwise I won't even see them. Lord, lead me on the everlasting path, otherwise I will not even find it." It is God’s grace that makes repentance possible.

And you know, there is a deep-seated rebellion towards God that lurks in the human heart that only God’s grace can heal. The inclination to repent comes when the Holy Spirit shows you the extent of your sin. And the courage to repent comes when the Holy Spirit shows you the extent of Christ’s love.

And it is in embracing grace, it is in knocking on the door of God’s mercy, it is in believing the Gospel in relation to the particular struggles of my own life, that I find the path of repentance on which real and lasting change is wonderfully possible. That’s where repentance begins: not with seeking repentance, but with seeking God.

Steve Hiller: Really a powerful and practical message today here on Open the Bible, looking at repentance. Taking a look at the life of Esau can really bring some clarity to this subject matter of repentance. How many of us have felt horrible about the sin in our lives? We've wanted to change, and we've cried out to God for forgiveness and asked him to help us change, and it’s just not happened. I think the truth that really jumps out is that real change begins not with seeking repentance, but with seeking God. That’s huge.

This message is the first in our series called *Repentance: The Hidden Path to a Transformed Life*, and you can get a copy of this entire series on CD. Ask about repentance when you call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. That’s 1-877-673-6365. Or you’ll find ordering information online at openthebible.org.

Colin, it’s Friday and the weekend’s coming.

Colin Smith: Yeah, and I want to encourage you to get to church on Sunday. Find a church where the Bible is opened and where Jesus is the center of attention. And if you live in the Chicago area and you don't have a church home, I'd love for you to join us at The Orchard. There are six locations in the northwest suburbs. For more information, go to theorchard.church. That’s theorchard.church.

Steve Hiller: Well, thank you, Colin, and thanks for listening. I’m Steve Hiller, and I hope you’ll join us next time. This program is a listener-supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: This is Pastor Colin, and I want you to know about a resource that will help you in your devotional life. It’s called *Open the Bible Daily*. My colleague Pastor Tim Augustine takes what you hear on Open the Bible and he edits it into daily, bite-sized chunks that you can read in your devotional time in less than three minutes. Every day, you'll find a verse of Scripture, a short teaching from God's Word, and an application that you can carry with you through the day. People who use this tell us that they read it every day, and I think that if you try it, you'll love it too. For more information, visit openthebible.org/daily. That’s openthebible.org/daily.