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Separate Ways, March 6
Genesis 35:27-29
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life.
John 3:36
.
Jacob and Esau met at the deathbed of their father. Once the elder brother
had looked forward to this event as an opportunity for revenge, but his feelings
had since greatly changed. And Jacob, well content with the spiritual blessings
of the birthright, resigned to the elder brother the inheritance of their father’s
wealth—the only inheritance that Esau sought or valued....
Esau and Jacob had alike been instructed in the knowledge of God, and both
were free to walk in His commandments and to receive His favor; but they had
not both chosen to do this. The two brothers had walked in different ways, and
their paths would continue to diverge more and more widely.
There was no arbitrary choice on the part of God by which Esau was shut
out from the blessings of salvation. The gifts of His grace through Christ are
free to all. There is no election but one’s own by which any may perish.... Every
soul is elected who will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling.
He is elected who will put on the armor and fight the good fight of faith. He
is elected who will watch unto prayer, who will search the Scriptures, and flee
from temptation. He is elected who will have faith continually, and who will be
obedient to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The
provisions
of redemption are free to all; the
results
of redemption will be enjoyed by those
who have complied with the conditions.
Esau had despised the blessings of the covenant. He had valued temporal
above the spiritual good, and he had received that which he desired. It was by his
own deliberate choice that he was separated from the people of God. Jacob had
chosen the inheritance of faith. He had endeavored to obtain it by craft, treachery,
and falsehood; but God had permitted his sin to work out its correction.... The
baser elements of character were consumed in the furnace fire, the true gold was
refined, until the faith of Abraham and Isaac appeared undimmed in Jacob
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Ibid., 207, 208
.
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