"If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?" Heb 12:7.
      God is constantly giving us choices to trust and obey Him, and is constantly giving us grace to perform the right choices: we can submit to God's training, or we can refuse His offers, go our own way (do our own thing), and fail to make our calling and election sure, 2Pe 1:1-10. This is what Israel did in the wilderness (1Co 1:1-12; Heb 3:6-18), and in every generation under the Law Covenant, Mt 23:37; Act 7:51-60.
      This is what is happening in our generation of Laodicean Christians who are so rich and increased with goods. We, indeed, have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge. We have gone the way of the Protestants and of the world, and are unaware that we have forsaken the old paths laid down so explicitly in the inspired Word.
      We can fail to endure. Saved people do become unfaithful; and when they do, though they are saved eternally, they are destined for a baptism of fiery punishment and a slave sonship. Our forefathers in the faith have followed the Protestant doctrines and have strayed from the ancient landmarks. That is precisely what we are writing about. See Volume One of firstborn sonship.

      "But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not (firstborn) sons," Heb 12:8.
      Please observe the three parts of this verse:

      We have already demonstrated from the Scriptures that only the covenant people are in God's covenant chastening or disciplinary training program. Only the covenant people are appointed as firstborn sons, all other saved people (sons of God) are slave sons, Gal 4:19-31; 5:1-4. By God's election according to the covenants, the slave sons are not trained for the firstborn sonship, Amos 3:1-2; Deu 4:7-8; 29:29; Ps 25:14; Ps 1-3:7; 147:19-20; Rom 3:1-2.
      God has predestined the slave sons to be forever in mere flesh bodies, and never to receive the glorified (deified) body, Gal 4:19-31–5:1-5. The glory belongs to Israel who are God's covenant people, and who alone are in position to qualify for the first born sonship of Christ, Isa 43:13; 48:9-12; Rom 9:4; 8:17-23; Gal 6:7-9; Phil 3:7-14,21; et al. However, the covenants provide for the church to be grafted into Israel's place and stands as God's Israel during this age, Act 15:16-17; 28:17-29; Rom 2:28-29; 9:25-33; 10:19-20; 11:11-22; Mt 18:17; 1Pe 2:4,9.

      Jesus said: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men," Mt 5:16. To the members of the church, Jesus said: "Have salt in yourselves," Mk 9:50.
      The covenant people are the salt of the earth, but the salt can lose its savor, and when it loses its savor, it is "good for nothing," Mt 5:16. This clearly means that saved and scripturally baptized church members can and do become "good for nothing" for God's covenant service, and therefore are cut off from the covenants, Rom 11:11-22; Jn 15:1-6; Gal 5:1-4.
      Since they are good for nothing, as far as covenant service is concern, they are no longer under training – they are no longer under God's chastening. Such saved people, in the firstborn sonship qualifying position, forfeit the birthright of the firstborn sonship, and are disqualified from the covenant sonship. They are still sons, but are put out of the firstborn sonship, which belongs to the faithful covenant people.
      A branch that is in the vine represents being IN "the body of Christ," Jn 15:1-11. The branch that does not produce fruit is cut off from the vine (from the body of Christ), and no longer receives life from the vine. It cannot bear fruit, but withers and dies, Jn 15:1-6. The person is still saved from hell, but has forfeited the firstborn sonship and its covenant birthright.
      31 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide (continue, remain) in My Word, you are truly being My disciples.
      32 "And you shall know (understand) the truth, and the truth shall make you free," Jn 8:31-32.
      This means we must continue "in Christ" (in the body of Christ), in order to remain in the freedom of Christ.
      Those who do not stand fast in the freedom of Christ, lose that freedom, Gal 5:1. In this case, Paul said: "Christ will profit you nothing" within the New Covenant firstborn sonship, Gal 5:1-4. Such saved people (slave sons) are no longer chastened, but are cast out of the covenant firstborn inheritance, Gal 4:21-31; 5:1-5). The chastening of the Lord is a within-covenant training function, in which the covenant people are being trained, and are thereby qualifying for the firstborn sonship of Christ, Heb 12:1-29. When Abraham pleaded on behalf of Ishmael, God said I will bless him, "but My covenant will I establish with Isaac," Gen 17:18-21. Later Ishmael was cast out:
      9 "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
      10 "Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
      11 "And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
      12 "And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall your seed be called," Gen 21:9-12.
      Only those saved people in the covenants (a true church in this age) are "of faith" (a persevering faith), are seed of Abraham, and are heirs of the covenant promises, Rom 4:11-13; 9:4; 11:11-22; Gal 2:16; 3:6-9,14,27-29; 4:19-31; 5:1-5. et al.
      There are and always will be many saved people who are not covenant people. There are no national distinctions "in Christ" (in the body of Christ), but there will be many nations eternally on the new earth, Rev 21:23-26; 22:1-2. When a saved brother in the church will not repent and correct his unfaithful ways, he is to be put out of the church and counted as a publican and a Gentile (Mt 18:15-18; 1Co 5), as a brother outside the covenants, 2Th 3:6-15.
      Ishmael and Isaac were still brothers, but Ishmael was cast out of the covenants, and would not be trained to qualify for the covenant inheritance. A saved person who refuses to come into the covenants or is put out of the covenants is not legitimate, but is illegitimate.
      Hagar did not qualify to be Abraham's legitimate wife, and this disqualified Ishmael from being Abraham's legitimate (covenant) son and heir through whom the covenant descendants would come, Gen 17:18-21; 21:9-12. Saved people who are scripturally put out of the church (1Co 5; Mt 18:15-18; 2Th 3:6-15) are cut off from Christ (the body of Christ), from Abraham, from the covenants, from the covenant inheritance, and from the firstborn sonship, Gen 17:14; Ex 4:24-26; Ex 12:15,19; Num 19:13,20; Mt 18:15-18; Jn 15:1-6; Rom 11:11-22; 1Co 9:27; 10:1-12; Gal 3:6-29; 4:19-31; 5:1-4; Heb 3:6-19; et al. The covenant sons are legitimate, while the sons outside the covenants are illegitimate (not covenant sons), and are therefore not chastened, since they are cast out of the covenants and cannot qualify for the firstborn sonship.

      Thayer's lexicon says: "(Gk) nothos 1) illegitimate, bastard 2) one born, not in lawful wedlock, but of a concubine or female slave." That is precisely what the Scriptures in Gal 4:19–5:4 demonstrates, and that is precisely what Heb 12:8 and context are presenting to us.
      An Illegitimate son is still a son, but not a divine son. In the Bible, the word sons is applied to three different groups within God's creation:
            a. Firstborn sons are predestined to be conformed to the fullness of God's divine image, possessing all the attributes of deity, Rom 8:28-30; 1Co 3:21-23; Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-10; Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23. By divine appointment the firstborn son, by virtue of being "first," stood in position to receive a very prized birthright, which constituted an immeasurably higher inheritance and status than the other sons – see above passages. The Old Testament passages (Gen 4:1-7; 25:29-34; 27:27-37; 49:3; Ex 4:22-23; Deu 21:15-17; etc.), are cloaked, according to God's purpose, and greatly conceals the divine significance – though it is there, as we will observe when we much later look at the firstborn sonship from the Old Testament vantage point.
      In the case of Abraham, Isaac who was not the firstborn of Abraham was given the birthright instead of Ishmael who was the firstborn. The result was that Isaac was given all that Abraham had, while the other sons of Abraham were only given gifts, Gen 25:5-6.
      This whole case of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac provided the allegory in Gal 4:19-31, with its application to the Galatian churches and all other churches in Gal 5:1-5. This allegory demonstrates the very heart and general outline of God's eternal purpose, which we must come to understand and teach or suffer immeasurable loss for eternity.
            b. The other than firstborn sons, by divine arrangement, are predestined to an immeasurably lesser status than the firstborn son. This difference is relatively insignificant in traditional teaching, but as we follow the scriptural development of the firstborn status through the Scriptures, especially in the New Testament, we see that the difference is indeed immeasurable. These sons are predestined to be mere flesh beings, will therefore never share in the divine nature, but will be severely punished when the Lord returns, Mt 18:1-35; 25:14-46; Heb 10:25-31; 1Jn 2:28; Rev 22:18-19; et al.
            c. Angels are called sons of God, Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; 38:1-7. Though angels currently have immense knowledge and powers above man, they will not rule the age to come (the Millennial age), but will be ministers to those who are now qualifying to be firstborn sons in the resurrection, Lk 20:34-36; 1Co 6:3; Heb 1:5-14; 2:5-18.

      For continued emphasis and clarity, let us again briefly point out the major factors in the allegory of Gal 4:21-31:
      1. Abraham represents God who in metaphoric language generates two very distinct kinds of sons who will exist eternally as sons on the new earth.
      2. Hagar was a slave woman who was not suitable to give birth to a free son according to the Scriptures. Hagar was first to give Abraham a son, but a slave son because she was a slave and not Abraham's proper wife.
      3. Sarah was Abraham's proper covenant wife, and was a free woman. It was through Sarah that God promised the covenant son, first to Abraham in the written Scriptures (Gen 12:1-3; 13:14-16; 15:1-18), then specifically through Sarah and not Hagar, Gen 17:15-21.
      4. Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son, but he was a slave son and was born, not of promise, but after the normal flesh birth pattern. God specifically arranged for this to happen; not as a mere incidental, as it has been treated, but as an allegorical demonstration of His eternal purpose. That is, God's purpose was and is to have the earthy Adam's earth-bound race first, then through the second Adam (Christ) create a new race of heavenly, divine people to share God's own divine nature in the firstborn sonship Christ.
      God has permitted Satan to very cunningly hide this major pas-sage of scripture and the application of the allegory (Gal 4:19-31; 5:1-5), which is so obviously clear in revealing God's eternal purpose in creating mankind and his fall into sin. We stand awesomely amazed at the power and clarity of the allegory, and also amazed at Satan's ability to twist God's Word and control man's mind and emotions.
      The Holy Spirit through Paul (Gal 4:19–5) was warning the Galatian churches and all other churches that going back under the Law Covenant or otherwise walking in the flesh will cut one off from Christ in His firstborn sonship. God has already consigned to an eternal slave sonship all the unfaithful saved who refuse to accept and continue in God's disciplinary training (the doctrine of Christ, 2Jn 9-11) according to the covenants.
      5. Isaac was the promised Son – the promise signifying a supernatural birth, first by God quickening Abraham's and Sarah's bodies back to life so they could have a son, after all natural hope was gone. This, in turn, signified the requirement of a supernatural and divine birth of the bodies of the faithful covenant people in the resurrection, Col 1:15,18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:30-33; 1Co 15:1-2,44-50.
      So Heb 12:8 is explicitly addressing two kinds of sons: 1) non-covenant sons (never in the covenants) and sons cast out of the covenants, both of which are therefore illegitimate (not covenant) sons, and, 2) covenant firstborn sons, who must qualify through covenant chastening (disciplinary training) to be joint heirs of the divine sonship of Christ. Before we finish this chapter we will further observe the emphasis on the firstborn sonship and the covenant chastening (training, discipline) required of us in order to qualify for that sonship and its rich promises.

      "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of the spirits, and live?" Heb 12:9. Observe these pertinent items in this verse:

      Each covenant constituted a specific training program that governed every detail of daily life and worship. This is obvious with all the covenants, but we can see it in every command and ordinance of the Law Covenant and the New Covenant. Not many details are written about the covenant with Adam, but there are sufficient references to reveal that there were family priests with numerous commandments governing all aspects of life all the way to Mount Sinai, Gen 4:1-7; 8:20; 14:18; 18:17-19; 26:1-5; Job 1:1-5; 42:7-9; Ex 2:16; 3:1; 18:1; 19:22,24; Num 22; et al.
      It is of major importance to understand that the purpose of the covenants was to prescribe a lifestyle that governed every minute aspect of life of the covenant people:
      30 "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment," Mk 12:30.
      31 "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," 1Co 10:31.
      1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
      2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:18.

      Our flesh fathers corrected us, and did so with an honorable purpose in mind. God ordained marriage for a number of reasons, one of which was that we have children and meticulously train them with a divine goal in mind: that children be taught to obey their parents as a model for learning to believe and obey God, Gen 18:17-20; Deu 6:1-9.
      Observe that we are to do this with great diligence. This is binding on every human being, but most people refuse to believe and enter into the covenant contract with God. God did not create man and turn him loose with no responsibility, but put him under solemn obligation to seek God out, and then believe and obey God, Ps 19:1-6; Act 14:16-17; 17:26-28; Rom 1:18-20-32.

      God had a number of grand purposes in mind when He created man and woman, and through them established "the family." The emphasis here is that we, as children, were under a parental training process which God ordained to represent His training of us for the unique firstborn sonship He is providing in Christ through the covenants.
      As we respected our parents and submitted ourselves to their training, we must submit ourselves to God's training in order to qualify for the firstborn sonship. If we refuse to submit ourselves to God's disciplinary training, He will remove us from the covenants, the result of which is that we will eternally be slave sons in the nations on the new earth.

      Why does the verse say, "Father of the spirits?" First, the expression is contrasted to "fathers of our flesh," in the beginning of this same verse. Secondly, the two expressions emphasize the difference between the current flesh body and the divine spirit body of Christ in His resurrection, which determined the kind of body all firstborn sons will receive in the resurrection. This is the "new man" we "put on" in baptism and are to "put on" daily by "the renewing of our minds" that our minds and our conduct may be transformed into the "image of Christ," Eph 2:10-16; 4:22-24; Col 3:9-10; Rom 12:1-2; 2Co 3:17-18; 5:16-21; Rom 8:8-13; 1Co 6:15-17; et al.

      This continues the theme of the firstborn spirit body which is predestined to receive divine life in the resurrection. This is expressed more fully in many explicit passages, such as:
      6 "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace," Rom 8:6.
     9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit (being in a spirit body, where the Spirit dwells), if so be that the Spirit of God is dwelling in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His (referring to the body of Christ, where the Spirit dwells).
      10 "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit (guarantees) is life because of righteousness" (justification), Rom 8:9-10.
      The indwelling Spirit guarantees the spirit body that has been swallowed up of divine "life," 2Co 5:4-5.
      11 "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead is dwelling in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that is dwelling in you," Rom 8:11.
      If we remain faithful in the New Covenant, we will retain the indwelling of the Spirit, who guarantees the resurrection of our bodies into the divine firstborn sonship when Christ returns.
      13 "For if you are living according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live," Rom 8:13.
      This is continuing the theme of Rom 8 in harmony with Heb 12 and all the Scriptures: we must be faithful by grace through faith to receive the divine life of the firstborn sonship in the resurrection.
      7 "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (body), 1Co 6:15-17. The inspired scripture is speaking of the members of the church being members of the divine body of Christ: if we are joined to Christ as members of His divine body, our bodies are counted as being divine members of the divine body of Christ.
      7 "Stop being led astray, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
      8 "For he who is sowing to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who is sowing to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting (divine) life.
      9 "And let us not be growing weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we are not losing heart," Gal 6:7-9.
      Mortifying the deeds of the body (Rom 8:13; Col 1-25), sowing to the Spirit, and continuing in well doing (Gal 6:7-9; 1Ti 6:12-19; Lk 10:25-37), are ways of expressing God's chastening for the purpose of qualifying us for the divine life of the firstborn sonship.

      10 "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of HIS holiness," Heb 12:10.

      That is the usual pattern of parental correction, but God commanded for parental correction to be spiritual and godly training according to His Word, Gen 18:17-19; Deu 6:1-9; Eph 6:1-4. We are to meticulously train our children according to God's covenant training program.

      God's righteousness is one of God's divine attributes. God's holiness is also one of God's divine attributes. God's righteousness appears to speak more of God's righteous conduct; whereas, God's holiness appears to address His divine state of being. The tabernacle (temple) and its furnishings, its priesthood and ministries, the Law Covenant with all its ordinances, etc., are called "holy," because they were dedicated to the service of God who is "holy."
      Being "partakers of His holiness" signifies partaking of the divine nature of God by the faithful covenant people in the firstborn sonship of Christ, that they "should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light," Isa 43:21; 1Pe 2:9; 2Pe 1:4.
      Possessing the divine nature, the faithful covenant people will be able to do this, because they, by grace through faith, gave "all diligence to make their calling and election sure," 2Pe 1:4-10. But not all saved people (not all sons) make their calling and election sure, even though they properly stand within the covenant position, 2Pe 1:9-10.
      Those covenant sons who so carelessly add to and diminish from the Word of God will have their part taken out of the firstborn sonship and the plagues of Rev 22:18-19 added to them. This means a slave sonship allegorically represented by Ishmael, rather than the covenant sonship of Christ allegorically represented by Isaac, Gal 4:19—5:4.

      "Now no chastening (training) for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it is giving back a peaceable HARVEST OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to those who have been trained thereby" (by the chastening of the Lord), Heb 12:11.

      Covenant chastening is severe primarily because the flesh nature is strong. It is difficult to get our "want to" fixed and keep it fixed. We must grow into a strong disposition of mind – a firm mind-set, in order to maintain the characteristics of bearing about in our "body the dying of the Lord Jesus," 2Co 4:7-12. This is done by feeding our minds on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, Mt 4:4. The furnace of affliction (Isa 48:10), being counted sheep for the slaughter (Rom 8:36), and taking up the cross daily (Lk 9:23-26), is too costly for most Laodicean Christians, Rev 3:14-20.

      There are only two kinds of righteousness: God's righteousness versus our righteousness, and the Scriptures say "our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," Isa 64:6. The righteousness in Heb 12:11 above, refers to God's righteousness which He credits to us in justification with each act of faith. This means God's righteousness is cumulative, as we have observed, just as divine "life" is cumulative (Jn 10:10), and as God's "glory" is cumulative, 2Co 4:17. In fact, all of God's attributes are cumulative within the "fullness of God," and are promised to the faithful covenant people, Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-19; Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-10; 17:21-23; et al.
      10 "Now He who is ministering seed to the one sowing, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits (the harvest) of your (God's) righteousness," 2Co 9:10.
      7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
      8 "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints," Rev 19:7-8.
      The wedding garments of the bride of Christ are the righteous acts of the saints, which is God's righteousness credited to the faithful covenant people through justification. And justification is both progressive and cumulative.
      Abraham was saved fifteen or more years before he was justified in Gen 15:6 (Act 7:1-4; Heb 11:8; Gen 12:1-3), and we have proven and will again abundantly prove by many scriptures that Abraham was being justified all the while, and continued to be justified progressively after Gen 15:6. Justification is progressive with every act of faith, as we walk in the "steps" of the faith of Abraham, Rom 4:12 (1-25); Ja 2:21-23. That is precisely what is being taught in 2Co 9:10.

      15 "Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
      16 "Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
      17 "For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears," Heb 12:15-17.
      The son who despises covenant discipline forfeits not only the birthright with its inheritance, but also loses the firstborn sonship of Christ, and becomes a non-covenant, illegitimate son with Ishmael and Esau. The disqualified son comes to Heb 12:18-21, while the son who endures covenant discipline comes to Heb 12:22-28.
      This chapter (Heb 12) provides a progressive and definitive discussion of the two distinct sonships, with emphasis on the discipline required for the firstborn sonship of Christ, and a glimpse at the final disposition of both sonships. The saved person who endures to the prescribed covenant discipline receives the divine life of God, the divine holiness of God, the divine righteousness of God, indeed all the attributes (fullness of God, Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:8-10) along with the things mentioned in Heb 12:22-28.

      As with Ishmael, Esau was a within-covenant firstborn son. They were both seed of Abraham, they were both circumcised, they were both firstborn sons, and they were both covenant sons. The covenant with Abraham included his servants and all who joined themselves to Abraham, Gen 17:12. The same was true with Israel under the Law Covenant, Ex 12:43-49.
      It was not a coincidence that God chose Ishmael and Esau to demonstrate His justice in rejecting the unfaithful sons from the covenant firstborn sonship of Christ, and also in emphasizing the two distinct sonships. They were chosen because they were definitive and unambiguous types of firstborn sons who are predestined to be removed from the firstborn sonship of Christ as explicitly taught in Heb 12; Gal 4:19–5:4; and throughout the Scriptures:

      However, in the allegory (Gal 4:21-31), he represented flesh sons who are born into slavery to the flesh and to the rudimentary laws of the universe, to which slavery the Law Covenant also gave birth, Gal 4:21-31. As Ishmael was cast out as Abraham's firstborn son and heir of the covenant birthright inheritance, so the slave sons of the Law Covenant must be cast out – cut off from Christ and the covenant inheritance, Gal 4:19-3; 5:1-4; Jn 15:1-5; Rom 11:11-22; 1Co 10:1-12; Heb 3:6-19; et al.
      The Law Covenant, in its first requirement, required the covenant people to walk after the flesh. The second requirement of the Law Covenant was to "walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham," Rom 4:12. Those who walked by grace through faith under the Law Covenant were delivered from that slavery into the freedom of Christ when Christ was made a curse for them (Gal 3:13; 4:4-6), but Christ did not deliver those who did not daily walk by faith, and who therefore were not counted by God as being "of faith," Gal 3:6-29; Rom 11:1-22.

      Esau was a firstborn son whose affections were set on the flesh and not on the birthright, which birthright was also the covenant promises – the birthright and the covenant promises are the same. Esau was a seed of Abraham, and the firstborn son of Isaac, but he was not "of faith," Gal 3:6-29. Esau was a "fornicator" and a "profane" person "who for one morsel of food sold his birthright" (eternally), Gen 25:29-34; Heb 12:15-17.
      In following the ways of the world, we are fornicators – adulterers and adulteresses, Ja 4:4-5;1Jn 2:15-17. The covenant people today have adopted the TV as their teacher, entertainer, companion, and comforter. We have forsaken the old path of sanctification (separation from the world and dedication to God through His Word). How shall we escape the judgment of Gehenna?

      Esau was rejected because he despised his birthright, Gen 25:29-34; Heb 12:15-17. This latter passage reveals that the events in Esau's and Jacob's lives represents the "character of life" of each of them. Esau loved the things of this world, while Jacob set his affections on heavenly things, and the outcome was immeasurably different: Esau will receive the earthy body in the resurrection, while Jacob will receive the (divine, heavenly) spirit body, according to the birthright and covenant promise, 1Co 15:1-2,44-50.

      There will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth by the unfaithful saved when Christ returns and for a whole millennium, Mt 24:36-51; 25:1-30; Lk 12:31-48; 21:34-36; Heb 3:6-7-11; 6:4-6; 10:25-21; 12:29; Rev 2:22-24; 3:10; 16:15; 18:4; 22:18-19; et al.
      These Scriptures are explicit, but we forget the rule of interpretation when we come to face the Lord in these passages. These and other passages state clearly that such repentance will be too late. God has sworn in His wrath that they will not enter His "rest" of partaking of Christ, which is the birthright of the firstborn, Heb 3:11-14 (6-19).

      18 "For you have not come to the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
      19 "And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
      20 "(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
      21 "And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)," Heb 12:18-21.
      The Holy Spirit follows His reference to Esau's abortion of the firstborn sonship with this very harsh side of the dichotomy of the Law Covenant and the New Covenant, which also runs throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Law Covenant represents the dark side, the curse, the judgment, the slavery within a physical body – slavery to the laws of the physical, touchable, tangible universe.