Even though [Esau] sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done. Hebrews 12:17 (NIV)
Maybe you’ve been a Christian for some time. You’ve tried to get free from certain sins, but you haven’t been able to, so you’re convinced that real, lasting change is no longer possible for you. When you hear the word repentance, you say to yourself, I would if I could, but I can’t.
Repentance is the hidden path to a transformed life. The reason it is a hidden path is that many people never find it. There are many who would love to be free from bitterness, pornography, or alcohol. They may have deep regrets. They may shed many tears. But they do not change.
Hebrews 12 tells us about a man just like this. His name is Esau. “See that no one is… godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son” (12:16). This refers to the Old Testament story about two brothers, Jacob and Esau.
One day Esau came home from hunting and he found his brother Jacob cooking stew. Jacob said to Esau, “I’ll give you some stew if you sell me your birthright.” Esau was desperate, so he sold his birthright for one meal.
But later on, when Esau wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could not change what he had done (12:17). The word translated change is the word repentance. Esau was the man who could not repent.
If you find yourself saying, “I cannot change,” you’re identifying with Esau. Repentance is a hidden path to you. You would like to travel on this path but you cannot find it.
Have you recently thought something like this: I’d like to change, but I can’t?