See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭23‬
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Sexually immoral is listed here next to godlessness. It seems like pretty harsh treatment, right? I think it is important to gain a little perspective here. If I believe in God, the God of the Bible, if I really believe enough to follow him and obey his commands, then it goes to reason that I will not be sexually immoral. Sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, breastiality, etc. are all sexually immoral. Pornography is also sexually immoral.

We live in an over-sexualized world whereby we have “sex symbols”, “trophy wives”, and TV shows about people’s sexual lives aired in public. What if, instead of celebrating perversion, we celebrated godly character traits and those who display them? What if what God cared most about, we cared most about too?

Easu was godless because he gave away his God-given birthright for one meal. He let physical hunger rule his heart. He was flippant and crass with God’s plan for his life.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans that God’s wrath is in store for the godless. He says that, though God has made plain to them that he is the all-powerful God, they instead exchange a lie for the truth, and idols for the one, true God. It says, “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Though they claimed to be wise they became fools. And later in Romans it talks about how they committed sexual immorality. These two things are linked.

So I send out this warning to those who may think that because society has, in large part, OK'd this type of behavior, and even many of our churches have condoned it, sexual immorality and godlessness are both abhorrent to God.

Jesus laid it out fairly simply here: “If you love me, keep my commands.” (‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬)

Lord, I pray that you will bring the godless and the sexually immoral both to repentance. There is no room in your kingdom for either without repentance and a full life change to follow you in obedience. You see the heart that justifies sin and it pains you. Help me to stay true to your word, repent when I fall, and seek to obey all of your commands!