The old nature or the new nature (Esau tried to reform without help from God):
"When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying: thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; and Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife"
(Genesis 28:6-9).

Was Esau attempting to right a wrong by marrying a godly wife? If so, it was never too late to right a wrong. This is always a good thing for every one of us to do, as well. However, Esau did not get rid of his other two idol worshipping wives, so this shows us that there was no genuine repentance in his heart.

Esau wanted to do what was right by marrying a godly woman like Jacob was instructed to do. By being religious and doing what was right, he would increase his prestige among his parents and their servants. This lifestyle is known as "turning over a new leaf". So, he married a daughter of Ishmael, who did not worship idols. His action was good but his motive was wrong. Also, he was trying to change without the help of God- one cannot depend on the help of sinful flesh alone in attempting to live a victorious life for God. Why? Because there is a lack of spiritual power. Resurrection power comes along with the new inner nature from Christ. So, Esau was still the same old unrepentant sinner with no inner spiritual heart change towards God. Sometimes an unconverted person will try to become righteous without a heart change. They put on a front and talk the talk but don't walk the walk. You can wash the mud off of a pig, perfume it, tie a ribbon about it's neck and take it to church. But when that pig gets back home, it goes right back to the mud again. Why? Because that is its nature. This is similar to the unconverted sinner and his or her relationship to sin. However, the real way Jesus changes a person is from the inside outward rather than vice versa. There has to be a change of one's inner spiritual nature for a person to live holy for God and to make it to Heaven. When God possesses a person, that person's inner nature is changed towards God and away from evil. Jesus called this experience being "born again"
(John 3:3 and 7). For example, this change of my inner nature happened to me when I asked Christ to possess me (to come into my heart and save me). I now quote from my own written testimony:

"All the praying was finished by this time as it had only lasted a couple of minutes. I stood there dizzy, sensing something different in my heart. There was joy and peace there for the first time. I knew something had happened to me because I could feel the change. I did not have a desire (the nature) to swear anymore and my conscience was clear of guilt.

I did not mention a word to the others in the Bible study group about it. Firstly, I didn't understand what had happened to me. Secondly, I figured it was only a temporary thing and that all the burdens and guilt would be back the next morning.

When I woke up the next morning I was surprised to discover that there was still peace and joy in my heart. I was hoping this was not a temporary experience but a permanent condition and I was happy when I found out later it was. All through the day I kept continually noticing that there was something different about me. (I had a new inner spiritual nature). I had searched for inward peace for a long time but had given up on finding it. I was anxious to attend the Bible study that night to see if they had the answers to many of my questions and why I was so different.

After the Bible study concluded that night I told them about the change in me and that it had occurred the previous night when we had prayed. They started rejoicing and were very happy and were saying things like "praise the Lord!" and "hallelujah!". I asked them to please explain it to me. One reservist said, "Christ has taken up residence in your heart and taken the burden of your sins away. He has made you a new person (created in you a new spiritual nature) because you have been born again. You have peace in your heart because He is the Prince of Peace."

Chief Richards opened his Bible to a passage of scripture found in 2 Corinthians 5:17, and then let me read those meaningful words, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new..."