Hebrews 2:1-18
Saturday, 4 June 2022
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it… how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? -Hebrews 2:1-3
In the thirteen chapters of the Book of Hebrews, the author systematically presents to us the divinity and supremacy of Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. In the midst of all the profound Christian theology, the author declares five clear warnings to all readers:
Danger of neglect (Heb. 2:1-4)
Danger of unbelief (Heb 3:7-4:13)
Danger of immaturity (Heb. 5:11-6:20)
Danger of rejecting (Heb. 10:26-39)
Danger of refusing God (Heb. 12:25-29)
In Hebrews 2:1-4 the author warns us to pay close attention to what we have heard, least we “drift away.” The drifting away is likened to a ship without anchor that drifts away from the shore. The drifting away is caused by ‘neglect’ (V.3), which means an attitude of indifference, paying no attention to or making light of the message of salvation presented to us. As we grasp the greatness of the salvation offered to us, let us make every effort to draw near to God in humility and reverence.
Sin entered the world through man’s fall in the Garden of Eden and it separates humanity from the Holy God. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23); hence, the need for salvation! In His love from mankind, the Heavenly Father provided the only way for our salvation, through His perfect Son – Jesus Christ who provided purification for our sins once and for all and is seated at the right hand of the Father. How did Christ provide purification for our sins? Jesus, God-incarnate, took on human form and willingly bore the punishment for sin on our behalf - He suffered and died in our place, that we could be forgiven and declared free of all wickedness.
Colossians 1:19-22 9 [NLT] makes it clear: “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. The price of our salvation was paid by the unblemished blood of Jesus Christ! (1 Peter 1:18-19)
How can we neglect so great a salvation, bought by the precious blood of Christ, declared by the Lord, witnessed by the disciples and testified by the Holy Spirit? The warning is clear: If disobedience to God in the Old Testament resulted in divine punishment, how will those who neglect this great gift of salvation through Christ, ever escape punishment? No one can, if they remain indifferent to the message of salvation.
If you haven’t received Christ, can you acknowledge you are a sinner and that salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin? Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:7-8) Allow the Spirit of God to convict you and return to the Lord if you have drifted away or neglected the gift of salvation.
Comprehending the great gift of salvation available to us, there is a conscious choice we have to make and maintain. The Lord declares, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Quote for the Day: “The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God’s plan to save His children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save His children.” ~ Max Lucado
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