Do Not Drift Away
Read the Text: Hebrews 2
Memorize the Text:
Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception
(Hebrews 3:12-13, CSB)
Consider the Text: Hebrews 2:1-4
The author of Hebrews cautions people not to miss salvation by drifting past Jesus. The warning comes in response to the threat of rejecting the gospel through neglect. Neglect occurs when we fail to care for something or someone properly. In the case of Hebrews 2, neglect occurs when one fails to properly take care of their relationship with the Lord. This happens when we drift aimlessly and fail to set anchor on the needed mark.
NEGLECT OCCURS WITHOUT PURPOSE
The act of neglect occurs when we approach Jesus without the purpose of attaching to him. Thus, we become servants of the tides of this world and fail to hit our mark because we are controlled by everything else. When one merely drifts, they become controlled by the circumstances and only wishfully hold onto the hope of arriving at the destination.
The tides of this world attempt to keep us from responding to the message of the gospel. The tides influence us through the opinions of others, the ideals of the world, and the desire to remain accepted by others. Often, these tides distract us from Jesus and cause us to miss salvation and his desire for us because we become controlled by and servants of the tide. Overcoming this threat happens when a purposeful effort is made to follow Jesus. What tide in the world is tempting to lead you to a place of neglecting Jesus and the truth?
NEGLECT DEMANDS PUNISHMENT
The author of Hebrews states clearly that every transgression and disobedience must receive just punishment. This truth indicates that neglect leads to punishment because one lives defined by transgression and disobedience. Thus, neglect of responding to Jesus leads to the receiving of God’s eternal wrath. Therefore, when we state, maybe later or when I get things right, I will respond to Jesus; we continue living in a state of neglect and face the deserved punishment of the Lord.
The author of Hebrews uses a more significant argument to establish this point. He argued that if disobedience to the message received through angels deserved death, then how much more does the neglect of Jesus deserve eternal death. The same is true today; if we neglect God’s offering of grace, then we receive the just response of eternal separation. Have you constantly neglected Jesus? Have you neglected through excuses?
DO NOT NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION
The author charged the believers not to neglect Jesus and receive great salvation. The author knew the need for people to respond to the gospel and understand its greatness of it. The distinction of salvation exists because it extends from the greatness of God. Likewise, salvation brings the gift of life and spiritual gifts according to the will of the Spirit. Thus, salvation’s greatness includes eternal and immediate gifting.
The tides of this world often tempt us to rest and allow them to control our journey. When this occurs, we enter the state of neglecting great salvation by drifting aimlessly away from Christ. What areas in your life do you face drifting from Jesus? How can you commit today to seek Jesus?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
