THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 10
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation" (Hebrews 2:1 & 3a).
The previous devotion concluded while considering the truth that "only a miraculous act of God can bring about the reality of this 'so great a salvation' in the heart of a spiritually dead, blind, and enslaved sinner!" So, today, let's continue observing this essential matter.
Everyone must understand that solely being superficially affiliated with a local church has never made anyone a born-again Christian. Multiplied millions of individuals names are listed on a church roll, who are without the life of Go in their soul and still headed for damnation. Furthermore, only being an occasional "spectating attendant" at a local church has never transformed a person into a born-again Christian. There are additional millions of church attendees who bear no "7-day-a-week birthmarks" that they have been supernaturally born of God.
Moreover, one being up to their eyeballs in religious activity has never changed a single person into a born-again disciple. A person can be a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and even a pastor and continue to travel down the broad road that leads to destruction!
Throughout my decades of ministry, I have witnessed numerous men and women in every one of these positions (including a couple of pastors) who realized they had entered through the wide gate of counterfeit conversion. I would also add that taking a meaningless dip in a baptistry (without the reality of a previous spiritual death, burial, and resurrection in union with Jesus Christ) has never resulted in the miraculous birth from above.
I further state, "Walking an aisle has never changed a leopard's spots! Mechanically parroting a rote prayer has never resurrected a spiritually sin-deadened heart! Raising a hand or agreeing with some nominal facts has never illuminated the sin-blinded mind of an enemy of God. As a matter of biblical fact, there is no human activity that can change a spiritually dead, blind, and enslaved sinner into a born-again Christian. It is a creative act of God the Almighty!
This issue of becoming a Christian is a great mystery! It is a stupendously miraculous matter! You can no more explain the "birth from above" than you can explain God's creation of the billions of galaxies out of nothing. Even Nicodemus, the premier teacher of Israel, could not grasp the miracle of the new birth, asking Jesus, "How can these things be? Can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb?" Our Lord Jesus responded, "Except a man be born from above, he cannot see (perceive) the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wills and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell from where it comes from and to where to goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
The wind is a great mystery. Similarly, when considering the spiritual realm, we can also say that, "the Wind of God mightily employing the Gospel of Christ" resulting in a miraculous birth from above is a great mystery. Nicodemus was attempting to unscrew the inscrutable. He was trying to penetrate what is impenetrable. He was seeking to explain the inexplicable.
Oh, can one explain how God can say, "Let there be light, and there was light"? Can you explain how God can make something out of nothing? If so, you can unravel the mystery of the creation of physical light out of the darkness; simultaneously, you would be able to analyze how "God can shine the blazing light of the glorious Gospel out of the deep darkness of a desperately wicked heart"! But no man is capable of unfolding such a mystery.
This is God's creative, miraculous, and supernatural activity! Just like the blowing of the wind, you cannot see this "so great a salvation" occurring. You only see its dramatic effects of the fruit of genuine repentance and saving faith in the Lord Jesus! You cannot define the miraculous. You can only glory in this "so great a salvation"!
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 9
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation" (Hebrews 2:1 & 3a)
We have been considering the last four words of this crucial verse, "so great a salvation" found in Hebrews 2. This is an extremely serious matter. Each one shall give an account to the Lord and God of how they have heard and heeded the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus said, "The words that I have spoken unto you; they shall judge you" (John 12:48b)! This writer to the Hebrews is very conscious of the seriousness and soberness of the words within this passage. The privilege of hearing this message of "so great a salvation" has been afforded you. Millions have lived and died and have never had the opportunity to hear and heed!
This great salvation message is the most important truth in the world. But we must recognize why it is the most important! First, it is the most essential truth because it gives a true knowledge about ourselves. Secondly, it gives a true knowledge about the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, it gives a true knowledge of how a sinner can enter into a saving knowledge of God! If a person had only a glimpse of the glory of God, they would say with the prophet of old, "Woe is me, for I am undone!" The word of God clearly proclaims that there is only one way to enter into this saving knowledge of the glory of God. It is through the Gospel message of this "so great a salvation"!
Let us further consider another truth concerning this "so great a salvation." The truth about the nature of the new life, which the sinner is graced to experience and enjoy! The one who repents and places complete faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus has been reconciled to God and forgiven of their sin debt. Additionally, they can live completely new lives by the power of the Holy Spirit that now dwells within them.
On that day in 1980, I was made a new creation in union with the Lord Jesus Christ! The God, who commanded physical light to shine out of darkness, accomplished something in my heart and life comparable to what He did in the beginning of physical creation. This "birth from above" was God's creative activity, in which the Holy Spirit miraculously and supernaturally applied the Gospel, and brought forth life, light, and liberty to a sinner who was spiritually dead, blind, and enslaved!
This truth alone declares that "no person can make himself a Christian." No other individual can transform a rebellious sinner into a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. Even the Apostle Paul could not change a sinner into a saint. A new creation in Christ is God's workmanship, ALONE!
A twice-born believer is an epistle of Christ, "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; and not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart." The apostle emphasizes, "That he did not write on your heart. He was allowed to hold the pen to write about these works. But there was another omnipotent Hand, which was on top of his, which did the miraculous writing on your heart! It was the Spirit of God! No human being can make a person a Christian.
Believers can live "Christ-centered lives before sinners." They can and must intercede for the conversion of their souls. They can and must take opportunities and make opportunities to herald the "message of this so great a salvation." Born-again believers can plead with sinners to repent and believe the Gospel. Oh, but if this "so great a salvation" is going to become a living reality in the life of a sinner, only God can accomplish this miracle!
It is FAR TOO GREAT A MIRACLE for any mortal to bring about. It is only God who commands the spiritual light of this "great Gospel message" to shine out of the deep darkness of the hopelessly wicked human heart. The apostle Paul did not suddenly get a bright idea to stop being a Pharisee and begin following Jesus Christ. On the contrary, he was supernaturally arrested, miraculously apprehended, and powerfully awakened. Paul (then Saul) was on his way to Damascus with a personal resolve and determination to exterminate the church. But Jesus commanded the light to shine out of the deep darkness of his vile and vicious heart! Oh, this glorious, SO GREAT A SALVATION!
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 8
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation" (Hebrews 2:1 & 3a).
This "so great a salvation" message always initiates exposing the truth about ourselves. Most certainly, no sinner will ever hunger and thirst after the "good news of this great salvation" until they become personally awakened concerning the "bad news of their terrible problem before the Holy God"! When the iron fist of the "shattered moral law" begins to bang on the door of a heart, this personal confrontation of "bad news" is precisely what causes one to be graced with an insatiable appetite for the good news of this "so great a salvation"!
I would be remiss unless I asked, "Have you ever seen yourself as a condemned criminal in the courtroom of the moral law of God? Has the Spirit of God ever prosecuted you, concerning the truth that you are a condemned sinner, and nothing but a sinner, before God's holiness and God's commandments?
I will never forget an afternoon when I was graced with a wonderful witnessing opportunity with an elderly lady in a particular community. This opportunity occurred in connection with an evangelistic outreach meeting where I was preaching at a local church. I was sitting in her living room, illustrating the truth from God's word that she had utterly shattered the Ten Commandments. I had just quoted James 2:10, "Whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all." I told her, "Imagine if you would take your hammer in hand and accidentally hit one small spot on your living room window pane. What would occur?" Looking at me as if in shock, she responded, "I know exactly what would occur! The entire window frame would shatter into a thousand pieces!" I responded with these words, "If you have broken only one of God's commandments, then you have shattered the entire moral law of God. This biblical fact proves you are a guilty criminal in God's courtroom!"
Subsequently, the Holy Spirit powerfully applied James 2:10 and prosecuted this lady with the overwhelming evidence against her. Later, she cried out to the Lord Jesus to have mercy on her and save her lost soul! After our visit, she took the pastor and me into her dining room. I observed a sight that shocked both the pastor and myself. There was a shattered picture window. This lady's husband had shattered the window when he took his hammer in hand and made a "wrong tap" on a particular spot, even earlier that day!
Dear reader, the good news of this "so great a salvation" must commence with a diagnosis of the bad news of the sinner's terrible problem before the holiness of God and the law of God. But thankfully, it does not stop there! This "so great a salvation" message announces the glorious good news of how one can be delivered from their convicted and condemned condition. This "so great a salvation" message offers the one and only remedy for a sinner's helpless and hopeless condition. This remedy is the majestic light of the Gospel of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ!
"This great salvation" must focus on the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Biblical Christianity is not just another world religion with a basket of man-concocted teachings. This "so great a salvation" is a message focused on the majestic glories of a person who claimed to be the Great I AM. "We preach Jesus and Him crucified! We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord!"
This "so great a salvation" is the message about The One, who is the very image of God. It is the astounding announcement that He has visited this fallen human race! The One who is the express image of the Person of God has been manifest in the flesh! The omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God has entered this sinful world on a magnificent rescue mission. The eternal and holy Son of God came out of the infinities of glory to enter this sinful world on a great salvation operation. The sinless God became the sinless and substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of any sinner and every sinner who will repent and believe this "great salvation" message! Have you personally tasted of this "so great a salvation"?
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 7
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away" (Hebrews 2:1).
In the previous devotion, we stated that the born-again believer should also heed the truth concerning 'drifting away' from the fire and freshness of their 'first love devotion to the Lord Jesus and His great salvation.' Everyone who is a follower of Christ should be careful not to meander away from "being captivated with this great salvation." Primarily for this warning is the truth that our Creator and Redeemer God is the Author of this precious salvation story.
Furthermore, those who have been delivered should be careful to give their earnest attention because of the just and eternal condemnation this great salvation delivered them from. Additionally, we should avoid drifting into lethargic complacency because of what this "SO GREAT A SALVATION" delivers us unto!
Yes, not just what a believer was rescued from, but always remember what a believer has gained. God's gift of sending His Son and His perfect sacrifice rescues the repentant sinner from eternal hell and then reserves this sinner for a glorious future! For this marvelous salvation graces every "repenting and believing sinner" with a new heart, a new disposition, a new direction, new desires, and a new destination! This born-again believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. They are adopted into the royal family of the King of kings. They are accepted in union with the Beloved One.
Moreover, they are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus the Lord. They become an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. They are forgiven, redeemed, and sealed with the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. What could be greater than all of these glorious realities?
Sadly, this world will one day burn with fervent heat, and that day is approaching. That day is on God's calendar. All the people who lived for the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life will have nothing left but the torments of perdition. Oh, but for the authentic disciples of Jesus Christ the Lord there is a great world coming. God is preparing a glorious place for the bride of Christ, in which righteousness dwells and reigns. Every authentic follower of Jesus Christ will share with Him in an eternal inheritance of the magnificent majesty of this new world kingdom. This is another reason this salvation is called "so great a salvation"!
Dear reader, the God who lived above time and space stepped into time and space. Jesus Christ lived a perfectly rigtheous life that no sinner could live, one born in union with fallen Adam. He voluntarily marched to the cross and presented Himself to the Father as the Great High Priest and the Lamb of God. He was the offerer of the sacrifice and the sinless offering! He has tasted death for every sinner who will come to the Lord Jesus on His conditions. He bore the sins of those sinners in His body on the tree. God the Father laid on God the Son the iniquity of every sinner who will repent and believe this great salvation. God the Son has conquered all of His enemies, defeating death, hell, and the grave. Then, He ascended to the right hand of God the Father. He is ruling and reigning on the universe's throne until His enemies are made His footstool.
Authentic followers of Jesus may drift for a brief time through foolish and fleshly entanglements with worldliness, selfishness, and sinfulness. However, because the Holy Spirit lives within them, they will be convicted and corrected if necessary (Hebrews 11). They will indeed repent and return to the pursuit of holiness.
One of two things is evident if a "professing believer" does not repent. They will face discipline, or their profession could be deemed a false profession of faith! The longer they walk in sin, the more reason they have to question whether their "profession of faith" is a bonafide "possession of faith." But no one has the option of saying, "Well, I am just a carnal Christian. So, I will continue to drift down the current of the flesh and the world. But when I die, I know that I will go to Heaven. That person is deceiving themselves. When they drift from the reality of conversion, they drift away from God Himself. Consequently, they are wandering toward hell itself!
Part 6 THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION
“Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
I have been applying this text to those who have made “a profession of faith in Jesus Christ”, but are in danger of falling away and revealing that their profession was never an authentic “possession of saving faith”. However, born again believers should also take heed to the truths which are found in this passage. For if an authentic believer finds himself/herself drifting away from “worshipping Jesus as the flaming epicenter of their life”, they can be certain that they are headed for the correction of God the Father!
Many people are attracted to great people, great dramas or great events. But friend, the greatest drama in all of the stage of human history is divine invasion of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth! Moreover, the greatest events in all of earthly significance are “the perfectly righteous life, the substitutionary death and the triumphant resurrection” of the One who is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His Person! Dear disciple, have you lingered away from a continuing consciousness of the astounding magnitude of the majesty of His great accomplishments in your salvation? Have you been sliding away from the days when you were overwhelmed by that spiritual sight of the greatness of the glories of the Lord’s great salvation? Have you been meandering from that “springtime of the heart”, when you were awestruck by the greatness of its majesty and glory? How long has it been since you sung, from the depths of your heart, “Oh for a thousand tongues to sing my Great Redeemer’s praise; the glories of my God and King; the triumphs of His grace”?
FRIEND, are you valuing this salvation, far above all other people or things? I submit to you that the divine wisdom, which is to be discovered in the glorious Gospel, is to be sought after as a bottomless well filled with esteemed treasures. We are called to give both the serious and sustained attention of our hearts and minds to this great salvation which has been accomplished by our Lord and Savior. Every born again believer should be contemplating on this great salvation; captivated by it; compelled because of it; and commending it to sinners!
Why does the word of God describe these glorious truths with the words, “SO GREAT SALVATION”? Do you understand that, “an efficient way of testing the greatness of any book is to consider the author of the particular edition? Usually, the purchaser of a book will make his decision in direct connection with the author’s reputation. It is quite clear that one of the primary reasons that this “salvation is so great” is because of the biblical truth that this is a message whose Author is God! And friend, the fact that the Author of this great salvation is the Living God is quite enough to make a new commitment to give earnest heed to the message!
Secondly, we could say that this is “SO GREAT SALVATION” because of the tremendous spiritual deliverance which it provides! If it was announced, throughout the national media tomorrow, that a definite cure for all forms of cancer had been discovered, this would truly be called “great and glorious news”! Well friend, this news is called “SO GREAT SALVATION”, because of the eternal damnation from which it delivers a sinner. This great salvation rescues a “believing sinner” from the eternal wrath of God! So it is certainly no surprise that this salvation is called “so great salvation !
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 5
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away" (Hebrews 2:1).
This letter was initially written to a congregation of predominantly (if not totally) Jewish people who had professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and King. However, feeling the pressure of persecution from other Jewish relatives and friends, they were tempted to abandon the "Gospel of grace alone; through faith alone; in the Lord Jesus alone" and return to the symbols and ceremonies of Judaism.
The enemy of the Gospel was enticing them to consider the possibility of forsaking the Substance (the Person and work of Jesus Christ), a glory that an exceeding greater glory that had replaced their ceremonial symbols! Undoubtedly, if they succumbed to this sinister scheme, it would manifest that they had never truly converted to Christ Jesus!
This warning is the first of many profound and powerful warnings found in the pages of the letter to the Hebrews. The author has been admonishing them with the truth that 'one does not have to be an awful and horrific sinner to go to hell. All one must do is foolishly neglect and apathetically procrastinate in repenting of their sins and trusting solely in the Lord Jesus.
We have considered "The call to carefully heed one's attention and the catastrophe of careless apathy." Now let us consider, “The Consequences of This Casual Attitude.
"How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation"(Hebrews 2:3a). Those who have had multiple opportunities to hear and heed the glorious Gospel and have carelessly neglected will experience the most severe vengeance and wrath from the Lord Jesus Christ, on the final day of the Great White Throne Judgment.
"For is the word spoken through angels proved steadfast" (Hebrews 2:a). This verse directly references the "giving of the moral law of God" to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses through the mediation of angels. Deuteronomy 33:2, Acts 7:53, and Galatians 3:19 all inform of this truth.
Note the phrase 'proved steadfast.' The moral law of God is the unalterable and enduring standard of God. The Ten Commandments are God's inflexible and moral requirements God has given to men. They do not fluctuate according to the modern fashions of this era, for they are holy, perfect, and the unchanging law of God. They were given to reveal the perfectly holy character of God. In addition, they reveal God's perfectly righteous and holy requirements for all men.
These revelations of God manifest the truth that all have utterly shattered God's moral law. They expose the startling reality that all unconverted mankind are lost criminals in the courtroom of God. Finally, they manifest the vital truth that all unconverted sinners desperately need a Savior, a Redeemer, and a Deliverer!
Why do all need a Savior, a Redeemer, and a Deliverer? This warning states that "every transgression and disobedience received a just reward"(Hebrews 2:2b). Dear friend, every sin of commission or omission an unconverted sinner commits will receive a just penalty and righteous retribution. The moral law of God and the holy justice of God demand that every single sin be judged and punished by God.
Furthermore, every single sin that you have ever committed will be judged and punished by God. Either that sin was judged and punished when the Lord Jesus Christ suffered death on the cross, or you will face judgment and punishment for your sin for all eternity in the lake of fire!
Why is God bringing up the moral law of God and the people of the Old Testament? Remember, these truths are for all today. If the people of the Old Testament refused to place saving faith in the Lord and did not escape God's judgment and wrath, how shall you escape God's judgment and wrath if you neglect so great a salvation which is revealed in the Person and the work of God the Son?
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 4
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation" (Hebrew 2:1 & 3a).
Have you considered that many in hell didn't actively resist and reject the Lord Jesus, but they drifted into damnation through an apathetic neglect of the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus?"?" It has been told of someone once asking a preacher of the word, "What must I do to be saved?" The man of God replied immediately, "repent and believe the Gospel." Then, the man asked another question, "What must I do to be lost?" The preacher replied, "You don't have to do a thing, for you are already lost. Just continue drifting into damnation!"
Consider the word "drift." It means to float by, just as a tree limb aimlessly floats along a river's stream. It takes no effort or commitment to "drift by." A person needs only to meander carelessly, and they will undoubtedly coast along with the current of this sinful and selfish age that ends in a destructive, hopeless abandonment.
Regarding the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, this idea of drifting is extremely and eternally dangerous. Drifting is like a ship that has been carelessly allowed to drift past the safe harbor because of the apathetic indifference of the captain! That captain was responsible for paying close attention; however, he was extremely careless, complacent, and consumed with other things. Tragically, the ship slipped away, only to be lost at sea.
No person can hear and heed the Gospel, unto the salvation of their soul, unless they pay close attention to the Gospel. They must reject indifference, apathy, and negligence in obeying God's Gospel. The word of God is warning unconverted sinners concerning the grave danger of drifting past their opportunity to be saved from the wrath to come. A sinner must personally determine to anchor their life to the Lord Jesus Christ, lest the "ship of their soul" drifts past the harbor of salvation, only to be lost forever!
Therefore, do not be deceived by this urgent warning. A sinner does not have to reject the Gospel and its commands antagonistically. All they need to do is to be apathetic and negligent when it concerns the Gospel and its terms. Consequently, when not heeding this warning, they will be carried along in complacency, worldliness, and procrastination, and slowly drift into the ocean of the eternal peril of their never-dying soul.
What an alarming question: "How shall we escape, if we NEGLECT so great salvation?" "Neglect" obviously pictures a person's lack of genuine concern or interest. In reality, this person doesn't care about the condition of their soul, the destination of their soul, and the urgent need of their soul. They refuse to entertain any serious thoughts about these eternal matters. They give no personal attention to their soul, God's Word, and the Lord's Gospel. They make light of the glorious Gospel and continue to go their own ways. They hear the Gospel and its terms from a preacher or a witness, and their mind immediately returns to this passing world's temporary and trivial things. They have been given an open invitation to come and partake of this great salvation feast. However, they have disregarded the King's invitation.
They immediately drift farther away when they hear and neglect to heed the warning. The tide of the world pulls them further into the sea of worldliness, sinfulness, and selfishness. Their heart becomes harder and harder toward the things of God. It grows more decayed and distant than before.
Oh, dear friend, how many souls have heard about this "great salvation" only to respond in careless neglect and carnal indifference? Or possibly, they have even responded with a mindset that declares, "Maybe tomorrow, I will do something about this eternal matter. However, tomorrow is a day in the calendar of a fool! Hell is full of sinners who said, "I will repent and believe the Gospel, tomorrow!"
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 3
"Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." Hebrews 2:1
When beginning with the word 'therefore", 'it is marrying the Word of God given in the previous passage. God is calling us to focus on the truths in Hebrews chapter one. The writer had proclaimed that God has fully and finally revealed Himself through the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Observe this title, 'HIS PERSON'. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God clearly announced that Jesus Christ is God the Son. He is the "brightness of God's glory." The Lord Jesus is the equivalent radiance of the glorious and divine nature, just as the radiant nature of God the Father. Jesus is precisely the same in essence and nature as God the Father.
Moreover, "Jesus is the express image of the Person of God." Jesus Christ is the invisible God made visible! Surveying the gospel of John, one will continually be confronted with the reality that Jesus Christ rightly claimed to be the "Great I AM." Dear reader, we must pay close attention to this astounding truth for these titles are essential to spiritual life.
Additionally, note 'HIS POWER' - "Upholding all things by the word of His power." As God the Son, the Lord Jesus is the active maintainer and sustainer of everything physically and spiritually. "Through whom also He made the worlds." The Lord Jesus Christ is the very One, the Creator, who brought this universe into existence. He gives the very next breath that you breathe.
Furthermore, Jesus Christ created you and me for a purpose. That purpose, which all have been created, is to live for Him! Yes, He created you so that you might live a 'Christ-centered, Christ-directed, Christ-pleasing life.' You must give a much more earnest heed to your Creator and Sustainer.
Next, observe HIS POSSESSIONS - "Whom He has appointed heirs of all things." God the Father has given the Lord Jesus the authority to be both the possessor and the disposer of all things. Everything has been placed under His sovereign control. Jesus has absolute and universal authority. Even the final judgment of sinners has been committed into the hands of God the Son.
Not only do these attributes belong to the Son, but notice the truth of HIS PURITY - "He loves righteousness, and He hates lawlessness." What is the true biblical meaning of this word "lawlessness"? The word lawlessness pictures a person who has a practice of lifestyle in which he or she replaces the rightful rule of Jesus as Lord with the willful and wicked rule of SELF as lord. Lawlessness is doing what is right in their own eyes. This rebel is unconcerned about God's will, word, or commands. The "lawless person" is one living to please himself. This stubborn rebel has no desire and determination to please his Creator. The "lawless person" lives with "self" at the center of their life. The Lord Jesus Christ is not the center of the life. The "lawless person" lives a "self-directed" life, not a Christ-centered life! The scriptures clearly declare that the Lord Jesus Christ hates lawlessness.
These truths are nothing new in the scriptures. In Psalms 5:5, God declares, "I hate all workers of iniquity." And who are the workers of iniquity? They are those who are living in a practice of lawlessness. They have never come to King Jesus on His terms of repentance and faith. Of course, God's hatred is not like our human hatred. Human hatred is tainted with the sinfulness of all humanity. However, God's hatred is a holy indignation and a just animosity. God's hatred is expressed in the wrath of God, which abides over every unconverted person who practices lawlessness because He is pure holiness. God must judge and condemn all lawlessness because He is undefiled, pure, and spotless. God's holiness and justice compel Him to judge and condemn all lawlessness. In light of these sobering truths, we should pay extremely closer attention to what we have heard.
THE TERRIBLE DANGER OF DRIFTING INTO DESTRUCTION — Part 1
“Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:1 & 3a).
Today we begin a new series observing the terrible danger of drifting into destruction. Every time that a sinner sins against God, it is a living offense to the holiness of God. The justice of God becomes an Avenger, which follows that sinner everywhere he goes. This Avenger (the justice of God) is faithfully and persistently pursuing that sinner.
In our previous devotions, we have considered that “the wages of their sin is the 2nd death, which will result in the eternal suffering of God’s wrath in the lake of fire”. There is only one possible means for this transgressor to escape this 2nd death. That way of escape is to repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, if an individual neglects this great salvation, it is an absolute certainty that the Avenger will overtake every unconverted sinner upon their last breath. Tragically, this passage declares that the majority of people of the world will discover the reality of the Avenger (the justice of God) when it is too late! This is not necessarily because they actively and arrogantly opposed the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it results from them slowly drifting into damnation by being negligent, complacent, and apathetic concerning the ONLY MEANS of escape from the Avenger. They were indifferent to the most important issue in their lives.
Notice the call to give careful attention to this matter. “Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard.” The Epistle to the Hebrews was originally written for a church of Jewish people who professed faith in the Lord Jesus. However, some of those professing faith were being severely tempted to fall away from the truth of the Gospel and return to the shadows, ceremonies, and symbols of Judaism. They were feeling the pressure of persecution from other Jewish people. The old religious Jews were tempting them to leave their “public profession in the Gospel of grace” and return to Judaism. If they rejected the Gospel and returned to their old way of life, it would manifest that they were never truly converted to Christ.
This warning is the first of many powerful warnings interwoven in the book of Hebrews. Throughout the epistle, the author alternates between “exalting the Deity and Supremacy of the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, while urging his audience to respond to the Lord Jesus Christ in an unqualified commitment and an unconditional surrender to His Lordship! However, he also continually warns his audience of the terrible consequences of being negligent and indifferent when once declaring a full commitment of the totality of their lives to the Lord.
This epistle demonstrates to the original audience (and to us) that the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the complete and final fulfillment of all of the ceremonies, symbols, and shadows of the Old Testament period. The writer loudly and definitively declares that the Person and work of God the Son is infinitely superior to all of the types and shadows of the Old Testament.
The Lord Jesus Christ is declared infinitely superior to the angels, the Old Testament prophets, and the Old Testament priesthood. If all these things are a biblical reality, we must pay careful attention to the call to a total surrender to this Prophet, Priest, and King. No one must be foolish enough to respond to the message of Jesus in apathy and negligence. All must earnestly heed the message of Jesus. It is mandated to give our full attention and allegiance to what we have heard concerning the Great and Final Prophet, the Great High Priest, and the Lord of Lords.