THE DANGER OF NEGLECT.
(Hebrews 2:1-4)
What if...
What if God failed to take the time to bless us today because we neglected to take the time to thank Him yesterday?
What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we neglected to follow Him today?
What if God refused to hear us when we called because we neglected to listen to Him when He answered?
Yes! The Bible is filled with passages which warn us concerning the danger of neglect;however, few of them are any more insightful than the one included in the words of our text.
For how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
The author of the Book of Hebrews is not so much asking a question as he is making a statement that there is no escape.
For in these few verses, the writer explains three things.
First of all, he explains that there is a probability that we will neglect this salvation.
Secondly, he explains that there is a penalty to be inflicted upon those who neglect this salvation.
And thirdly, he explains that God has made provisions to help us avoid neglecting this salvation.
My brothers and my sisters, it is not only possible, but probable, that you and I will neglect our salvation.
Now! Notice that I did not say that it is possible for believers to reject our salvation.
For those who reject salvation are yet lost.
For Jesus makes it clear that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16)
Nor did I say that it is possible for believers to forfeit our salvation.
For those of us who believe in eternal security are convinced that “whosoever believeth in(Christ) should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
However, it is not only possible, but even probable, that believers will neglect our salvation.
And so understanding this, the author of the passage warns, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”
Now! “To give the more earnest heed” suggests both to focus our attention upon a thing and then to act upon what we have perceived about that thing.
For you see...those being now warned are they who have heard and accepted the Gospel.
We are the ones who are urged to hold to that which we have heard and believed.
We are being obligated to give heed to God’s Word more abundantly with an attentive and intent mind.
We must heard the doctrine of Christ with intense care and deep concern and act upon it.
We must give Scripture our constant attention and respond by putting it into practice.
Oh! We need to really pay attention to what is being said.
We need to listen and take it to heart.
For it is not enough just to hear the Gospel but we must continue to respond to the Gospel.
For listening to Christ means not merely hearing, but also obeying.
For I heard James declare, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.”
“For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:22-25)
Yes! We must listen carefully and be ready to carry out His instructions.
Because if we fail to do so, the danger is that we might drift away from the truth.
And the truths of the Gospel are too important for us to merely drift pass them.
Of course, our spiritual drifting is often the result of a lack of attention rather than design.
We did not plan it; but we unexpectedly found ourselves drifting.
We did not realize it; but we unknowingly found ourselves drifting.
We did not seek it; but we unintentionally found ourselves drifting.
For neglect of the Gospel message will cause us to drift away unknowingly,unexpectedly, and unintentionally.
For you see...my brothers and my sisters, there are few people who deliberately and in a moment turn their backs on God; but there are countless many who day by day drift farther and farther away from Him.
And so the author draws a picture of a drowsy sailor drifting out to sea away from safe harbor.
He poses a figure of a boat that is carried downstream because its anchor was not properly secured.
“Therefore,” he warns, “we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip.”
Oh! There is not only a possibility, but a probability, that we will neglect our salvation.
Secondly, the writer points out that there is a penalty to be inflicted upon those who neglect this salvation.
“For if the Word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.”
Now! Both Stephen (Acts 7:38, 53) and Paul (Galatians 3:19) made it clear that angels were present and active at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. (Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalms68:17)
And so this author’s reference to “the Word spoken by angels” verifies the fact that the Law was delivered from God to Moses by angels.
In view of the fact that the Law delivered from God to Moses by angels was binding; then all who disobeyed it were punished.
And there were severe penalties for infractions of its demands.
There was no violating it by commission or omission without being justly punished.
Violators of the Law received divine judgment for their disobedience.
You will notice that two terms are used here for violation of the Law, namely,transgression and disobedience.
Transgression means to step across the line, as a wilful act.
It is an overt sin of commission, that is, intentionally doing something we know to be wrong.
Disobedience, however, emphasizes the idea of imperfect hearing.
Disobedience deliberately shuts its ears to the commands or warnings of God.
It is a sin of neglect or omission, that is, doing nothing when we should do something.
And so one is active sin and the other is passive.
The one is to refuse to obey and the other is to neglect to obey.
However, both are wilful, and both are serious, and both require just judgment.
Now! If the Law came through angels, how much more respect, the author implies,should be given the message that came, not through angels, but through the Son of God?
And if disregarding the Law given to Moses brought punishment; then disregarding the Good News would bring far greater punishment.
Oh! If the people who heard the message delivered through angels were justly punished when they disobeyed the Law; how can believers expect to escape punishment when we neglect the even greater message delivered through the greater Messenger?
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.”
The term translated “neglect” means “to make light of.”
It is to recognize but to ignore; to know but to fail to do; to admit but not to perform.
Oh! Our salvation is a great salvation, purchased at a great price.
It brings with it great promises and blessings and it leads to a great inheritance in glory.
How can we escape if we neglect it?
For God, the author concludes, has made provisions to help us to avoid neglecting this salvation.
This, He has done through proclamation, confirmation and verification.
For this great salvation, we are told, was “at the first began to be spoken by the Lord.”
Yes! In giving the Law, God spoke by angels; but in proclaiming the Gospel, He spoke by His Son.
For God had no greater messenger than His Son, who had no greater message than the Gospel.
For Christ is not only the One who proclaims salvation; but He is the One who brings salvation.
For Luke makes it clear that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
And so “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...” (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Well! Not only has God made provisions to help us avoid neglecting our salvation by the proclamation of the Gospel by His Son; but He does so additionally by the confirmation of the apostles.
“...and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
We base our belief in Jesus on the eyewitness accounts recorded in the Bible.
These accounts were not from witnesses of doubtful character; but from men who placed their lives in jeopardy.
These were men who heard the teachings of Jesus and saw the miracles which He performed.
Well! If the proclamation of Jesus is not enough and if the confirmation of the apostles is not sufficient; we also have God’s verification.
For God Himself authenticated their message by signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Mark 16:20)
The Almighty did not simply leave the confirmation of the great truths of salvation to the testimony of men; but he bore His own testimony to them.
For concerning the ministry of the early church, Luke teaches “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
“And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.” (Acts 2:41-43) (Acts 5:12; 14:3)
Now! Signs, of course, were those miracles performed by God through the apostles which signified spiritual truths.
Wonders were those miracles intended to arouse amazement in the minds and hearts of those who saw them.
And the reference to diver miracles calls attention to the awesome abilities which produce the miraculous works.
Now! The phrase “gifts of the Holy Ghost” could refer to God’s bestowal of the Holy Spirit Himself upon every believer; but more likely it refers to the gifts given by the Spirit to each believer.
And, of course, God gave these gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His divine will.
For Paul makes it clear that “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:11) (NIV)
I close by reminding you that if we are to avoid the danger of neglect then we must be mindful of the fact that it is not only possible, but probable, that we will neglect our salvation.
If we are to avoid the danger of neglect then we must be mindful of the fact that there is a penalty to be inflicted upon those who neglect our salvation.
Oh! If we are to avoid the danger of neglect then we must be mindful of the fact that God has made provisions to help us avoid neglecting our salvation.
How can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
How can we hope to escape just judgment if we neglect God’s supreme act of redeeming love?
How can we find a way out if we neglect this great plan for human deliverance?
For we neglect God’s Word and as a result we begin to drift.
We neglect personal devotion and a result we begin to drift.
We neglect the practice of prayer and as a result we begin to drift.
We neglect corporate worship and as a result we begin to drift.
Oh! My brothers and my sisters, there is no escape if we neglect so great a salvation.
You and I are in danger of making a shipwreck of our lives if we continue to neglect so great a salvation.
For it is easy to drift with the current; but it is difficult to return against the stream.
“My son,” Solomon instructs, “attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.”
“Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.”
“For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20-22)
