In 1888, Alfred Nobel the inventor of dynamite awoke to read his own obituary in the newspaper. Actually Nobel’s brother Ludvig had died from a heart attack, but there was mistaken identity and the obituary was written about him instead.
“Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.
He was appalled that he would be remembered this way. Nobel is credited for saying, “Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.”
The newspaper incident is often cited as the driving force behind Nobel’s philanthropy, but historians have yet to find an original copy of the “Merchant of Death” obituary. No one argues that something drastically changed the life course of Alfred Nobel now known for establishing the Nobel Peace Prize, one of five Nobel prizes.
We have a chance now to correct the path of ignoring a great salvation. How could we neglect or ignore so great a salvation?
How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. (Hebrews 2:3)
I would imagine that everyone can think of examples of ignoring salvation. What comes to mind is someone who was walking with the Lord, serving the Lord in the past and now they are spiritually cold. They are lukewarm in their walk with Christ.
When someone is neglecting their salvation, they are not motivated by Bible study, active in prayer or concerned for the lost. Suddenly other pursuits are more important to them than their faith in Christ.
This is tragic when someone receives the most gracious gift of all, their salvation in Christ, and then they neglect it. The tragedy becomes so vivid when you see a man who comes to the realization of his neglect at the end of his life. They see the wasted years and the damage their spiritual neglect caused.
They can never turn back the clock on time and relive their lives. Those words, “if only” are there. If only I continued to walk with Christ. If only I continued to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, not a carnal worldly lifestyle.
How can we escape? That is the question asked in the verse. There is not good answer that can be given. We will never escape the outcome if we ignore our salvation and live complacently.
In Amos Chapter 9 we see what happens when disobedient Israel ignores their salvation
Though they dig down to the depths below,
from there my hand will take them. (Amos 9:2)
Though they climb up to the heavens above,
from there I will bring them down. (Amos 9:2)
Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,
there I will hunt them down and seize them. (Amos 9:3)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the serpent to bite them. (Amos 9:3)
Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
there I will command the sword to slay them. (Amos 9:3)
There is no escape.
When you begin your Christian life, your salvation, it is like entering a river current. But if you are negligent, you can drift away. But if you drift away there are consequences. When you wreak havoc by neglect there is tragedy brought by your negligence.
In some areas you see the countryside littered with abandoned cars. There is just a rusted-out shell left of a vehicle that will most likely never be functional again. The neglect has gone too far to practically be reversed.
The spiritual countryside is littered by the wrecks of Christians who neglected their salvation. They ruined their lives and their testimony by the damage done by hiding their light under a basket. The consequence of neglect is tragic. We have a salvation too great to ignore.
Most people do not neglect other areas of their life in the same way they neglect the spiritual. In the car example people change the oil in their car and get their car serviced. When they drive to a new place, they do not ignore the directions on the GPS. They would surely get lost and be in a bad situation.
But why neglect your salvation? It is too great to ignore. It is not right to dishonor God in this way. Consider what God did to pay the price of your salvation. The precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross when he died for you, the just for the unjust to bring you back to God.
There are even more consequences to ignoring your salvation in Christ. That is because you have influence over other people in your life. The way you walk with Christ or ignore your walk with Christ influences those who are most important in your life.
Some people never come to Christ. They never experience this great salvation at all. That is sometimes because they have been put off by you when you have neglected your prayer life, your time in the word, your walk with Christ. Because you neglected your great salvation.
The Lord uses those who live by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who prayerfully share with others what the abundant life in Christ is all about. Those who neglect their salvation are not experiencing this Spirit filled abundant life in Christ. They have thrown away the most important influence they can have with their family and loved ones and everyone who comes in contacts with them and is attracted to Christ by the joy of their salvation.
When you neglect your salvation, you have spoiled your testimony that attracts others to Jesus. You have neglected the transformed life that can be lived here and now on earth.
You cannot escape if you die without Christ. If you never experience initial salvation that brings consequences. Without initial salvation in Christ, you will face eternal separation from God. You will go to hell. There is another tragic neglect too. Ignoring the salvation, you have received. When we neglect such a great salvation.
If someone is driving drunk swerving along the road it is wrong. They may destroy themselves and they may destroy the lives of others. Driving drunk is wrong. It is also wrong to be reckless with your spiritual salvation. Your neglect of salvation is not safe. Your life on earth could come to an end at any time.
When I was a college student, I worked one summer at Kings Dominion amusement park in Doswell, Virginia. I talked to a co-worker about the gospel. She said, oh you are like Jimmy the fiddler, who plays the fiddle in the music shows. He talked the same thing to me that I needed to trust Christ for salvation. She did not see the need for Christ.
She ignored salvation. Her house burned soon after that and she died in the fire. Both Jimmy and I shared Christ with her, but she ignored salvation in Christ.
You may not be ready to die, earthly speaking, but when you take that step of putting faith in Christ and asking his death on the cross to count for the payment of your sin and have salvation in Christ, then you are ready spiritually for death. It will soon be too late for your salvation.
There is a contrast of two lives. One is a life of ever-increasing usefulness. The other is ever increasing was and hurt. That is the path of ignoring your great salvation in Christ. There is a contrast of two deaths. One is unafraid and having peace on your way to heaven. The other is without preparation ignoring initial salvation.
It is tragic to neglect or ignore salvation. That is salvation to become a believer in Christ and to ignore the salvation you have received after becoming a believer in Christ.
Imagine we received the news that near us a young child was stuck in an irrigation ditch and hanging on for dear life, ready to be swept to their death. We would rush to the scene and rescue that child. Yet there are some who would rush to save the child who would ignore such a great salvation.
How can we escape? There is no escape from that neglect. This neglect has caused untold pain. If you neglect faith in Christ, you lose your eternity in heaven. If you neglect your walk with Christ, you lose the abundant life of John 10:10.
For the Christian do not ignore the salvation you received. For the unbeliever don’t ignore salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the good news of great joy for all mankind announced the first Christmas morning. It is why Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
You can change your epitaph in mid-course. It will be like what Alfred Nobel did when he changed the course of his life to be remembered well. You can do something about ignoring this great salvation.
