Hebrews 2:1-4

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.  For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

The message of the Gospel requires a response.  That response will determine what effect the Gospel will have on the person.  Some people will suffer condemnation because they have rejected the Gospel.  Some will enjoy salvation because they have placed their faith in Christ in response to hearing the Gospel.  We must be sure to listen closely, understand, remember, believe, and obey the Gospel.   

REMEMBERING THE GOSPEL PREVENTS DISTRACTION: This world is full of bright and shiny things that can easily distract our focus from the beauty of the Gospel.  The cares of life, especially in times of persecution like the original readers faced, can loom larger than the Gospel.  The author exhorts us to pay closer attention to the Gospel because focusing on the Gospel is key to keeping us from drifting away from it.  Both pleasure and persecution can lead us away from the Gospel.  Satan really does not care which.  We must remember to value the Gospel above any earthly pleasure and be willing to face any amount of persecution in defense of the Gospel.  Constantly reviewing the truth of the Gospel is a habit worth attaining.

NEGLECTING THE GOSPEL PRECEDES RETRIBUTION: The Gospel is completely reliable.  Angels had given messages in preparation for the coming of Christ and now He has come.  Those who neglected to believe the message brough by the angels were justly punished.  Now, we have the message of the Gospel, not only from angels, but proclaimed by the Lord Jesus Himself.  Imagine the consequences of neglecting Christ’s message.  Unbelief or simply ignoring the Gospel will result in eternal condemnation.  To hear the Gospel and reject it or to devalue its importance is deadly serious.  Too many people place a premium on their experiences in the present while being completely oblivious to the glories of an eternity with Christ or the horrors of an eternity separated from Christ. 

BELIEVING THE GOSPEL PRODUCES TRANSFORMATION: Those who have believed the testimony of the Lord Jesus as witnessed by the apostles and recorded in Scripture are blessed beyond measure.  The Trinity is actively involved in the proclamation of and the transformation caused by the Gospel.  The Som proclaimed the message through His incarnation, the Father confirms the message through signs and wonders that are performed by the power of the Holy Spirit who distributes gifts to believers.  This glorious Gospel takes sinners from a life of condemnation in sin and unbelief to a life of transformation and giftedness in joining the Trinity in the revelation of the Gospel.  Believers are inhabited, transformed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION: Constantly remind ourselves of the truth of the Gospel.  Don’t allow pleasure or persecution distract us from it.  Warn others of the folly and eternal furry associated with rejecting or ignoring the Gospel.  Rejoice in the privilege we have of joining the Trinity in proclaiming the glorious message of the Gospel that has transformed us through faith in Christ.

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