Letter to Jewish Christians
Letter to Jewish Christians
The writer to the Hebrews is painfully aware that he is writing to people who are not anxious to be taught, who have become dull of hearing, and who are in danger of falling away.
In the previous lesson we learned of the eternal Rest which God has prepared for his people. It is clear in the book of Hebrews that this heavenly hope of everlasting life is conditional upon our diligence. Nobody remains spiritually static. We either backslide, or we advance in growth. Spiritual maturity should be our aim. Fear of God’s wrath should be among our incentives.
On four occasions in the course of his letter, the writer to the Hebrews interrupts his teaching on the priesthood and glory of Christ. He pauses to exhort and rebuke his hearers about their lack of diligence and their potential to backslide. In this present lesson, we study the first and second of those exhortations.
Heb 2:1-4
The word spoken through the Lord Jesus is stronger even than the word previously spoken through angels. God has borne witness to the word of Christ, so "we must pay much closer attention" to it.
We depend for "so great a salvation" on the word of Christ. If we "drift away" from his word, and "neglect" our salvation, we cannot escape the "just recompense" for our transgression and disobedience.
Heb 3:12-19 Heb 4:1-3
This exhortation begins with the words, Take care brethren". Why? What is the danger? The danger is that we could develop "an unbelieving heart" and we could become "hardened by the deceitfulness of sin". The danger is that through lack of care we could be "falling away from the living God".
The Hebrew writer warns that salvation is conditional upon our faithfulness. We are "partakers of Christ if we hold fast" and not otherwise. Our only assurance is in Christ, and we must cling to him with all our being.
If you were in extreme danger, trapped in a burning building, bitten by a deadly snake, or having a severe heart attack, would you not listen carefully to the emergency service person who came to your aid? Likewise, when Jesus comes to the aid of the tempted (Heb 2:18) the tempted must take care to follow his words.
We notice also, that in this exhortation, the Hebrew writer speaks of God’s anger (Heb 3:17) and of our fear (Heb 4:1). This does not cancel our God’s love and our assurance of course. What we fear is falling away from God’s love and from our assurance. This fear is positive because it encourages us to remain in God’s love and maintain our assurance. It’s not like the fear of water. That fear can cause a person to drown. It’s more like the fear of getting a speeding ticket or a drink driving conviction. That fear can cause a person to drive carefully, safely, and lawfully.
More in the next companion lesson