How shall we escape

Hebrews 2:1-4: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”

Hearing is hard enough. I know for a parent having their kids just hear what they tell them is a struggle. Having their kids actually listen and do what the parents tell them is excruciating. I have worked with at risk youth and teenagers for many years, and the frustrating struggle is getting them to do what you tell them to do. The author of this letter tells his audience that after all that God had shown them that they must do what He asks. The same is true for adults also. The author said God gives us evidence of His existence everyday, and in fact, there is no evidence that He does not exist. God is reaching out to His creation. Therefore, in light of that wonderful truth, we need to do what He tells us. The book of James says, “but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” If we hear the word of God and do not do what it says then we sin. God gives us a great gift in the salvation from Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he gave on the cross. However, if we ignore that word and not act on it, we will suffer a punishment not meant for us.
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” The reality of hell will come to those who do not accept this gift from God. Hell is a place that is not meant for us. It is a place for satan and his demons, not for humans. If we do not heed the word and revelation of God, and neglect his gift of “so great a salvation” then we have chosen our eternity.

Why speak on this place called hell? Because, Jesus spoke of it and God does not want you to spend eternity apart from Him. Some argue that God is love and would never send someone to that place! They are right, the fact is you make that choice, not God. Hell is reality, and God is pleading with you to choose Him.

For the Christ-follower it is a sin to be silent about this. We need to be pleading with people. Do we love people enough to let them know what will happen if they reject Jesus? Shouldn’t we tell everyone we can to keep him or her from this place? We have a life preserver that we can throw to a drowning world. It would be criminal to keep it on the boat.

Tomorrows Readings:
Old Testament: Jer. 43-45 New Testament Hebrews 3