Thursday, June 30, 2016

Pay Much Closer Attention

Hebrews 1:14- 2:4

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? --

The answer, of course, is yes. These are God's holy angels in Heaven who refused to follow Lucifer in his rebellion, but stayed faithful to God.

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. --

We are told so often throughout all of the Old and New Testaments to "pay attention." Here, we are encouraged to pay much closer attention, the reason is that One much greater than angels has accomplished a much greater work. If we don't pay much closer attention to focus on these things, we are vulnerable to easily slip off of that Rock of Truth.

For if the word spoken through angels (the Law) proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, --

This says that the Old Testament Law was not ever to be changed in any way, neither added to nor reduced to ignore parts, and everyone who didn't obey it was accountable.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken by the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, --

How could we ever talk our way out of being held accountable for ignoring what Christ Jesus our Lord did for us. Jesus, Himself, taught His disciples what He was doing and what it would accomplish for us, and the writer of Hebrews says that God made it real to them that heard it.

God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. --

This says that God had the disciples perform miracles and supernatural signs and wonders to let the hearers know that what was being preached was His Truth. And then God gave His Holy Spirit to live in those who believed and put their trust into what Jesus finished on the Cross and His Resurrection, and were given the gifts of the Holy Spirit so they could also teach others this Truth, and be believed by their hearers. These gifts were according to His own will; He gave different gifts to different people, so that they could work together helping one another to get everything done.

So the Law was given, and had to be obeyed; then Jesus was born, lived, taught, was Crucified, and rose from the dead. This is much greater than the Law, because He fulfilled all of that Law that dealt with the sacrificial system, so it never needs to be acted out again. Now we are responsible to pay much closer attention to respond to Jesus, Who is so much greater than the angels, to take to heart what He finished for us, in our place; and to not drift away little by little back into the world's ways.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!