Hebrews 2:1-4 - Drifting Away

If we look back to Hebrews 1, yesterday's reading, we reflect on Jesus being the greatest, above angles. Remember, my dad can beat up your dad...right?  Jesus is the greatest above all, and with that in mind, let's look at the opening here in chapter 2. 

“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” - ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This “therefore” is referencing back to what we learned in chapter 1, Jesus is greater than angels. And since Jesus is greater than angels, we must remember this, and act on this. If Jesus is above all, greater than angels, then we should listen to the words of Jesus, model our lives after Jesus, do as Jesus did, right? Pretty simple. 

The author of Hebrews then gave us the reason why we need to model our lives after Jesus, because as Christians if we don’t, we will drift away. This is such a critical point, we will NEVER on accident drift towards Jesus, that is not in our sinful nature. We will always drift away from the things of God, so we must take earnest heed another translation says. 

“For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 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 ‭2:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What is going on in this text; For since the message spoken through angels was binding. This is referencing and a way of describing the Mosaic Law, which was received by the direction of angels and delivered to Moses. Remember, this content in Hebrews was written to Christians, as an encouragement and to motivate those who were not walking with Jesus. 

This is an encouraging and motivating letter to us right now. Check out the next few words, “so great a salvation.” As a Christ-follower and believer, do I understand how great a gift I have received? Do I live my life, and are my actions each and everyday reflective of such greatness? This is an area I have written about in the past, but I am reminded of living a life of generosity. Knowing how great a gift I have received, something I could never buy, something I do not deserve, and understanding how great the gift it, it’s in that mindset and understanding that flows a heart of generosity. It’s when we appreciate how great Jesus is and how great salvation is when we can begin to live a transformed life. 

Let’s close by reading this full section in the Message translation. 

“It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while, God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.” - ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2:1-4‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Every moment of the day, we have an opportunity to drift away from God, and this is a natural occurrence. Just like a boat with no anchor, it will drift away from its location by the waves, tide, or wind. Jesus is our anchor; Jesus is our centering that we must stay focused on and keep a firm grip, so we don’t drift away. It’s my prayer today that Jesus is front and center in my every moment, so when I am faced with a drifting, I am anchored by Him. Lord God may I be centered on you today, keep me anchored by your Son Jesus. Father may I regularly recall the greatest gift ever, the salvation you provided through the death of Jesus, and may this abundant gift drive me to live a life that is generous and continuously grateful. Amen.