Pay Careful Attention
Like other people, there’s a chance you have entertained thoughts about returning to an easier, more comfortable way of life—one that pushes God aside. When the pressure is on, even Christians can become disillusioned with following Jesus. The book of Hebrews is written to warn believers not to drift away from Jesus. The possibility is real. The consequences are enormous. It would be foolish to ignore this first of five warnings in Hebrews: “Pay careful attention.”
Can you remember a time when you were under pressure, tired and discouraged, and you wanted to loosen your grip on Jesus and pursue something easier? What was that experience like?
For centuries the book of Hebrews has been controversial. Some say the warnings are to Christians who could lose their salvation. Others say that the warnings are to false professors (professed but not genuine Christians). Maybe both options are inadequate conclusions. How would you describe the third possibility: Christians who are not in danger of losing their salvation but in danger of losing reward?
Read Hebrews 2:1-4. To what are the readers to pay more careful attention (see all of chapter 1)? What are these believers in danger of drifting away from?
The trend continues in our day. Some Christians are deconstructing their faith. What does deconstruction or apostasy mean? How far can a Christian walk away from Jesus? What are the consequences of a Christian’s departure from Christ (Back it up with Scripture by checking out 1 Timothy 1:19, 4:1, 2 Timothy 2:18, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)?
What are you doing in your daily routine to pay more careful attention to Jesus?
Further Reading
Searching for the Generous Life
Just like modest investments can grow over time, our investment into God's kingdom generates growth and produces eternal dividends. The apostle Paul presented the Macedonian believers as an example of generous giving to the Corinthian church and to us. Let's explore...
Searching for Reconciliation
Confronting others concerning biblical/theological compromise is never easy or pleasant. Such encounters must be handled with sensitivity to the needs of others, directed by spiritual wisdom and the Scriptures, and guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul closed chapter two of...
Searching for Courage
On the surface, hearing God and following His commands seems straightforward. However, when God calls us to do something that generates fear in us and feels daunting, second-guessing His call becomes reasonable. Finding the courage to obey such a call is overwhelming....
Searching for the Abundant Life
Jesus explicitly explained his purpose when He said “…I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). He said similar things many times, and these ideas are repeated, over and over again, by those who wrote the New Testament. Yet many people,...
Searching for Real Friendship
Some relationships may imitate friendship, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Exploring the relationship between David and Jonathan in the Bible, we’ll identify some distinguishing features of friendship that are often overlooked and discover how to infuse...