Consider Jesus
Just in case you are confused about this, Yeshua, Jesus, is the only means of Salvation. I love what the author of the letter to the Hebrew church taught:
The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs. God never said to any of his angels,“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”And God never said to any of his angels,“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”When God was about to send his firstborn Son into the world, he said,“All of God’s angels must worship him.”God said about the angels,“He makes his messengers winds.
He makes his servants flames of fire.”But God about his Son, He said,“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.
You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong.
That is why God, your God,
anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy.”God also said,“Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth.
With your own hands you made the heavens.
They will come to an end, but you will live forever.
They will all wear out like clothes.
They will be taken off like a coat.
You will change them like clothes.
But you remain the same, and your life will never end.But God never said to any of the angels,“Sit in the highest position in heaven
until I make your enemies your footstool.”What are all the angels? They are spirits sent to serve those who are going to receive salvation. But has now put everything under Yeshua’s ControlFor this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard. Then we won’t drift away from the truth. After all, the message that the angels brought was reliable, and every violation and act of disobedience was properly punished. So how will we escape punishment if we reject the important message, the message that God saved us? First, the Lord told this saving message. Then those who heard him confirmed that message.God verified what they said through miraculous signs, amazing things, other powerful acts, and with other gifts from the Holy Spirit as he wanted.He didn’t put the world that will come (about which we are talking) under the angels’ control. Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture:“What is a mortal that you should remember him,
or the Son of Man that you take care of him?
You made him a little lower than yourself.
You crowned him with glory and honor.
You put everything under his control.”When God put everything under his Son’s control, nothing was left out.However, at the present time we still don’t see everything under his Son’s control. Yeshua was made a little lower than the angels, but we see him crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. Through God’s kindness he died on behalf of everyone. God is the one for whom and through whom everything exists. Therefore, while God was bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was the right time to bring Yeshua, the source of their salvation, to the end of his work through suffering.(Hebrews 1:4-2:10)
There are so many things said in those few verses, but did you notice when the author wrote, “So how will we escape punishment if we reject the important message, the message that God saved us?” Right now, that is what I want you to notice most of all. There is a passage that we love to quote so often, everyone has heard it most of their lives:
God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life (John 3:16)
Who hasn’t heard that one? But if you ever looked it up, Jesus didn’t stop there. He had much more to say:
God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. Those who believe in him won’t be condemned. But those who don’t believe are already condemned because they don’t believe in God’s only Son (John 3:17-18)
Wow! What’s up with that? How come?
This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil.People who do what is wrong hate the light and don’t come to the light. They don’t want their actions to be exposed. But people who do what is true come to the light so that the things they do for God may be clearly seen (John 3:19-21)
Don’t get mad at me, I didn’t say it. Yeshua, Jesus said it.
Another thing to notice is that after the writer of the letter to the Hebrew church began to discuss angels, and comparing their place in the Kingdom to Jesus’ place, he wrote, “For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard. Then we won’t drift away from the truth.”
Look, I am sure all of us know people that have experienced this. They no longer have any sense of urgency or vigilance. They no longer fix their eyes on Jesus. Oh maybe there was a time when they did, but not any more. They skip going to church, they have no interest in meeting with other believers. Their hearts have simply grown cold. And it’s not that they are just standing still in their faith, they have actually drifted away.
Friends, the tragedy is that there is no such thing as standing still. The life in this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it flows downward to destruction. If you no longer listen intently and earnestly to Jesus and daily fix your eyes on him, then you won’t stand still, you will go backward. You will float by and lose what you once had.
One author pointed out that “Drifting is a deadly thing in the Christian life.” And the remedy to it, according to what we just read, is, “. . . pay closer attention to what we have heard.” Or more specifically, consider what Yahweh said about in his Son Jesus. Fix your eyes on what He is saying and doing in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This is not hard to learn to swim against the stream of sin and indifference. However, the only thing that will hinder you is our sinful desire to float with other interests. As Jesus put it, “the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can’t produce anything” (Mark 4:19).
Look, there is no reason for you to complain that He has given you a hard job. Look, there is no reason for you to complain that He has given you a hard job. Just fix your eyes on Jesus, call on Him, He will answer. He is 0ffering you a solemn invitation to be satisfied in His sacrifice so that you don’t get lured downstream by the lies the world is offering you.
If you are drifting away, one of the signs of hope that you are born again is that your spirit, your conscience is moved for this, and there is a desire growing in your heart to turn your eyes on Jesus and consider him and listen to him in the days and months and years to come.
Are you feeling moved? Then lift up your arms and cry out, “Father, allow your Spirit to fill me with your life.”
Nickolas
With these Morning Messages, I take you on guided tours to, as Bunyan described, the Celestial City. At times we linger at corners familiar and unseen. And explore the depths of our faith along the way.
The trail is long, but there’s no hurry. Though we do need to stock up on supplies for the way, and that’s where I need your help. If you enjoy these messages, please consider becoming a contributing member of this tour group. It will be very much appreciated.
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