NO ESCAPE. Hebrews 2:3. Consider this great question: If people who heard the message of the law delivered through angels were punished with righteous justice when they disobeyed, how can those who sin by neglecting God’s great salvation expect to escape punishment? The message they received was not delivered by angels but by the Son of God. These Hebrews had not seen the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, so they, like us, had to base their faith on the Word of God. They heard the word from eyewitnesses who had listened to Jesus Himself. We have those exact words, including the words of the Old Testament scriptures, to base our faith on. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Hearing the Gospel isn't enough; we must act on it. We need to believe and take action. Ignoring it allows it to slip away. They're like a boat beside the dock but not tied to it. We're vulnerable to danger. External pressures to drift affect the religious, business, and social worlds. First, the focus is on trivial matters, then on more serious ones. Neglect always has consequences.
Those who neglect the Gospel will not escape the greater punishment that comes from letting “slip,” “drifting away,” and not paying “earnest heed” to what they heard. We must take God seriously when He says we need the salvation that only Christ can provide. The Lord Jesus proclaimed the Gospel, and it “was confirmed” by those who heard Him say, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.” The Holy Spirit gifted those who heard the message to preach it, and it is written for our learning. Never make the deadly mistake of “neglecting so great salvation.”
God still “confirms” His word in whatever way He chooses. Those who heard and disobeyed the law were justly punished. People can’t expect to escape punishment when they disobey the greater message delivered through the Son of God. The Gospel is much greater than the law. The apostles heard Him, and because of this, they “confirmed” it to us.
This entire matter is a crisis that we human beings face. The consequences are eternal and severe for those who trifle with, neglect, ignore, or despise this great salvation. There is no escaping God's justice. This is a personal and serious issue. Professing Christians who neglect such a great salvation are those who stop paying attention to God's things, the Bible, and the preaching of the
Gospel. They are absorbed in their self-centered, worldly concerns and temporary pursuits. There is a lack of interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, His love, grace, mercy, and in God, who gave His only begotten Son so that we might live through Him.
Their interests focus on current events rather than on God and the hereafter. God is absent from their thoughts; they refuse to ponder what follows this life and live without regard for the eternity that awaits.
Consider this great salvation in that it is great in the way it was introduced. It was announced by the Lord. Then it was confirmed by the apostles who were commissioned to take it into all the world. Their message of this great salvation was backed by the testimony of God, who did signs and wonders to enforce the validity of what the apostles preached. This salvation is also great because of the seriousness of the punishment if it is neglected. That leads us to consider the great danger ah ead of those who do not heed the message of salvation, or are not in earnest about the importance of it.
The great salvation was confirmed by eyewitnesses who knew and saw the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were commissioned to tell it to the world. The eternal God, out of His love for us, sent His Son to save us and offer eternal life to those who believe in Him. When they do so, the Holy Spirit dwells within everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and God secures us eternally in Christ.
By His experience as a man, sufferings, and death, our Lord Jesus Christ has made atonement (propitiation) for our sin, and reconciliation is possible because the claims of the righteous, holy God have been met to God’s satisfaction. The value of the voluntary sacrifice of Himself for our benefit is applied to all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The sinless Savior has met our deep need.