Hebrews 2

In yesterday's reading we paid attention to the contrast between the redemptive story in the Old Testament, and its culminating in the revelation of Jesus in the New Testament. Based on that, the author says here in the second chapter that "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard" (vs 1, emphasis mine) Two questions:

(1) What have we heard? We heard the metanarrative, the "big story" of the Bible. That God sent his Son, who is the exact imprint of God's nature, to make purification for our sins and then sit down at the right hand of God (1:3).

(2) Why must we pay much closer attention to that? Without much work and careful attention, our minds do not retain what is poured into them. If we do not take care to hold on to what we have heard, it will slip away and we will receive "just retribution" (vs 2).

Do not think that you can simply hear the gospel, be saved, and never give a second thought to the gospel ever again. The author of Hebrews says if you do this you will surely "drift away from it." We must go back to the gospel, day after day. Not to be saved over and over again, but to remind us that we have a strong grounding for our faith.

So pay close attention to God's word, especially as it relates to Jesus, lest you drift away from it.