“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Hebrews 2:1 New Year’s 1738, literary giant Samuel Johnson wrote in his diary: “O Lord, enable me…to redeem the time which I have spent in sloth.” Nineteen years later, he wrote, “Almighty God, enable me to shake off sloth, and to redeem the time misspent in idleness and sin, by a diligent application of the days yet remaining.” Every few years thereafter, he wrote some variation of the prayer, finally culminating in 1775, when he wrote, “When I look back upon resolutions of improvement and amendment, which have year after year been made and broken …why do I yet try to resolve again? I try because reformation is necessary, and despair is criminal.” “…lest at any time we should let them slip.” The Greek word translated “slip” means to “run out, as a leaking vessel.” The admonition “to heed” is found at least twenty-five times in the New Testament, and with only a few exceptions the warning has to do with doctrine, true and false; and with those that preach it. Christ warned His disciples, “Take heed how you hear.” It is a most sobering warning and is worthy of diligent investigation. Five reasons we ought to give heed to the warnings. (1) It is God’s final Word, “God who at sundry times and in divers’ manners spoke in time past unto the Fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son” (Heb.1:1-2). The Word spoken by the Son is God’s final Word. If you refuse to believe it you have nothing left to believe. It is not only His last Word; it is His best Word. It is the Word of Christ the Son that fulfilled all the words of Moses and the prophets. (2) According to the admonition there is the possibility of His Word “slipping” from those that hear it. His Word is very precious; therefore we ought to put great value upon it. The book of Proverbs tells us to “buy the Word of Truth and sell it not.” (3) Disbelieving the Gospel is a much greater offense than disobeying the law, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb.10:25-29). (4) Due to the confirmation of the Word; “first spoken by the LORD,” second by the angels, prophets, and apostles, and third confirmed by the Incarnate Son. Finally we should heed the exhortation because of the greatness of salvation which instrumentally the Word begets in the hearts of sinners, “How shall we escape if we neglect so GREAT SALVATION: which at the first began to be spoken by the LORD, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard it” (Heb.2:3). Two cautions; make sure you are under a Bible teaching ministry, and be very careful that you make use of and not abuse that blessed ministry. ~~wtw
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