How shall we escape—Heb 2:1-3

Heb 2:1 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.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 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 him;

Having already examined some of the more ominous verses in Hebrews, we will now examine, very briefly, other statements by the writer of Hebrews that might cause us to lose sleep over. In studying this, and other verses, we will endeavor not to be redundant in what we have already examined in detail—mainly, that Paul is writing to believers; and, he is not setting forth any notion that a true child of God can lose their salvation.

The following verse from the beginning of this letter seems to set the tone for the rest of the book— “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Indeed, on the surface, this verse seems to be very frightening. While many Christians would imply that this verse says “How shall we escape” damnation “if we neglect so great salvation,” such is not the case. In making reference to those under the law, who, for “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward,” Paul is warning believers that there are serious consequences, other than losing salvation, for how we live as children of God. What we believe and how we live is an extremely important matter both for us and those we may influence.

Since chapter two in Hebrews begins with the word therefore, we must, as the old cliché teaches, see what it is there for. The writer of Hebrews has, in chapter one, shown us the superiority of Christ over the angels; and he does so in the context of how God has revealed His word both in the Old and New Testament eras. God spoke in times past to the fathers— Jewish ancestors—“by the prophets”; and the Old Covenant of law was delivered “by the disposition of angels.” However, as wonderful and as inspired as those sources may have been, God has, “in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” Furthermore, Paul writes, if the message of those human and angelic messengers was vitally important, how much more is the message “spoken by the Lord”? Additionally, if every “every transgression and disobedience” of those edicts to Israel “received a just recompence of reward,” how much greater reverence should we show towards that which Jesus Christ has revealed?

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

The law that God gave to Israel had certain penalties attached to it for those who disobeyed its commands. These penalties were set forth for individuals and the nation as a whole; and in most cases were very severe. The punishment for many individual transgressions was death—as in the case of murder, adultery, blasphemy, and others. If the nation as a whole sinned, God brought upon them diseases, famines, invading armies, and worst of all—banishment to a foreign land. The Scriptures give us many instances where these judgments were carried out time and again. These examples throughout the Old Testament show us that “every transgression and disobedience (under the law) received a just recompence of reward.”

Exo 21:12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Exo 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Lev 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Lev 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Deut 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
20 As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been delivered from the demands of the law; and that being so, we do not live in fear of the harsh penalties that the law prescribed. Under the grace of God, we are no longer “put to death” for breaking one of the commandments God gave to Israel. Howbeit, that does not mean that we have a license to commit sin without any fear of the consequences. Christ came to deliver us from our sins, not in our sins. However, God does deliver us from sin by forcing our obedience to a set of rules or laws. As believers in Christ we are to “live in the Spirit,” “be led of the Spirit,” and “walk in the Spirit.” Our motivation to live righteously comes from within us, not from external laws that demand obedience. The love of Christ in our hearts and the power of the Holy Spirit cause us to live “in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” However, the Christian life is not without some effort on our part. God does not take over our minds and our will and miraculously cause us to live victoriously. He has provided the means of grace whereby we can experience the life of Christ, but we must not “neglect so great salvation.”

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Everything that is worthwhile requires maintenance—material things such as our houses and cars; relationships such as our marriages and friendships; and our spiritual life in Christ. Those things which we “neglect” soon begin to deteriorate and become worthless to us. The evidence of material neglect is seen all around us—houses, neighborhoods, and cities, which were once beautiful and well-maintained, have now becomes blights; junkyards are filled with automobiles that were abandoned because they ceased to be cared for; marriages, families, and friendships are dysfunctional and broken because no one put forth any effort to care for those relationships; and those who once had a close spiritual relationship with God are now cold, backslidden, or in total apostasy.

Prov 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Prov 24:30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

1 Thess 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

The message of the book of Hebrews is intended to warn mature believers about the dangers of falling asleep spiritually, falling into sin, and falling away. While new believers are still excited and wanting to grow in their newfound faith, mature saints many times lose their devotion to Christ through neglect and apathy. As the excitement of being a child of God lessens, many believers are drawn away by worldliness and sin; their relationship with God becomes secondary and mechanical; they begin to neglect prayer, Bible study, and church attendance; they start to allow questionable things into their homes and lives; and they are soon overtaken by temptation and sin. Spiritual neglect is a dangerous thing for those who have come to experience the riches of Christ. It must be guarded against; it must be resisted; and we must make every effort to maintain our spiritual vitality.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Heb 10:25 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.

Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

What then are the consequences “if we neglect so great salvation”? Paul gives us the example of Israel under the Old Covenant and we have seen how those who broke that law were punished. We have also said that transgressions under the New Covenant are not dealt with in the same way as in the Old; but, Paul warns, the repercussions of how we live and what we do, in many ways, are much greater. This is because the message of the Gospel, which was given by Christ, is much more significant than the message of the law given by the angels and prophets. Although the following list is not exhaustive, it provides a general summary of what those consequences may be.

1. Sin is still sin regardless of whether we live under the law or under grace. Sin is still an offense against God, against others, and against ourselves; and the fruits of sin will always come back to haunt us sooner or later.

Num 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

2. How we live effects our own spiritual well-being. Jesus promised His followers “life…more abundantly”; but, we must die to sin and self in order to have that life. Believers who “live after the flesh” reap spiritual corruption and death. Those who have once drunken “water out of the wells of salvation” can never be satisfied with the sewage of this world.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

3. How we live can either bring shame or honor to the name and cause of Christ. As believers we have identified ourselves with Christ; and those around us closely examine all that we say and do. We especially have a great impact upon our families, the lost, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Do others see Christ in us or do they see hypocrisy and sin? Are we drawing others to the Saviour or are we a stumbling block?

Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

1 Cor 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

1 Cor 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

4. How we live has a direct effect upon our service for Christ. God is not going to use unclean vessels to spread the gospel of His dear Son. Believers who desire to be a part of this great work must “be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use.” Believers are not perfect, but some sins disqualify us from any kind of service. Even the most mature men and women of faith can become a “castaway”—unfit to serve— by yielding to the desires of the flesh.

2 Tim 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Isa 52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

1 Thess 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

1 Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

5. How we live has a direct effect upon our eternal rewards. By living carelessly we may not only fail to earn rewards which could have been ours, but we may forfeit those which we had already earned. We have already studied what those rewards might be; and while some Christians are happy just to be going to heaven, living unconcerned about receiving any rewards, when they stand before Christ they will see things differently. Then they will see that what they traded for the trinkets of this world is far more valuable than what they could ever have imagined.

2 Cor 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

1 Cor 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

6. How we live can bring the chastening hand of God upon our lives. Just because we do not fear being sent to hell; and just because we do not fear the judgments of the law upon our lives; does not mean that God, our Heavenly Father, is going to allow us to live in open rebellion and sin. He will not allow us to destroy our own lives; He will not allow us to be a stumbling block that hinders others from coming to Christ; He will not allow us to shame the name of Christ; and He will not allow us to “defile the temple of God”—our bodies in which dwells the Holy Spirit—without some form of chastening.  Paul told the careless believers at Corinth that “many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” because they were making a mockery of the Lord’s Table. Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead because they lied to the Holy Spirit in making a vow.[1] Many of our physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual problems are the direct result of God’s hand of chastisement.

1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1 Cor 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Neglect is an insidious sin that lulls many believers into spiritual slumber. To maintain our Christian experience does require effort. Those who would be victorious must fight lethargy, continue to faithfully serve Christ, and be diligent to guard their faith against all intrusions. Those who fail to do so will suffer the consequences for “neglect(ing) so great salvation.”

2 Tim 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1 Tim 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.