(The following is the October 15 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Hebrews 2 and pay close attention to verses 1-4.)
The book of Hebrews teaches about Christ by citing Old Testament truths, presenting scriptural arguments, and tying them together with God’s ultimate revelation of himself in Jesus. The author asks, “How will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (v. 3).
Consider the consequences of neglecting everyday aspects of our lives. If we fail to care for our home and property, it deteriorates to a broken-down state that neither our neighbors nor we enjoy. If we live without regard for the foods we eat or how we care for our health, our bodies eventually bear the burden of such disrespect. We have reasonable expectations of attending to essential things and fulfilling our responsibilities. Is this same concern evident in our spiritual lives regarding salvation and growing as Christ’s disciples?
Concerning neglecting such great salvation in verse 3, Spurgeon writes, “One need not go to the trouble of despising salvation, or resisting it, or opposing it. One can be lost readily enough simply by neglecting it. In fact, the great mass of those who perish are those who neglect the great salvation.” * Likewise, those who remain babes in their faith never mature beyond milk to the solid food of God’s truths in his Word. Through ongoing neglect, they experience little of what Christ desires and has available for them.
How tragic to be invited to share in the eternal riches of the King yet remain in the poverty of sin, whether through neglect or intentionality. How many joys do we miss as believers if we settle for infancy in God’s family and fail to mature in Christ?
Next Step:
Recall a time when you suffered the unpleasant consequences of neglecting something (e.g., work, school, home, relationships). Are there neglected aspects of your walk with Christ you should address?
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* CSB Spurgeon Study Bible, ed. Alistair Begg (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1643.
