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“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” (Hebrews 2:1-3 NIV)
The church has been on a long drift. How far have we drifted from the truth of the gospel?
There is a dangerous gospel, the “gospel of accommodation”, that has caused the church to drift from its true purpose. It masquerades as “God doesn’t require sacrifice, commitment and death to self.”
Accommodation means to adapt. The act or process of adapting. Suitable or acceptable. To yield to the desires of others to placate them.
The Gospel message was never meant to accommodate the believer. Over the years, many Christians have departed from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sacrifice, commitment, and death to self is no longer appealing. This is a sad thought in light of the glorious gospel message. Many believers seem to think that the world offers something more appealing.
Scripture warns that, we must pay much closer attention. . . Lest we drift away. Drifting away from God does not happen overnight – it’s a slow process. Merriam-Webster defines drift as a slow and gradual movement or change from one place, condition, etc., to another.
Similar to a large pile of snow or sand that has been blown by the wind, drifting is a slow process of change that occurs over time. We’re not usually aware of it until the change becomes great enough to notice. Then we suddenly wonder what has happened.
Drifting can occur in a nation when it moves away from its foundational principles or in our individual lives if we do not pay close attention to what we have heard concerning the Word of God. The writer of Hebrews warns of the possibility of drifting away from the truth of God’s Word.
So what is it that we are to pay close attention to lest we drift away?
Christians don’t suddenly fall into terrible sin or unbelief. A person doesn’t just wake up one day with a desire to walk away from God, commit adultery or become addicted to drugs. We allow ourselves to slowly depart from the Word of God. The longer we let ourselves drift, the faster we go. When we don’t spend time in God’s Word we run the risk of drifting away from the truth that anchors our souls.
We must pay much closer attention to the gospel message, to Jesus, and to the cross, lest by an indiscernible current we drift away. “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him…” (Hebrews 2:1-3)
What are some of the currents that cause us to drift from God today?
Many people don’t intentionally drift away from God. If you ask most Christians they would tell you they are still following.God religiously. Yet this drifting occurs slowly and is hard to detect. We either draw closer to God or we slip further away.
So what are the signs?
Loss of desire for the Word of God, loss of desire to pray, loss of desire to give Loss of desire to talk to others about Jesus Loss of the awareness of God’s presence Increased desire for the world’s ways
Have you drifted away from the Truth?
The danger is real, we would be foolish to say otherwise. Many have drifted away from the Lord, we would be arrogant to say it could not happen to us! Are there signs of drifting in our life? Is your desire to study God’s Word and pray diminishing? Is our desire to be with God’s people not what it has been in the past? Have we lost our desire to share the gospel with those who are lost?
Realize that you are drifting. Be honest with yourself and repent by asking God to forgive you and turning back to obedience. Return to an attitude of submission to God and His Word.
Blessings,
BEYOND CHURCH WALLS 