“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Heb. 2:1).
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God’s Word is the anchor that will prevent people from drifting past the harbor of salvation.
When English explorer William Edward Parry and his crew were exploring the Arctic Ocean, they needed to go further north to continue their chartings. So they calculated their location by the stars and began a treacherous march.
After many hours they stopped, exhausted. After taking their bearings, they discovered they were now further south than when they’d started! They had been walking on an ice floe that was traveling faster south than they were walking north.
That is similar to the situation that people who continue rejecting Christ find themselves in. Therefore Hebrews 2:1 says, “We must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”
Why would anyone knowingly reject Christ? He came into the world as God incarnate, died on a cross to bring us forgiveness for our sins, paid our penalty, showed us divine love, and gives us blessing and joy beyond imagination.
The Greek words translated “pay much closer attention to” and “drift away from” both have a nautical usage. The first means “to tie up a ship,” and the second can be used of a ship that has been carelessly allowed to drift past the harbor because the sailor forgot to attend to the steerage or to chart the wind, tides, and current. Hebrews 2:1 could be translated: “We must diligently anchor our lives to the things we have been taught, lest the ship of life drift past the harbor of salvation and be lost forever.”
Most people don’t deliberately turn their backs on God; they almost imperceptibly slip past the harbor of salvation and are broken on the rocks of destruction. Be sure you warn those you know who might be slipping past that harbor.
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Suggestions for Prayer: Ask God to strengthen your resolve when you know you need to confront someone regarding his or her relationship with the Lord.
For Further Study: Memorize Proverbs 4:20–22 as your own reminder of how important it is to hold on to God’s Word.[1]
[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 367). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
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