Hebrews: The Daily Discipline of a Devoted LifeSample

You may remember the various colour codes that the American government used in the aftermath of 9/11. Green meant a ‘low’ risk of terrorist attacks; blue meant ‘guarded’ or remain vigilant; yellow meant an ‘elevated’ risk; orange meant a ‘high’ risk; and red meant a ‘severe’ risk – in other words, start filling your underground bunker with tins of baked beans because World War Three is about to start! 

Hebrews is interspersed with red-level warning passages, because rejecting Jesus is such a huge issue. The most famous warning is in the middle of this passage: ‘how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?’ (v. 3). The writer warns the Christians about the danger of drifting (v. 1) like a raft floating away from its moorings while no one is paying attention. 

We may not think that we will ever give up on Jesus. But there is always the danger we might simply neglect him. I have seen many young Christians full of passion for Christ. But then family comes along, work gets busy, and building a home, making money and pursuing hobbies – all legitimate interests – start to crowd in. And little by little their faith gets eroded, like waves beating away at a rocky coastline, until one morning they wake up and they have no real desire for Jesus at all. 

The problem with drifting is that it never seems serious at the time. We live our lives on code green, probably thinking, ‘I should be reading my Bible or praying a bit more’, but never actually getting round to it. The warnings in Hebrews are stark for that very reason. Every backward step we take from focusing on Jesus – worshipping him, loving him supremely, obeying his commands, and thirsting for his glory – should be coded red, because we are stepping away from our ‘salvation’ (v. 3). This is serious business. 

The warnings in Hebrews will end with the story of Esau selling his birthright for a pot of stew, and walking away weeping (ch. 12). It will feel 100 times worse if we drift away from Jesus. We would be casually drifting away from God’s Son, the Creator of the cosmos, who died for us; drifting away from eternal salvation; and drifting away from a miraculous gospel story that was ‘testified to … by signs, wonders … and gifts of the Holy Spirit’ (v. 4). 

If you are living on code green right now, and sense your apathy growing, shift the warning levels up a couple of notches, get back on your knees in repentance, and ask your gracious God to restore the joy of your salvation (Ps. 51). 

Reflection

Are you drifting in your faith? Do you have an accountability partner?