Hebrews
In Hebrews 2:1-4, this passage of the Bible speaks of our spiritual well-being and the importance of not straying away from the Holy word. It teaches many lessons within this small passage. “The Biblical verse is giving Christians a command, or a duty” (Piper). We will review four various reasons for the exhortation the Bible speaks of. “The first reason focuses on the significant factor of danger when we drift from our salvation and neglect it” (Stroud). It can become possible to depart from the teachings of God so much to the point where it might be impossible for a Christian to have the opportunity to repent for their sins, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ would no longer be an option, and he or she will be condemned to damnation for an eternity.
The second reason is based on the dignity of the individual in which God has delivered his message to and that is through Jesus Christ. The Bible emphasizes that God only speaks to us Christians through his Son, Jesus Christ because he holds greater superiority than man or angels. Additionally, He is the image of God and the ultimate sovereign reigning at the right hand of God. When God speaks, his words are proven to be steadfast and every single act of disobedience will receive its appropriate punishment, or every good behavior will receive its just reward. Therefore, the point of the second reason is to help Christians understand that if God has the power to speak through prophets or angels, then this should be enough evidence alone to pay attention when God is speaking to us through his Son, Jesus Christ. And we should not be tempted to neglect His word when He is speaking to us Christians. The third reason for exhortation is the overall confirmation of the revelation of the consequences of what will happen if the Christian fails to listen to His word. In addition, the words of God were confirmed by the prophets and this is another reason why it is crucial to listen to God’s instructions because they were confirmed by eyewitnesses. There were also miracles performed and signs as well so that the Christian would believe in the truth of the Hebrew passage.
The fourth reason focuses on the blessings that we Christians would lose if we decide to drift away and not listen to God’s instruction, or pay attention. Hebrews 2:3 mentions the following, “we will lose so great a salvation” (Stroud) and it is important to understand that this salvation is crucial for all of mankind because it offers many comforting characteristics such as the assurance of God’s love, forgiveness of our sins, transformation of character by confessing to God about a sin, praying daily to not resort back to sinful behavior, and a great hope for having everlasting life as promised by God. Christians would lose all of these promises, in the event they choose to neglect the words of God, then they would have to face the consequences similar to the Hebrews who never made it to the Promised land.
Furthermore, there are many currents which causes Christians to drift away and neglect God’s word. Some of these currents could be something simple as the concept of time and Christians could grow tired of doing good all of the time, but it seems as though nothing extravagant is happening in their lives. The next current could be flesh and this is the indulgence of lusts and acting impulsively upon our sinful urges such as sexual intercourse, smoking, drinking, overeating, etc. Another example of this current which causes Christians to neglect God’s word is the day to day struggles of worrying about bills, work, among other stressors which affect adults on a daily basis. It is so easy to lose the Christian philosophy when our concerns or priorities lay elsewhere. One solution, however to become more disciplined and not be neglectful to God’s words is by reading a Biblical scripture on each day that God allows us Christians to wake up to face. These Holy words are our shields and give us guidance or insight. We, as God’s children have to remain faithful to a powerful devotion, so that we are given the opportunity to experience the modern day promised land and eternal life.
Jesus Christ
[Although the Son, Jesus Christ was created to be superior to the angels, yet considered on a lower caliber so he could feel pain such as death like human beings because he had to taste death like everyone else] (Millhouse). Jesus Christ was given the title as the “Son of Man” because he had ties to Adam and this characteristic alone set him apart as one of the greatest men who walked the face of the planet Earth. To many scholars, Jesus Christ is actually considered the second Adam because he is the only other man that directly dealt with what Adam had to and could not defeat death, but he come instead to deliver mankind from it by dying on the cross, being resurrected, and leaving behind the empty tomb three days later.
When Jesus Christ took upon Himself to become of a sinless flesh, it was at this particular moment when he became lower than the angels. He purposely wanted to make Himself become nothing, or as equal as the same worth similar to a servant. Jesus Christ did not want to be served, but instead, He wanted to serve others and to give His life, so that the children of God could have everlasting life due to His sacrifice. It is important to note that just because Jesus Christ was created lower than the angels to serve this purpose of walking the earth does not mean that any angel had more power than He, or it did not diminish the deity of Christ. He also never stopped being the Son of God. His duty was to show the more loving and softer side of God.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he was also resurrected. At this time, he was crowned with the highest level of glory and honor. In Colossians 3:1, it states, “He is now seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father” (Stedman). The lowness was only a temporary situation for Jesus Christ because he had a mission to fulfill for God. He is the exalted One above all angels and every Christian in the final days would have to confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord and the Savior whom died for our sins.
In conclusion, Christians who believe in Jesus Christ will be able to experience all of the promises, in which the Bible speaks of. Christ has the responsibility as the Son of God to accomplish what the first Adam, nor his descendants could not because of mankind’s sin. Since all believers in Christ will have everlasting life and living inside of a newly created heaven, it is essential to understand that without Christ being temporarily lower than angels during the period he walked the earth; then there would be no redemption for mankind, or forgiveness for our sins.
References
Millhouse, Percy. "What Does It Mean That Jesus Was a Little Lower Than the Angels (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7)?". GotQuestions.org. N.p., 2008. Web. 5 Aug. 2016.
Piper, John. "THE DANGER OF DRIFTING FROM THE WORD (Hebrews 2:1-4)". Soundofgrace.com. N.p., 2006. Web. 5 Aug. 2016.
Stedman, Ray. "Hebrews Commentary". Raystedman.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 Aug. 2016.
Stroud, Joe. "Hebrews 2:1-4 - "Lest We Drift Away"". Bible.ca. N.p., 2001. Web. 5 Aug. 2016.
