The Danger of Drifting Away from Jesus
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All day long we hear voices telling us that the problems of this world are the most important issues of life. We listen to those voices. The consequence is that we are distracted from the most important issues to which the Bible calls us to give our attention.
In the book of Hebrews, many of these early Christians were facing great persecution and were contemplating apostatizing back to Judaism as the solution. The author is deeply concerned about this problem and is making clear the importance of receiving God’s redemptive revelation that is being spoken through Jesus, a revelation far superior to that of the angels.
The heart of the concern of the author of Hebrews is the danger of drifting away from Jesus’ voice.
It is from heaven that the Son of God is speaking to us in an intimate way through the ministry of the gospel, giving us everything that is needed for us to persevere through this life. But the author of Hebrews, after explaining the superiority of Jesus to the angels and as seated at the right hand of God, now gives a sobering warning:
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? (Heb. 2:1-3)
Some people are concerned that these warning passages in Hebrews, if left alone, will undermine the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. The Scriptures are clear, salvation cannot be lost. All those given to the Son by Father have eternal life, and nothing can take that free gift away. But the effect of these warnings is often lost when we immediately explain them away in fear of insinuating that salvation can be lost. These warnings are not in conflict with God’s preserving power in the believer’s life; in fact, they are precisely one of the means he uses to preserve his sheep.
The pathway to apostasy begins with drifting.
Within any church community, there are those drifting, and God wants everyone to take seriously the call not to drift from the voice of Jesus.
The description of drifting would have been familiar to the audience as the author uses a nautical metaphor to help them. When a ship entered a harbor, everyone knew that a captain had to be extremely well disciplined and trained to bring the ship to the port. Perception can be disorienting in large bodies of water. A boat can drift off course quickly and without recognition. With this metaphor in mind, the author applies the concern to the spiritual state of Christians.
The pathway to apostasy, which was happening among these early Christians, begins with drifting. Drifting is not something one actively does; it is something that passively happens because of what one is not doing.
The vitality of the Christian life is centered on one’s connection to the Word of God.
As one pastor observed, drifting results through “a failure to keep a firm grip on the truth, through carelessness and a lack of concern.” We are called to “pay the most careful attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away.” God calls us to the great responsibility of being disciplined to listen carefully to his Word. The vitality of the Christian life is centered on one’s connection to the Word of God.
“Drifting is not something one actively does, it is something that passively happens because of what one is not doing.”
A lot of people listen to sermons, but it doesn’t mean they have heard them. The truth of the Word has to be taken into the heart and believed. It is through the voice of Jesus, in his Word, that we have power, strength, and help to keep us from drifting in the Christian life.
We drift when we refuse to hear God’s Word on Sunday, giving it no real place in our lives.
As Jesus said in the parable of the sower, the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches can choke the word so that there is no growth. He also said that some, due to hardship and persecution because of the Word, walk away from it all. Drifting occurs when we are careless with God’s Word, not internalizing and believing what’s being said to us. We drift when we refuse to hear God’s Word on Sunday, giving it no real place in our lives.
On the author’s mind is the lesson that we should learn from Israel. The center psalm of the entire Psalter is Psalm 81. Here the author rehearses Israel’s greatest failure:
“O Israel, if you would but listen to me!… But my people did not listen to my voice, Israel would not submit to me.” (Ps. 81:8ff)
If the new covenant people who have received a superior voice of revelation in the voice of Jesus himself, will not listen to him, the author draws the appropriate conclusion: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Heb. 2:2)
The evidence of someone who is persevering, by grace, has to do with how the Word is being heard. As Jesus said, “if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31)
Staying on course requires giving our hearts to hear Jesus speak to us.
What is pulling us away from listening to the voice of Jesus to drift? Politics? The cares of this life? Riches? The popular philosophies of the age? What sin is easily ensnaring you? Drifting away from Jesus doesn’t require any effort, but staying on course requires giving our hearts to hear Jesus speak to us.
“Pay attention” (προσέχειν) was a word used in early Greek to mean to hold course by securing your anchor. Jesus’ voice in his Word should anchor us. We should be a centered people in Christ’s Word. No wind, storm, or fear can drift us away when we are anchored by the voice of Jesus.
If you witnessed your son in a boat drifting toward a huge waterfall that he didn’t know was behind him, wouldn’t you as a father call to him, throw out a the line, and anchor him? Wouldn’t you care enough to say, “Son you’re drifting to that edge! Anchor the boat!”
Our heavenly Father calls out to us to pay close attention to his beloved Son’s voice—he is keeping his children. God loves us enough to say, “Sons and daughters, don’t drift from the voice of Jesus: “‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” (Luke 9:35). Anchor yourselves, dear Christians, in Christ’s voice, for his voice will keep you and preserve to the end in his power.
Related Articles:
Do You Have the Guts to Remain in the Church? — Revelation 21:1-8
4 Practices for Being Faithful Stewards of Little Eternal Beings
Staying the Course: The Perseverance of God's People in Tumultuous Times
Recommended:
Core Christianity: Finding Yourself in God's Story by Michael Horton
This article is adapted from “The Danger of Drifting Away from Jesus” at agradio.org.
