The Risk of Spiritual Negligence

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Hebrews 2:1-4; 1 Timothy 4:13-16.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on January 02, 2022.

Negligence is often defined as conduct that falls short of a reasonably prudent person.  Its antonym is attention.  A prudent person is one who is careful to think about things in order to choose as best a course as possible.

Notice that the bar is not set at the most prudent person, but at a reasonably prudent, or within reason.  Of course, this is a fairly abstract concept that begs a lot of questions.  Most people in a society may be unreasonably negligent due to a number of factors.  Thus, we are talking about more than what the average person would do.

God has gone out of His way to speak to us about the pitfalls of life and eternity.  The sooner that we learn to take that seriously, and give it the amount of thought and prudence it deserves, the better it will be for us and others around us.

Today, we will look at things that Christians can neglect, and the risks they run when doing so.  Let’s get into our first passage.

Don’t neglect your salvation

The writer to of this letter to the Hebrews was concerned about the appeal of the visible Old Testament rituals, compared to those of Christianity, which were more spiritual.  It was possible for Hebrew Christians to let sentimentality about the temple, its services, and its rituals draw them away from Christ.  Some even did apostatize, i.e., falling away from believing in Christ, and went back into Judaism.  This clearly was more of a problem before the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (almost 40 years).

The writer spends most of the letter showing how Christ and the spiritual worship of Christians was far superior to the Law of Moses.  Yet, some were in jeopardy of neglecting their salvation to the point of falling away.

Verse 3 reminds them that the salvation that they had been given through Christ was “such a great salvation.”  Jesus is the Savior of that salvation.  He was the first to reveal God’s plan of saving Israel and the Gentiles.  His disciples then became those who spoke the Gospel to Hebrews and Gentiles.

In verse 4, the writer reminds them of the great signs and wonders that even the apostles did.  Also, he reminds them of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and His gifts that were spread among the people.

Now, what Israel received from Moses was a great salvation.  There is no doubt about it.  But when it is compared to what Jesus and the disciples had done, it falls short.  It is one thing to set someone free from physical slavery, but if they fall short of spiritual salvation, then their eternity is at stake.  Christ came to save us from our greatest enemy, which is sin and its resultant death.

If the Old Testament covenant had strict punishments for neglecting a temporary salvation, then how much more important is it for us not to neglect the New Covenant in Christ?  It is extremely important.  The risk is eternity.

In verse 1, they are told that they “must give the more earnest heed” to the Gospel that they had heard.  There are three parts to this.  “Must” speaks to necessity.  There is no option in this.  “The more earnest” speaks to a high level, and “heed” is a way of saying careful attention.  It literally means to bring something near for inspection and care.

So now, you and I have been told about God’s great salvation through Jesus Christ, and we have believed the message.  Yet, we must give a high level of care and inspection to that message and the result that it has given us.  So, let me ask this.  What has the greatest part of your attention in this life?  Do you give entertainments more attention than your own salvation?

The writer tells us what we risk at the end of verse 1.  We risk drifting away from our salvation, from the Savior.  Drifting has a sense that you lack aim and purpose.  You are just going wherever life and your flesh take you.  Even worse would be sailing away or driving away on purpose.  Whether drifting or purposefully leaving, it all starts at the same place: neglecting the truth and the greatness of what Christ has done for you.

Let’s look at another area of neglect in 1 Timothy 4.

Don’t neglect God’s Word

This passage actually lists a lot of things that we must not neglect, but they can be categorized in two areas.  First, we look at those things that have to do with God’s Word.

Verse 13 mentions reading.  We are to read the word individually, but we are to read it among our assemblies as well.  Literacy rates have not always been as high as they are in our country.  For many Christians, reading the word was impossible, but they could hear it and memorize it.  Make sure that you are not neglecting the reading and hearing of God’s Word on a daily basis, not just in Church. 

Next is exhortation.  This is not just a job for pastors, and it is more than telling others what to do.  It is related to the word for the Holy Spirit given in John, the Paraclete, the Helper.  It means to either come alongside someone, or to call them to your side, in order to speak a word of help into their lives.  It could be information, correction, direction, etc.  This sermon is an exhortation that is based upon God’s Word.

Next is teaching.  He is obviously talking about the teachings of Christ and his apostles.  We must pay attention and incorporate the teachings of Christ into our lives.

Lastly, in verse 15, he mentions meditation.  Christians do not meditate as the eastern mystics do.  We are not trying to empty our minds.  Rather, we fill our mind with God’s Word, and then mentally digest it through prayerful contemplation.  Don’t rush through this part.  It is commendable to read through the Bible in a year, which takes about 4 to 5 chapters a day.  However, it is also good to take a small “bite-size” piece and spend time before the Lord.  What did it mean to them, and what doe sit mean to me?  What are you saying, Lord?

Verse 16, again uses a word that tells us to pay attention, but especially to ourselves that we are continuing in, or keeping our life centered upon the teaching of God’s Word.  It is not enough to know a lot about the Word of God, and yet, not put it into practice.  Faith that is alive will act on the teachings of Christ and his apostles.

If we do this then verse 16 says that we will save ourselves and those who we speak to.  In a sense, neglecting the Word of God, then leads to us neglecting our salvation, which leads to us drifting away from the Lord Jesus, our Savior.

Don’t neglect the giftings of God’s Spirit

The second category mentioned in this passage that we can neglect is the gifts of God’s Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:11 tells us that the Spirit of God gives to each believer in Christ spiritual gifts as He wills.  The word for gift is literally, “the resultant of God’s grace.”  The question is what is that result?  They are clearly supernatural giftings with which the Spirit of God enables each believer.  These gifts are seen as a result of God pouring out His grace through the Spirit.  These are not the result of natural capabilities, but an enabling and instigating that comes from the Holy Spirit.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you should be both praying for the Holy Spirit to instigate gifts within you, and walking by faith in those giftings as you discover them.

The whole purpose of a spiritual gift is not about you.  It is always about helping the Body of Christ in some way.

None of us would have come to Christ without the gifts of the Spirit working in others.  It takes time to recognize and grow in our own spiritual gifts.  God will use mature believers around you to help you come to understand His giftings in your life.

Next week, we will continue looking at the things that that we must not neglect.  I pray that we will all avoid the risks of spiritual negligence, and instead, focus upon Christ and truly be his disciples.