Paradise lost and found!

The writer of Hebrews moves from a warning in 2:1-4 to a declaration of blessing beyond compare in 2:5-9. He continues the use of Old Testament passages to demonstrate the relevance of the Old for the New. The citation in Hebrews 2:6-8 is from Psalm 8:4-6, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet. Note William L. Lane, The description corresponds to the divine intention expressed in Gen 1:26–28. Created in God’s image, humans were entrusted with the cultural mandate to subdue the earth and to put everything in subjection to themselves.

Psalm 8 expresses God’s intended purpose for mankind - to rule God’s created order. Due to the fall of mankind, there has been a lapse in mankind’s rule. Verses 6-8a picture man as he was supposed to be with a transition in verse 8b-9 to what he will be based on the work of the Son of Man, Jesus. Warren Wiersbe, . . . we have a serious problem here, for it is obvious that man today is not exercising dominion over creation. Certainly man cannot control the fish, fowl, or animals. In fact, man has a hard time controlling himself! And, consider the words of Raymond Brown, . . .this is not man as we now see him. From our observations we see him despising God’s favour, abusing his privileges, ignoring his dignity and, through sin, limited in his dominion. G. K. Chesterton clearly declares the predicament of mankind, whatever else is or is not true, this one thing is certain: we are not what we were meant to be.

Thankfully, the writer of Hebrews moves from paradise lost to paradise regained. Consider what new life in Christ means. It is not just the ability to live above circumstances, to gain heaven instead of hell but to have dominion over God’s creation, co-reigning with Jesus Christ. R. Kent Hughes, God’s ultimate intention is to have his Kingdom ruled by redeemed men and women. Those “insignificant” people in that harried house-church, a minuscule dot in the Roman Empire, were going to rule everything!

That may sound like it is too good to be true, for some. But, a Christian has already had a taste of eternity and it is delicious. Raymond Brown, The world to come is the totally new world-order which has already begun in Christ...we have already entered God’s stupendous future. The present provides redemption with restoration in the future. Warren Wiersbe, Jesus Christ became man that He might suffer and die for man’s sin and restore the dominion that was lost because of sin. Ray Stedman, . . .he achieved as a human being the position intended for us in the beginning: the being who was to be closest to God, higher than any angel, and in authority over all things!

What a Savior! In the midst of a pandemic and changes in weather patterns, we should break out in praise for our triune God. What He made us to be, we shall become. Savor the words of William Barclay, The writer to the Hebrews sees in Christ the one who by his sufferings and his glory can make us what we were meant to be and what, without him, we could never be. May we join Charles Spurgeon in giving all glory to God, Oh, how glorious it is to realize our position in Christ, and to see how He has lifted us up, not merely to the place from which the first Adam fell, but He has made us stand so securely there that we shall not again descend among the ruins of the Fall! Glory be to His holy name!

Be refreshed as you join me in contemplating what God has in store for those who trust Him through Christ alone. The lesson on Hebrews 2:5-9 may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

A call to stand firm!

As one reads the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is evident that the writer is an accomplished theologian with the heart of a pastor. He desires that his readers live what they believe. He shows concern that some are or will start to fade in their trust in Christ alone. This is evident as one comes to the first of five warning passages at the beginning of chapter 2, verses 1-4.

William Barclay grasps the intent of the writer with a paraphrase of verse 1, Therefore, we must the more eagerly anchor our lives to the things that we have been taught in case the ship of life should drift past the harbour and be wrecked. The kernel of truth is the Gospel which must not only be heard and understood but received and retained. C. S. Lewis declared, . . .if you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?

Have you, have I, taken the time to check the anchor of our souls? Robertson McQuilkin took that time with alarming accuracy, I fear the Dark Spectre may come too soon—or do I mean, too late? That I should end before I finish or finish, but not well. That I should stain your honor, shame your name, grieve your loving heart. Few, they tell me, finish well…Lord, let me get home before dark. Such personal examination is what the writer of Hebrews demands. It is not something we should fear but be grateful that it is never too late to stop the fade.

The writer’s warning begins with a declaration that the Mosaic Covenant mediated by angels demanded punishment for disobedience. How much more should the Gospel mediated through the work of Christ require punishment for turning away from such a great salvation. The focus of the warning is in verse 3a, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? I believe many people avoid Hebrews because of the fear of judgment. What if my faith in Christ is not sufficient to deliver me from the wrath of God? I believe Hebrews should not be avoided but understood properly.

I believe a proper understanding should begin by asking and answering three questions. First, does we in verse 3 refer to the saved or unsaved? It refers to the saved. Zane Hodges states, The “we” which pervades the passage shows that the author included himself among those who needed to pay close attention to these truths. Second, does escape refer to hell or discipline? It refers to discipline. Thomas Constable, The writer did not specify the punishment, but it cannot be loss of salvation since Scripture specifically states that we will not lose our salvation... Third, is this a warning to not reject salvation? No, it is a warning not to neglect the salvation one has received by faith in Christ alone.

Let me make a disclaimer. The intent of this study is not to weaken the warning passages in Hebrews but to reconcile them to Scripture. One must affirm that salvation is a gift and rewards are for faithful service. Note 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. A proper goal of Bible study is to be faithful to all of Scripture. The integrity of Scripture demands interpretation of difficult passages through interaction with clear passages. God's Word will never contradict itself. May we study God’s Word with reverential fear.

It is of utmost importance to understand such a great salvation. The permanence of salvation for a Christian is not his or her faithfulness to God but God’s faithfulness to Himself. Consider several passages which proclaim salvation as a completed work of God the Father through Christ the Son. John 10:28-29, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. Ephesians 1:13-14, In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 1 Peter 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Philippians 1:6, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

If the warning passages in Hebrews are for Christians and they are not warning against losing one’s salvation, what is the punishment? Let’s find the answer as we study the Epistle to the Hebrews under the Books of the Bible tab. May we not fade but stand firmly on the Solid Rock!

We are not alone!

These are trying times. A pandemic has changed the way we live, infecting millions of people and killing more than 500,000 people in the United States. A polar vortex swept through Texas causing untold suffering and damage. Many people are still without water, power, and limited access to food. It can seem like we are all alone. The universe is too big and we are too small. Where is the God of the Bible?

I encourage you to take heart from the Epistle to the Hebrews. Chapter 1 addresses the divine nature of Jesus Christ and proclaims His superiority to anything and everything in the universe. Yet, the writer takes time to declare that we are not alone in our suffering. There are supernatural beings sent by God to minister to those who trust in Him. They are called angels.

First, let me state that I believe God cares about you. He expresses His concern for those who trust Him throughout Scripture. Let me share a verse from Psalm 34:7, The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them; and Psalm 34:4, I sought the LORD and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. God knows our troubles and fears and He and promises deliverance.

In Hebrews, I want you to consider Hebrews 1:7, Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” Thomas Constable declares, By describing the angels as winds the psalmist was drawing attention to their spirit nature, invisibility, power, and function as servants of a higher Power. Also, note Hebrews 1:14, Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? This passage proclaims angels as those assigned by God to serve those who have placed faith in Christ alone.

Does that sound too good to be true? I believe God cares about us more than we can imagine. We are not alone despite great difficulties. We must trust God at His word and turn to Him despite the circumstances that can seemingly overwhelm us. Some might disbelieve but many have shared experiences of God’s angelic protection and deliverance. The following story of deliverance was shared by Pastor R. Kent Hughes,

On a dark night about a hundred years ago, a Scottish missionary couple found themselves surrounded by cannibals intent on taking their lives. That terror-filled night they fell to their knees and prayed that God would protect them. Intermittent with their prayers, the missionaries heard the cries of the savages and expected them to come through the door at any moment.

But as the sun began to rise, to their astonishment they found that the natives were retreating into the forest. The couple’s hearts soared to God. It was a day of rejoicing!

The missionaries bravely continued their work. A year later the chieftain of that tribe was converted. As the missionary spoke with him, he remembered the horror of that night. He asked the chieftain why he and his men had not killed them. The chief replied, “Who were all those men who were with you?” The missionary answered, “Why, there were no men with us. There were just my wife and myself.” The chieftain began to argue with him, saying, “There were hundreds of tall men in shining garments with drawn swords circling about your house, so we could not attack you.

Since God chose to send His Son to make payment for your sins by sacrificing His life for yours, don’t you think God would send His angels to protect you? Consider a wise statement from R. Kent Hughes, Our superior Christ has assigned his angels to minister to you. And if he wills, he can deliver you anytime and anywhere he wishes. Christ is superior to everything. He is adequate in your hour of need. You must believe it, and trust him with all you are and have.

I encourage you to join me in the study of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The study of Hebrews 1:4-14 may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. Allow God to open your eyes spiritually to see how much He cares for you and me. We are not alone!