Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Years ago, I was fishing and I decided to cross the river in my waders. The deeper it got, the more the current pushed against my legs. I had to resist further and stronger. I could have just fallen over and gone in the water. That would have been pretty stupid.
Resisting the Current
The fact of the matter is, I had to resist the current. Somebody once said, "If the culture is going 60 miles an hour one direction, you better make sure you're going at least 61 miles an hour the other direction to be like Christ."
Our Verse of the Day talks about drifting. It talks about things in our life that can distract us from the currents of the world. It's Hebrews chapter 2, verse 1. "So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it."
The Context: Jesus's Superiority
The context of Hebrews is all about the superiority of Jesus Christ. He's superior to Abraham. He is superior to Job. He is superior to Moses. He's also superior to the sacrificial system that was set up in the Old Testament, because the blood of bulls and goats can never ultimately take away sins. Only the death of Jesus Christ can do that.
Now, as he writes, the writer of Hebrews speaks to mankind's need of Jesus. He warns against defectors, and he also says, hey, true Christian, I need you to persevere.
This is one of those verses that helps you and I persevere.
Number One: Listen Carefully
Number one: As we look at an exhortation and a warning, listen carefully. God is awesome. He says right there in the verse: "So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard." We've got to listen to what we've already heard.
Watch what he says after he says this little phrase about listening. Hebrews verse 3 says, "Jesus Christ is the exact radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of His nature. He upholds all things by the word of His power."
Imagine that you are God and you govern our universe. You could say, stars stay where you're at. The Bible even says He hangs the earth on nothing.
Then he says further, verse 4: "He's superior to angels." Verse 6: "All the angels worship God." Verse 8: "Your throne, O God, is forever." Verse 10: "O Lord, You laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of Your hands, and Your years will have no end."
Why We Must Listen Carefully
We need to listen carefully because God is true and God is absolutely awesome. The very fact that you and I breathe another breath is all the grace of God. We're to listen carefully because God is real. He's true, and He's awesome.
Number Two: Laziness Is Dangerous
Number two: We're to listen carefully because laziness or lounging is dangerous. I have a really cool chair upstairs. It's a leather chair. I've had it for years. That chair leans back and it actually can lean all the way back so I'm almost level like this. And it's one of the few chairs that my six-foot-seven body can fall asleep in. That's a wonderful thing—to relax in that chair. Not in the spiritual life.
Lounging for you and me is dangerous. Why? Because the text says, "Or we may drift from it." We could drift away from the truth of the Bible.
It's Very Easy to Drift
It's very easy to drift. It's easy to float. You throw a dead fish in the stream. You don't have to do anything. It just follows the current.
As you think about this, Jesus knew all about this. Matthew chapter 7, verse 13 says, "Enter in the narrow gate," a very narrow gate. It's very prescribed. Only one person gets through like a turnstile at a movie theater. One comes through. You can have a whole crowd—one comes through.
"Enter in through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction. Those who enter there are many."
In other words, the culture just takes them wherever the world takes them. We must watch out for the currents of the world. Jesus knew all about this.
Number Two: Push Against the Current
Number two: Not only pay attention to the negative currents that we have, but the second application is to push against the current. You must push against the current. How do we do that? A lot of ways.
Second Peter chapter 3, verse 18 says: "Grow in grace. Let's grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
First Peter chapter 2 says: "Therefore, putting aside all malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, slander—like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation."
Ephesians chapter 5, verse 18 says: "Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit."
Philippians chapter 3, verse 12 says: "Not that I've already obtained all this, and I have already become perfect, but I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God."
Pressing On Toward Christ
As you're pressing on toward the goal of Christ, you're pushing against the currents that are constantly trying to hem you in. The writer of Hebrews knows all about this.
Paul even said at the end of his life, "Fight the good fight of faith." The way you fight is to stay away from the negative currents and push against the real obvious ones that you know are going to distract you and detract you from being like Christ.
Friends, let's push against the current. Why? Because we really want to be more like Jesus Christ. May we, in the midst of the currents of the world that we live in, stay true to Jesus Christ.
