Danger of Neglect

Danger of Neglect (Hebrews 2:1)

Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

The word slip means to drift by or slip away from. It is a nautical term that speaks of a vessel drifting on the water. The idea is that of a ship slowly drifting past its dock. It speaks of something that happens gradually and unnoticed. The Bible uses this nautical analogy many times in the Christian life. Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” The Hebrew word counsels is a nautical term that means to "manage the ropes, to steer, or guide." It was used in biblical times to describe pulling on the ropes and managing the sails in order to steer a ship through troubled waters and storms. That speaks volumes concerning the purpose of wise counsel in life. Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Wise counsel is essential to making right decisions. Wise counsel helps us to acquire the understanding we need to get through the troubled waters of life without shipwreck. Wise counsel is guidance that moves our life in the right direction. Paul also uses this terminology in writing to Timothy. I Timothy 1:18-19, “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” Shipwrecks are disastrous events. Precious life is lost. Expensive cargo is lost and the ship is taken out of service. Paul uses a very graphic warning here when he says in Hebrews 2:1, “…lest at any time we should let them slip.” The picture here is the Christian sailing the stormy seas of this world. There are storms and dangers on every side. If we are not careful to give the more earnest heed to the Word of God we will drift away from its safety.

Prior to December 7, 1941, American Intelligence had been receiving and intercepting coded Japanese messages about an impending attack on the United States. These warnings were deciphered and passed on to those in charge. Early in the morning on December 7th, a telegram came from Washington D.C. to the commanding officer at Pearl Harbor. The person on duty that received the telegram did not want to wake up the commanding officer who was sound asleep, so he let him sleep and figured he could read it later. If this message had been opened, several lives would have been saved. The Japanese surprised and attacked Pearl Harbor killing over 2,400 people. When we plant seeds of neglect, they will always sprout into blooms of disaster. We can see the foolishness of an officer neglecting a message. However, you and I are in danger of neglecting an even greater message. We're in danger of neglecting the message that Christ has clearly sent forth in His Word.

One of the great dangers in the Christian life is neglect. This is where most backsliding starts. People do not plan to drift from God they just start neglecting things and rationalize the reasons for doing it. They intend to get things right quickly and only let it go on for a short time, but many times end up in a place they never thought they would be. Remember Elimelech took his family to "sojourn" temporarily in Moab. His sons married outside the will of God and he and his sons died in Moab. The family was there 10 years and it never worked out the way he planned it. Trust God and move forward in your life based on Biblical principle.

Neglect in the life of the Christian can be extremely damaging.

• Neglect in worship leads to wandering and waywardness.
• Neglect in prayer leads to a loss of guidance, direction, and closeness with the Lord.
• Neglect in Bible reading and study leads to ignorance, and a loss of wisdom and comfort.
• Neglect in faithfulness at church leads to emptiness, a loss of fellowship, support, and ministry.
• Neglect in giving to the Lord leads to financial problems and a loss of joy.
• Neglect in ministry leads to floating and a loss of purpose.
• Neglecting your family leads to division in the home and the possible ruin of your marriage.

The danger of drifting is in the life of the careless, neglectful, double-minded Christian. James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” One of the discouraging elements of being a Christian is to see someone who once was living for Christ, get sidetracked and spiritually slide into a condition of coldness, callousness, carnality, criticalness, and corruption. We are all capable of doing this if we are not careful. Paul was scared to death that this would happen to him. I Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Let me ask, are you drifting away from the Lord? Some may say, "I don't know. How do I know if I am drifting?" There are a number of signs that indicate a person is drifting from the Lord. Knowing the signs and God's solutions will help us stay on our spiritual toes. Beware of the danger of drifting. If we do not practice truth, we tend to eventually forget it, or let it slip from our minds and our lives because we are not anchored to God's Word. If our relationship and fellowship with Christ is weak, we will have a tendency to drift and be pushed around by any wave that comes our way. If our walk with God is not vital and valuable to us, we will drift from Him.

If this post in any way, has blessed you,
please share this website and its articles with others:
www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com