Avoid gospel neglect!

...how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Hebrews 2:3-4

The gospel message and the gospel life are both tremendous trusts. The warning here is not to neglect the gospel, with the call to always guard our hearts from drift by always paying closer attention to the gospel (Hebrews 2:1). This is a serious call. The gospel is not just an entry to new life, but rather, it is the life itself. We live in constant repentance and faith. We turn to the gospel's core truth when we struggle, realizing we are sinners, Christ is our Savior, and we only have hope and forgiveness and life in Him. We believe the gospel for life every day of our lives.

Why should we do this? Why should we live like the gospel is more than just a "one hit wonder"? This passage shows us that the history of the gospel itself answers this question. It appeals to history through four evidences or witnesses: 1) Jesus Himself preached the gospel. He called people to repent of sins and believe in Him because the kingdom of heaven is at hand in Him. 2) The apostles preached and bore witness to the gospel with their very lives. Those who knew Jesus most intimately always proclaimed the gospel, calling us to a gospel life by their lives. And they died for that commitment. 3) God the Father Himself authenticated both the message of Jesus and that of the apostles as they preached the gospel through miracles and signs. Those gifts tied exclusively to the apostles here were given so that the gospel might take root well. 4) The Holy Spirit distributed His gifts to those who believed within the church. The entire trinity those bore witness to the gospel's authenticity and necessity. We can see that as we read scripture today.

With such history, attestation, and importance, I too must heed the command to never risk gospel neglect. With God bearing witness to the gospel to me today, may the message of salvation in Christ alone, by faith alone, through grace alone be the focus of every one of my days. May God's Word always point me to it. May God's Spirit convict me of my need for gospel change and thus lead me to gospel declaration in what I say and how I live!