An Offer You Can Refuse

I once used a sermon illustration I would hesitate to use in today’s environment.  

Today, I would hold a dollar bill up and say, “I am willing to give this dollar bill to the first person who comes up and takes it. I would wait, and no one would come. I’d then ask why a mass of people didn’t storm the platform to receive my offer. I speculated some weren’t sure it was a legitimate offer. Others would be embarrassed that they were so desperate for money that they would make a spectacle of themselves. Still others didn’t think they needed a dollar—they already had plenty of dollar bills.    

For whatever reason, the majority of the congregation either ignored the offer or simply rejected my offer without any lasting consequences.

Every day, 8,000 people die in our country, and tens of thousands die around the world, and the majority of them die having rejected or neglected the most important gift of all—God’s gift of forgiveness, which comes through Jesus Christ.

Why do most people reject or neglect God’s gift of salvation? And what are the consequences of rejecting that gift? The writer of Hebrews answers those questions in Hebrews 2:1-4. 

1. The Context of the Warning

To whom is the writer speaking? One reason the book of Hebrews has been so controversial and misunderstood is because of a failure to identify the audience. Is he speaking to Christians or non-­Christians?

While the majority of the book is directed toward Christians, the writer realized that there were some in the church who were not yet saved. So, he occasionally makes an evangelistic appeal to those who have not yet become Christians.

Please note that these are not people who have not heard the gospel message—they were well-acquainted with the gospel message according to Hebrews 2:3. The writer is speaking to people who were on the edge of making a decision to become a Christian, but had not taken that final step. And to those people, he issues a severe warning.

2. The Warning (Hebrews 2:1)

There are two key phrases in this verse. In Greek, both of these phrases are nautical terms, referring to a ship. “Prosecho” means to tie up a ship so that it does not drift away. The picture here is of a fisherman coming out one morning to get into his boat, only to discover the boat is no longer there because he failed to secure it the night before. He is saying we need to pay attention, literally, we need to tie up to the message of salvation.

The second word is “paraheo,” which translates to “Lest you drift away.” The word “pararheo” refers to a ship that has drifted past a harbor due to the sailors’ inattention. The sailors did not intentionally miss the harbor; they had planned on entering it, but other things distracted them.

Jesus taught very clearly in Matthew 7:13 that the majority of people are going to spend eternity in hell. The way is broad and the gate is wide that leads to destruction.

Both Jesus and the writer of Hebrews are saying that the majority of people will spend eternity in hell, not because they have rejected the gospel message, but because they have neglected the gospel message.

Why is it so imperative that I tie up and anchor myself to the gospel of Jesus Christ? In these four verses, the writer gives us three reasons to trust in Christ now for our salvation.

3. The Reasons for the Warning

• The Superiority of God’s Messenger (Hebrews 2:1)

He begins the warning by saying “for this reason”—a natural question is for what reason?

He is saying in light of everything that I have just written. Because Jesus Christ is superior to the prophets and has a superior name, title, position, and future to that of the angels, we need to respond to His offer of salvation. Jesus Christ is God’s complete and final revelation to us.

Jesus Christ is the last and final opportunity to be saved. If you reject or neglect Him, there is no other way to be saved and no guarantee that you will even be able to return to Him. He is God’s superior Messenger.

• The Severity of God’s Judgment (Hebrews 2:2)

I think we are racing toward an inevitable day of God’s judgment as a nation. Yes, as a nation, we are in danger of facing God’s wrath. But that is not what the author of Hebrews is referring to. It is much more personal. How shall we escape God’s judgment?

I don’t have to look around to see unholiness. All I must do is look within me. God demands absolute perfection. How am I then to escape His judgment? The only way is by tying up to, accepting, His offer of salvation.

• The Sufficiency of God’s Salvation (Hebrews 2:3-4)

What is so “great ” about the salvation Christ offers? 

1. It is without cost.
2. It is without condition.
3. It is without constraint.

In his book, The Grip of Grace, Max Lucado asks, “You know what bothers me most about convicted murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, the man responsible for murdering, dismembering, and cannibalizing dozens of men; the man who kept human heads in his refrigerator and hoarded human hearts for himself? The thing that bugs me most about Jeffrey Dahmer is not his heinous acts, but his salvation. While in prison, before he was murdered by an inmate, Dahmer trusted in Christ as his Savior and immediately had his sins forgiven and is now in the same heaven that you and I will one day enjoy. That is a tribute, not to the greatness of Dahmer, but to the goodness of God who offers you so much grace that it covers the most vile of all sins.”

Let me ask you a question: How do you plan on escaping God’s inevitable judgment if you reject or neglect so great a salvation? A salvation that is offered without cost, without condition, and without constraint.  

Full Passage: Hebrews 2:1-4