Continued thoughts on Hebrews

The writer to the Hebrews did some amazing things. I began yesterday talking about Hebrews 2:1. It is a great verse. But there are many in this letter. As I continue to read it I begin to see the hand of the Holy Spirit, working, leading, guiding, opening the mind of the writer to things that we should already know but in our sinfulness, have set aside and either cannot or refuse to see.

In Hebrews 3;1, there is found this little line, "Consider Jesus." It is actually a phrase inside the verse. But the whole of the book is telling us to do just that - Consider Jesus. He is the One who is the great High Priest who offered the ultimate sacrifice for our sins - His own self. We will spend lots of time with the sacrifice motif as we continue to read through the book. Yet, we would do well to "consider Jesus."

Is He the way to salvation? I was reading an article in Time magazine this last week. "What if there is no Hell?" A Christian pastor has posited that perhaps there is no hell. After all, if God was so loving as to give His Son for the sins of the whole world, would that God allow people to be damned to an eternity in whatever hell might be? Of course not! At least, that is what he says. But what about Scripture?

Consider Jesus! Why would we need Jesus if there is a universal justification despite what you believe? Why would we consider Jesus if a person that has not heard of Jesus was already going to heaven because of a loving God? Why would we need a High Priest who offers a once for all sacrifice of His life on the cross, if it doesn't really matter if you believe in Him or not.

I cannot help but wonder when I come in contact with such passages as: "But Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are in his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope." (Heb. 3:6 ESV) "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." (Heb. 3:13 ESV) "So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." (Heb. 3:19 ESV) "It remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience." (Heb. 4:6 ESV)

All of this speaks of one thing - faith in Jesus Christ as the one and only way to salvation. It does not tell us that we can believe in anything or nothing and still be saved by a loving God who will not condemn those that refuse to believe in His Son as their Savior. There is condemnation in those who have an unbelieving heart. What is an "unbelieving heart"? It is one that does not hold to the pure teaching of justification by grace through faith. We cannot boast of our own salvation. We cannot point to our works. We can only point to the cross and say, "There alone I find salvation. There alone is my Savior. My works, my thoughts and my desires all lead me to hell (which is eternal separation from the heavenly Father). Only Christ leads me to salvation."

Yes, "consider Jesus." Consider the One that the Father has sent. Consider the only hope and life that we might have. Consider Jesus.