Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord… I. WHAT IS MEANT BY "THE WORD SPOKEN BY ANGELS "? 1. The law, unquestionably, as contradistinguished from the gospel. 2. When in this connection we speak of law as contradistinguished from gospel, we men that rule of moral conduct, of both heart and life, to which God exacts perfect obedience from all His intelligent creatures. 3. The law has not been abrogated by the introduction of the gospel; nor have its claims been alienated, or its sanctions abolish d. 4. To perceive the force of the apostle's argument it is necessary to notice the prominence he gives to the penal character of the law. "Eve, y transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward." 5. The " just recompense of reward" is this penalty. "A recompense," says Mr. Benson, "proportionable to the crime, according to the judgment of God, width is infinitely just and equal, and implies that they who commit sin 'are worthy of death.'" Death is the penalty of the law: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." II. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE EXPRESSION, "SO GREAT SALVATION"? 1. The whole system of Christianity. 2. The theme of the gospel is salvation by Jesus Christ. It is founded in Him. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." He is "the Author and Finisher of our faith"; — "the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him." Of the whole system of the gospel, he is "the Alpha and the Omega." The gospel is a remedial system. It proposes satisfaction to the claims of justice by a propitiatory offering for sin. By this offering we were redeemed, bought back from the bondage of sin and the penal sentence of the law. 3. Eternal life, with all the means and provisions necessary to its attainment, is ascribed to the atonement. 4. To be thus saved, we must come to God through Christ. "Whosoever shall call upon the name," &c. We must receive Him by faith: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," &c. All who slight these requirements, neglect this great salvation. 5. All this, remember, upon which eternal life is offered to sinful man, is through the atonement by Jesus Christ; and is the only remedy God has provided against the penalty of the law. 6. But the text asserts the possibility and danger of failing to receive this gracious gift of God, "everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord," by neglecting the gospel. Eternal life is suspended upon terms and conditions set forth in the gospel; and, to insure it, intense application to these is necessary, lest anything essential to that end should be permitted to slip, and the soul be left under the power of eternal death. How tremendous the motive "to give the more earnest heed"! They neglect this great salvation who are indifferent to its terms and provisions, and slight the offer of pardon it makes to the guilty. Their indifference shows that they are not influenced by that sense of the guilt of sin, without which they cannot be fit subjects for pardon, in any way consistent with the purity and integrity of the moral government of God. III. THE CONCLUSION DEDUCED FROM THE RELATION IN WHICH THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD STANDS TO THE LAW, which is steadfast in its claims of justice strikes us with all the force of moral demonstration. 1. From what has been said, it is evident that everlasting life, as the gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, is the only remedy against eternal death, which is the penalty of the law. 2. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea. we establish the law." In the terms of both the law and the gospel, God deals with man as a moral agent. (S. Luckey. D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; |
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