“how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3)
What is there to escape?
Before I had heard the true gospel, I was ignoring it at every instance. I had room alone for what was planted in me when I first “accepted” Christ. Well, actually, it wasn’t Christ that I had accepted. It was Moses. My heart may have been thankful for what Christ did for me. And back then I was told that it was Christ. But what I was doing instead was trying to follow Christ by walking in the steps of Moses. Big mistake. Because of such, I couldn’t escape the “fear of punishment” that came upon everyone who had claimed to be following Christ, but was instead following the law of Moses.
My hope was in being able to do the things that others were doing, and also gaining the trust of others as a worthy example of God’s servant. In that process, I literally became everyone’s slave. I “feared” of losing their consideration of me. I couldn’t escape such fear.
Of the people of Israel, Paul said,
“But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)
My mind was made dull because even as I had confessed with my mouth to be a Christian, my eyes were fixed on Moses as my foundation. I ended up trying to live in the footsteps of those who came before me, hoping to gain some special consideration before God for maybe doing as they did. I had no room for Christ in my mind, because my eyes were fixated on Moses like many of the elders who were before me.
And it wasn’t until God opened my eyes on my own errors that I started questioning what is it that I had believed. Seeking for answers, I was led to listened to Basic Gospel. And for the first time in my entire life, I heard and understood the gospel like it was meant to be heard, unhindered and unfiltered. Only then I truly came to accept Christ for who He is, and not for what I could do out of fear.
Christ led me to escape the fear resulting from my ignorance of the true gospel by opening my heart and mind to hear it like it was meant to be heard: with joy, love and peace. Only then was I able to welcome the Holy Spirit, to receive Him not as a guest, not as something in the air, not as a passerby, but as the one who gave birth to me to never leave me alone.
Of our own, we cannot escape the fear resulting from the law, if we’re ignoring such a great salvation. This is why we must come to full knowledge of it, and not complete ignorance of it. Christ had tasked the Holy Spirit to do just that in the hearts of everyone who believes in Him.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
Thank you Basic Gospel (http://www.basicgospel.com). Thank you Lord, Jesus. Thank you Abba, God. Thank you Lord, Holy Spirit. Amen.
Jesus is the well of the living water, the Holy Spirit. 