Lest We Drift Away

Through outright neglect and apathy, a person can fail to hold on to what is good and true. Over time—or even overnight—they may find themselves far from the safety of the shore they once clung to or thought they did.

“Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” —Hebrews 2:1

Chapter one of Hebrews provides the context:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.”

What Son? The one appointed heir of all things. The Creator of the world. The radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature. The one who upholds the universe. The one who purifies sinners and was exalted to the right hand of the Father on high, demonstrating His superiority over all beings and things—including the angels. (See Hebrews 1:1-4.)

Throughout all thirteen chapters of this letter, the author faithfully emphasizes this central truth: Jesus Christ is singularly the supreme glory and Savior of the universe. And that means we must listen to Him.

So when Chapter two begins with the words, “Pay close attention to what you have heard,” we know exactly what he is referring to: Listen to what God is saying through Jesus Christ, because truth comes from no one else but Him.

How Can One Learn to Listen to Jesus and Avoid Drifting Away?

All of Scripture collectively affirms that the Bible—the written Word of God—is the essential source for hearing from God. More specifically, it is how we hear God’s message about Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament repeatedly foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah. The prophets predicted Him, and the angels heralded His arrival. When He came and began to act and speak on earth, those who followed Him—whose lives He miraculously transformed—recorded His words and actions so that we might know Him and be saved by Him. These records include His message about the Kingdom, how to be forgiven, how to reach God, and ultimately, the account of His death, burial, and resurrection—all of which perfectly fulfilled what had been prophesied in Scripture thousands of years earlier.

“Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.” —Psalm 40:7

The Point: We Keep from Drifting by Listening to Jesus

What can be said of a Christian who regularly neglects to listen to Jesus and obey His Word? Are they impostors?

And how many so-called “spiritual” people outside the local church claim to have found a better way, all while rejecting Jesus, who declared, “I am the only way”?

To reject the clear voice of God in Scripture, and to reject those who faithfully proclaim His Word, is to drift. Many have heard things about Jesus, but even more are inventing their own versions of Him to justify their sins and choices. These are the drifters.

However, we must not think of drifting as a gentle, picturesque sailboat floating into the sunset. The drifting described in Hebrews is synonymous with neglecting the free gift of salvation itself:

“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” —Hebrews 2:3

The warning is serious because, in this case, drifting leads to eternal separation from God.

The writer exhorts us: “Pay much closer attention to what you have heard.”

Both the one who claims to love God and the one who is indifferent are in danger of drifting from Christ. To fail to trust His every word as the supreme source of truth and life for the human soul is to neglect salvation itself.

Unfortunately, drifting will be a common reality in these last days. Christ Himself warned:

“The love of many will grow cold.”

The best thing we can do is continue to warn with love from Scripture. Warn both believers and unbelievers about drifting. Remind professing Christians that eternal security is found only through a faith that perseveres, not a faith that constantly drifts away from the Word. Urge them to cling to Christ.

If you know someone who is drifting right now, pray. Pray desperately that God, in His timing, will draw them back to the shore of His grace.

And as for you—don’t give up hope. Don’t drift with the drifters. Instead, cling even more tightly to the anchor that is Christ!

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” —Hebrews 6:19