Listen to the Word of God

"Let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you: if what you have heard from within you remains, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father" (1 Jn 2:24).

Source

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts his readers in chapter 2.1-4: "For this reason, it is important that we attach ourselves, more firmly, to the truths heard, so that we never deviate. He made the word spoken through angels firm, and every transgression or disobedience received just punishment, how will we escape, if we neglect such great salvation? Which, having been first announced by the Lord, was later confirmed to us by those who heard it; giving testimony of God together with them, by signs, wonders and various miracles and by distributions of the Holy Spirit, according to his will.

Previously, chapter 1 mentions how God speaks: "Having God, once, spoken many times and in many ways, to the parents, to the prophets, in these last days, he spoke to us by the Son, whom he appointed heir of all the things, by which the universe also did "(Heb 1.1-2). In the following verses follows a praise to the Son of God. The author writes that God created the world through Him, that He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact expression of His being, that He is much more sublime than the angels and many other things. Hebrews 1 deepens us in the grandeur of Jesus Christ in a wonderful way. It is a full praise, an extension of Colossians 2.3, where Paul writes that in Jesus Christ "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden".

Many people seek wisdom. Philosophers and founders of religions are cited and praised for their wisdom. Especially the Eastern religions with their meditation techniques and their experiences of self-disclosure enjoy great popularity and are considered exemplary and worthy of imitation by our society. But what is not recognized is that all that pretended human wisdom loses its shine and color when compared to the wisdom that is hidden in Jesus Christ.

Listen to what God speaks through Jesus
In chapter 2 of the Letter to the Hebrews, the emphasis is that we listen to the speaking of God through Jesus Christ, and obviously we practice what we hear. In the end, we must be not only mere listeners but also practitioners of the Word of God. Just listening is not enough, this is what Luke 11:28 tells us: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" To keep the Word is to put it into practice. If you hear the starting shot and continue standing, you will never win the race - even if you listen very well to the starting order.

This is a point where, unfortunately, many Christians have problems. They read and listen to the Word of God, but they do not fulfill it. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, inspired by God, emphasizes how it is important to keep the Gospel that has been entrusted to us: "For this reason, it is important that we attach ourselves, more firmly, to the truths we have heard, so that we never we turn aside "(Heb.2.1).

The Bible, the Word of God, is the normative parameter for our entire life. For us Christians, the Bible is what the book means to a railway engineer. If the engineer does not follow the travel plan, the chaos is installed in all the railway lines and stations. Under the circumstances, the entire network can be paralyzed. Early or late the same thing happens with Christians who think they do not need a guide for the journey, who do without the Sacred Scriptures. At some point in their lives they will be shipwrecked in faith and the train of their lives will derail or take the wrong direction.

I ask: Are you a Christian? Do you just call yourself that, or do you want to live as a believer? Then read, listen and act according to the orientation of the Bible - the Word of God. Without this Word, we all run the risk of going astray and missing the mark, as Hebrews 2.1 warns us. And what is the supreme goal of the Christian life? The glorification of God in his Son Jesus Christ and through him. Thus, Peter writes: "... so that, in all things, God may be glorified, through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 4.11). To concretely achieve that goal, we need to remain in the Word and not deviate from it, neither to the right nor to the left.

Regardless of the issue in question, it is important to hear and, above all, to act according to what the Bible itself says. What people say is not important. It is completely irrelevant what I say. But what the Word of God tells you is of vital importance. We can learn from other people, we can learn from their comments, from their preaching and analysis. All this can and should help us a lot, but it does not replace the living Word of God. Each sermon, each comment or whatever can be a precious complement to better understand what the Bible tells us. But all these helps must lead us to the Word, never replace it. That is completely out of reflection.

Source

That's why Mormons can not be sure, because they consider the Book of Mormon more than the Word of God. They have the wrong manual - and they are on the wrong path. For the same reason we also find so many heresies in the Catholic Church, because she appreciates her ecclesiastical doctrines, her dogmas and her tradition more than the living Word of God. And that is also the reason for so many problems in the Reformed churches, because they are more occupied with themselves than with the Word of God. Every church, every denomination, needs to ask itself: "What is relevant to us? Tradition, the doctrine of our church, dogma, self-suffocation or the Word of God?

Timothy was already exhorted with insistence to adhere to the Word: "And you, O Timothy, keep what was entrusted to you ..." (1 Tim 6.20). Paul does not write: "Oh Timothy, keep me in good memory." "Oh Timothy, think about what I told you." No, he says: "Timothy, keep the good that was entrusted to you - keep the Word of God!" That word is true and reliable. And that Word points to the One Savior (1 Tim 1:15).

The Word of God, the Good News, is eternal: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Mk 13.31). "For you have been regenerated not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and is permanent, for all flesh is like grass and all its glory, like the flower of the grass; grass, and its flower falls, the word of the Lord, nevertheless, remains eternally "(1 Pet. What a pity to see that for some Christians the word of someone has more weight than the eternal Word of God, which has value forever and is true and alive.

It does not matter a bit if that Word pleases us or not; If your text is beautiful, lyrical, poetic, historical or interesting. What is at stake is much, much more than that, because of this Word - of Sacred Scripture - depends life or death, heaven or hell. Because faith, without which no one is saved, comes from the Word (Rm 10.17).

Therefore, the Bible is an important book for our life, he is even more, he is vital. That is why it is to break the heart when we see such a precious book all dusty, yellowish, torn or being burned. Who does this is behaving like a psychopath who throws in the doctor because he thinks he can do surgery in his own heart.

With all the importance and all the meaning of this book we need not admire the fact that the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us with emphasis, but also encourage us to remain in this Word and to keep what the Lord has revealed to us by His speaking. Keep this very well: you can trust one hundred percent in this Word, you can trust fully, without hesitation and without question, because she is the Word of God.

Maybe he's desperate, ruined, lonely or discouraged? Grab the Word of God, which says, for example: "In everything we are troubled, but not distressed, perplexed, but not discouraged, persecuted, but not forsaken, dejected, but not destroyed, always carrying in the body to die of Jesus , so that his life may also be manifested in our body "(2 Cor. 4.8-10). There are many other promises: "Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt 11.28). You have certainly heard these promises dozens of times. Maybe I can even recite many biblical passages of color. But do you also believe in them? Do you keep them in your heart? Do it, because the Word of God is eternally valid. Your consolation and your promises, your fidelity and your love are also for you,

In Hebrews 2.2 it is written:
"If, therefore, it quickly became the word spoken by the angels ..." What does that mean? What word was announced through angels?

Let's see Acts 7. Ali Esteban makes his defense before the Sanhedrin. And it is reported in the history of Israel: "It was Moses who said to the children of Israel: God will raise you up from among you a prophet like me." It is this Moses who was in the congregation in the desert, with the angel who He spoke on Mount Sinai and with our fathers, who received living words so as not to transmit them "(Acts 7: 37-38).

What was given by the angel to Moses on Mount Sinai? The tables of the Law (comp.V. 53). Paul says: "... it was promulgated by angels, by the hand of a mediator" (Gal 3:19). We have already seen that chapter 1 of the Letter to the Hebrews affirms that Jesus is superior and more excellent than the angels. Without going deeper into the matter of the Law itself, I can not help but say: the Word of the Son - which is the Good News, the message of grace - is much better, much more valuable than the word of angels - that is the Law. In other words, Jesus is far superior to angels, meaning that grace is better than Law.

Our text says that every transgression of the Law brought with it its just punishment: "If therefore the word spoken through angels was made firm, and every transgression or disobedience received just punishment" (Heb 2,2). The Law showed people: "You can not find salvation from yourself, that is impossible! You are all guilty before the Law. All of you will be dismantled before the Law and receive the wages of sin - which is the death. " And that is the reason and the target of the Law: to show man the need to recognize his sins and turn around and change course.

The Law already pointed to the need for a Substitute, willing and able to atone for our guilt and pay the wages of sin in our place. And who is that substitute, that Savior? This person is the subject not only of the Letter to the Hebrews, but of the entire Scripture. This substitute fit and willing to perform the atonement of the sins of humanity and to give them eternal salvation is none other than Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God!

Hebrews 2.1-4 tells the man who hears the Word of God, the one who took knowledge of the way of salvation: "How foolish you despise this salvation!"

Source

Hear the Word of God! Listen and practice this Word! Tolo is the one who does not! It is like someone drowning and not grabbing the saving buoy thinking that he will be saved by his own effort. In the opposite direction, what John 8.31-32 says is true: "Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him: If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Once again I ask: Are you a Christian? Do you remain in the Word? Do you keep this Word and live according to its teachings? Or do you live for yourself? If we stop thinking only about what the Old Covenant entailed in not obeying the word transmitted by angels, that is, to the Law, what fatal consequences must come with contempt for the Son's Word, which is far superior to those of the Son. angels

We hear the Son, and now we have to orient ourselves by His Word. Scripture itself challenges us to read, study and incorporate what it says, encourages us to act according to its precepts and to be rooted and firm in it (2 Jn 9, Pv 4.13). The Word of God, the Holy Scripture, is your guide, your manual, the script of your life.

You can call yourself a Christian. It can be baptized. You can go to worship from time to time or until the prayer meeting. You can consider yourself a good person. But you are a good Christian? Is not there something in your life that does not agree with your manual? Maybe you argue that these landslides are trifles, that they are not a serious thing. And also think that you can not lose your salvation, since you are a Christian. I do not have the slightest idea of ​​what awaits you in eternity, but I know very well what the Word of God expects from you today, here and now: "Second is holy who called you, let us become saints yourself in all your procedure, because it is written: Be holy, for I am holy "(1 Pet. 1.15-16). "Beloved, I exhort you, as pilgrims and strangers that you are, to abstain from the carnal passions,

What does God expect from us? A life lived according to His will, a life that honors the name of the Lord, a life that contributes to the glorification of the Name of the Father and the Son. Do you reach that target so high? Oh God, as it is foolish who does not keep your Word! Therefore, let us encourage each other to remain firm in that Word, to take it seriously and to obey what she says, fulfilling all that has been entrusted to us in the pages of the Bible. She is the living Word of God, the feather of our life.

Listen to the Word of God, believe in the Word and keep it in your heart. Be rooted in it, and the crown of victory is guaranteed!