The Hebrews writer wrote his epistle with a plan and with a purpose.  His plan was to demonstrate the superiority of Christ and His purpose was to discourage Christians from departing from the faith.  One way he tried to discourage these Christians from leaving the faith was to set forth a series of warnings that would cause them to have a change of heart.  The first warning is found in Hebrews 2:1-3.

Hebrews 2:1-3 (ESV)
¹  Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ²  For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ³  how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

The primary warning here is that we will not be able to escape judgment from God if we neglect the great salvation that He has provided for us.  The great salvation he refers to is an eternal home in heaven enjoyed in a glorified body like Christ.  This is our hope.

1 John 3:2-3 (ESV)
²  Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

This salvation is also great because of the punishment that it allows us to avoid.  The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23), and the consequence of dying in sin is the second death which is eternal damnation in hell.

Revelation 20:13-14 (ESV)
¹³  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. ¹⁴  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Something else to consider is the price it took to make this salvation possible.  It cost God His Son, and it cost the Son His precious blood.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV)
¹⁸  Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

It should not be surprising to us that there is no escape for neglecting such a great salvation, especially for those who have been once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, and tasted the goodness of the Word of God (Hebrews 6:4-5).

How can we avoid neglecting so great a salvation?  The Hebrews writer tells us—we must pay close attention to the things which we have heard, that is, to the Word of God.  Of all the things we should be paying attention to, the Word of God should be at the top of the list.  It carries more weight than all the discussions and discourses of the world put together.  As the Hebrews writer later wrote, the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

The Greek word for “attention” means “to hold the mind.”  To pay attention to God’s Word means to allow it to hold our minds.  In other words, we do not just hear the Word of God and then forget it—we allow it to dwell in us (Colossians 3:16).  That is the key to spiritual success.  As long as the Word of God is dwelling in us, it is unlikely that we neglect the great salvation provided by God.  So, make a habit of studying the Word of God, live by what you learn, and the great salvation will be your to enjoy forever.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.