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DON'T DRIFT AWAY

This is a warning. We are to pay close attention to what is being said. The Christian life is a journey rather than a destination. We are not to stop in our Christian walk. We are to keep up and not drift away.

1. Don't drift away from your salvation (vs 1)

Salvation consists of four important parts. Salvation is all of these four things in the Bible.

Election. See Ephesians 1. Chosen before the foundation of the world.
Justification (vs 4) - We respond to God and come into a personal relationship with Him.
Sanctification. The rest of your life where God makes you more and more like Christ.
Glorification. See 1 John 3. We will be like Jesus when we are with Him for ever.

God will keep his promises. We are to make sure that we keep our promises to God. Those who don't keep these promises, did not really know the Lord.

2. The two Biblical assurances of true salvation

Abiding faith. It is those who endure to the end who are saved. Many of those who come forward at crusades do not carry on in the faith. See 1 John 2:19. Genuine saving faith continues on. It becomes obvious over time who are genuine. You can honour God with your lips and your heart can be far from God.
The fruit it produces. A tree bears fruit after time. See Galatians 5. There are character traits you see in a Christian over a period of time. If you are not bearing fruit then you are not in Christ.

3. Wake up

There are things that put us asleep spiritually. Are you living for God or for pleasure? See Romans 13:11-14. You could come to Church and still be asleep. See Matthew 13:18-23. Not every confession is a conversion. The children of God will bear fruit.

4. Listen up

We are to pay attention to what we have heard. We have heard things about the Gospel. We are to not drift away from the Gospel. We should love this message. If we don't pay attention then we are in danger of drifting away. The "drifting away" refers to a boat being set loose from its anchor.

5. You won't escape if you drift away (vs 2-4)

If you stop short of salvation in Christ and drift away, there is no recovery from it. The angels gave the message of God. See Acts 7:38 & Galatians 3:19. The message of angels proved reliable, Those who were disobedient received just retribution. If you disobeyed your parents - you were stoned. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? See Hebrews 10:26-30. We have a greater revelation of God than those of the Old Testament. We have a greater responsibility to accept what is true. Judgment is coming. We are to examine ourselves in the faith. We have a great salvation. The gospel can make great changes in the lives of people. It was evidenced by miracles in the early Church and also today. Make sure you really have God's salvation. Make sure your faith is real.