"For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him" ( Hebrews 2:2-3 )
I was five years old when I asked Jesus into my heart. I remember sitting in my bedroom with my mom and my brothers and sister as she explained the gospel to me in a simple way. I invited Him in to be my Savior that day, surrounded by my family. We all celebrated together, happy to know that each one of us belonged to God.
When I was thirteen this truth became real in my life as I started to understand what Jesus did for me. As I grew, so did my understanding. Beyond just simply believing in Jesus, as I did when I heard the gospel message in my bedroom, I began to comprehend it with more than my head. There was an awakening inside and I knew that this message of grace was true.
This was because the gospel is confirmed by the Holy Spirit. When we hear it, He witnesses with our spirits this amazing truth and validates it. Jesus came to introduce us to this message of God's unconditional love and now He has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to confirm it. This is why the message is so prevailing; it comes with the full power of God. Paul reminds us in Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" ( Romans 1:16 ).
Since we have the witness of the Holy Spirit to confirm the gospel to us, there is no excuse for rejecting the message of Jesus. His purpose in our lives before salvation is to lead and draw us to Christ. He works on our heart and brings people into our paths that will show us God's love. So when the gospel is presented to us we are ready to hear and accept it. Then he confirms it by His witness in our spirit so we know it is true and real.
This is truly a great salvation! God's unconditional love and His mercy expressed in the person of Jesus Christ, who came to earth to die in our place, to take on the punishment for our sins so that we could be forgiven and free from its accusation. Now Jesus offers us eternal life by believing in His name and trusting in Him to save us. This is the gospel message that was "announced by the Lord and confirmed by those who heard it".
Over the next two days we will look at Hebrews 2:2-3 to understand the importance of this witness by the Holy Spirit.
Tomorrow we look at Part 2: A Lesson from the Law
