God Testified

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

GOD TESTIFIED

Heb 2:1-4

2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 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. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

NIV

There is more than just saying we are Christians, for we must pay careful attention to what we have heard, or now we have the Word itself revealing what had been spoken. Paying careful attention means we need to study the Word of God, research the truths within, and put those truths into action. We did not ignore such a great salvation either. We took advantage of the free gift of God and accepted His salvation through Jesus Christ. We first heard the story of salvation through Paul in his letter to the Romans. Paul had met with Jesus through a miraculous event on the road and was converted from a man of death to a man of life. We too were once a man of death, living in complete disobedience to the way of God. But we heard the message, and still, we were not convinced of its reality. However, we asked God if he was real to reveal himself miraculously. He did not disappoint us and performed a miracle proving himself so that we would respond to his wonderful free gift of salvation. God did testify to his salvation by signs and wonders and at least one magnificent miracle and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We are witness to these gifts for the Holy Spirit has bestowed them upon or rather within us, proving once again, that it is through the power of the Lord, that the Holy Spirit gifts us with power in an area we have no skill, talent, training or education, but only function as we do because of the gifts of the Spirit, as He distributed according to his will, which means exactly that, for we do not function in the capacity we do according to our will, our determination, or plans, nor according to our education, training, skills or talents. If we acted or lived by our own design then only we could receive any recognition for our achievements, and we could also boast about our successes in life, even in ministry. However, because we have been removed from our former way of life, and brought into the realm of God, witnessed to by God himself and gifted by the Spirit to function as we do, we cannot claim anything nor boast about anything except boast about Jesus Christ who brought us our salvation and about God who testified to us, and about the Spirit who has gifted us so that all the three in one can receive all the glory and honor do them. In other words, we are nothing without the Lord God Almighty living and working for us, in us, and through us. We are so grateful for the life he has given us and that He testified.