“Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:” vs40

We must be careful to believe the Lord Jesus Christ, while we can. Mercy is preached and the gospel is proclaimed freely: It is good news from God. If despised, however, it will haunt our souls in hell - that we could have believed, and yet we spurned the gospel, the word of eternal life: We turned our back on the Good News and perished.

First, there was a Day when the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, was born into this world [vs32-33]. Paul says, “And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers, He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’” He always existed as God, being equal with the Father, but a Day came when He was begotten as Man. That which never existed - His human soul - came into being in the womb of the virgin, and He became God manifested in the flesh, God joined with Humanity, both Man and God in one glorious Person.

Do not miss the mystery here nor the wonder of worship! God became Man to commune with men and redeem them. He became Man to save sinners, and to represent us before the Father. He became Man to enter relationship with God as the Perfect Man who obeyed always, yet He was never anything less than God, which is why the angels worshiped Him [Heb 1:6]. His greatness is our salvation. His beauty is our joy and wonderment forever.

Secondly, the blessings and the mercies are promised and absolutely sure because of Him. “In fact, God raised Him from the dead never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings I promised to David [Acts 13:34].’” He has fulfilled the conditions, and while many make FALSE PROMISES of healing, only to get sick and die, His true promises are real! Many promise wealth, while poverty runs rampant in Africa, but His true promises of love, joy, and peace… of power over sin and holiness… of freedom to worship and serve God… are actually experienced.

He is the Surety of the Covenant, and He guarantees all of the blessings, so we have them for Christ’s sake - because God is good to us through Him, because God is good WHEREVER there is righteousness, and His blood has earned what we cannot, which justifies every blessing forever, saying, “His blood - His life laid down as a Substitute - is enough for God to give us good things.”

Finally, we must be careful, because we will perish forever, if we don’t believe the gospel message. “Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you: ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish; for I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you [vs40-41].’” Here is God’s goodness - fully on display and plain - and if we reject it, then we’ll see His other side.

Recently, I heard the horrible story of a woman molested for many years by a Reformed Baptist pastor. This may be my “denomination”, as we share many things in common, but this man outraged me because he’s violated the trust. He’s kept a church and a woman from God by his wickedness, and he deserves to be punished. His identification with faithful preachers will not help him. I will inform someone I know who can deal with him, and the shame will be exposed - so that the church can be spared and this young woman healed [1 Tim 5:20]. Hopefully, a faithful man can be brought in to pastor, and it can be a new and glorious beginning! My point is that this man has the gospel on his tongue (though he cannot deal faithfully), and yet he’s under the wrath of God. He is lost, an utter abomination, and an example of what we are without Christ - dealing deceitfully with the covenant, perverting the gospel by our wickedness in unbelief.