I want to put to you that Christians, especially fragile Christians, need warnings rather than our verdicts. While receiving a warning may seem difficult, imagine being a Christian who has difficulty with a besetting sin and only hearing that you may not be a Christian at all. I’m not saying that we should ignore the Scriptures that tell us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5). I am saying that part of our examination may be considering whether we are willing to heed warnings that help us to persevere in the faith. Doubting the reality of our salvation need not be our first conclusion if we respond to a biblical warning with repentance.
The Structure of Biblical Warnings.
In his book, “The Race Set Before Us,” Dr Tom Schreiner has given us a wonderfully comprehensive look at biblical warnings. Biblical warnings often come with a three-part structure. 1. The warning has a function. 2. The warning has a future consequence. 3. The outcome is conditional.
Take for example Hebrews 2:1-4 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, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Function: The author of Hebrews wants himself and all his readers to pay closer attention to the glorious truth of the supremacy of Christ in the gospel and never depart from it.
Consequence: The future consequence is God’s judgment.
Condition: We will not escape God’s judgment IF we neglect such a great salvation.
The author is not saying that one can lose their salvation, nor is the author saying that he is only talking to non-Christians. In fact, he says that “WE must pay closer attention.” He includes himself in the warning. He is also not being insincere about the condition and consequence. He is simply giving a real warning in the expectation that Christians will take every warning and promise of God seriously and live by them. When a true believer hears a biblical warning, a true believer heeds a biblical warning. It is like a road sign warning that a bridge is out. The expectation of that sign is that every driver will turn around and not proceed in danger.
Prominent Pastor, John MacArthur, has suggested that the warning passages are to be read retrospectively. What he means by this is that warnings are given to people who profess faith in Jesus but are actually hypocrites. If the content of the warning describes you, it therefore means you are probably not in the faith. It’s true that this may end up being the case but reading the warnings this way completely ignores that the text itself does have a conditional element to it and that the condition applies to a future (not current) state.
Reading warnings as they are written helps a believer to understand that there is a reality to persevering in the faith. If we don’t persevere in the faith, we would be justified in saying that we were never in the faith to begin with. When a believer hears a biblical warning, they will heed the biblical warning knowing that perseverance in the faith means ongoing repentance. Christians avoid the consequences of biblical warnings while non-Christians ignore them.
Now put yourself in the shoes of someone with a besetting sin. What is your first statement to them? Is it to tell them that they might not be a Christian at all and send them away wondering hopelessly if they are in the faith? Or…. Is it to show them the biblical warnings concerning sin and to call them to the repentance they need to continue persevering in the faith? Surely, we can hope the best that they will indeed respond to the warnings and promises of Scripture. Surely, we can walk beside them patiently reminding them of these truths.
It is true that when one refuses a biblical warning, they may have to face that they are not showing the persevering quality of the Christian faith. That’s when Matthew 18 church discipline guides the whole process. When, however, a biblical warning produces repentance of sin, perseverance in Christ, and assurance of faith, it guides fragile believers into spiritual maturity.
Fragile Christians need warnings, not verdicts.