My new car has a system in place to warn me that I’m nearly running out of gas. Now, most cars have some sort of warning, like a little light, but the makers of my vehicle want to ensure I know when my gas tank is low.

At first I get a little gas pump light. This comes on when I have about 30 miles until my tank is empty.

If I don’t stop almost immediately, that number (30) is replaced with dashes.

And if I again don’t stop immediately, the bar that tells me how much gas is in my tank begins to flash.

This all happens within a few miles of knowing that I need gas. It hasn’t happened every time I’ve needed gas, but a few times I’ve been warned, perhaps excessively, to put gas in my tank!

As we look through Scripture, there are warnings for us to look at and to pay attention to. There may not be a triple warning system in place, but when God says it once, He means it. Let’s take a look at some of them.

What I’m going to point out here are headings above a verse or passage of Scripture, which then go on to tell of what we are to be aware of and what danger we might confront.

Warning against adultery

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.” (Proverbs 5:1-4 – NIV)

Warnings against folly

“My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared b the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” (Proverbs 6:1-5 – NIV)

Warning against hypocrisy

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to the disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:1-3 – NIV; see also Mark12:38-40; Luke 12:1-12 and Luke 20:45-47)

Warnings from Israel’s history

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud that they all pass through the sea…Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert…These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-13 – NIV)

Warnings against idolatry

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteous and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16 – NIV)

Warning against idleness

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6 – NIV)

Warning to pay attention

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1 – NIV)

Warning against unbelief

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12 – NIV)

Warning against becoming spiritually stagnant

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, thought by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”(Hebrews 5:11-14 – NIV)

Warning

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” (Hebrews 12:14-16 – NIV)

Warning against Antichrists

“I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” (1 John 2:18-27 – NIV)

Quite a few warnings listed throughout Scripture…and these are just a few. But what I see here is how urgent these messages are. We must be warned (perhaps multiple times), but then we must listen and take the warnings to heart.

My favorite warning is the one from Hebrews 2:1 (NIV).  “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Here we find the triple warning lights going off. “More.” “Careful.” “Attention.” Don’t miss it. What are we to “pay more careful attention” to? What we have heard or learned. And why are we to “pay more careful attention?” So that we don’t drift away.

There are good reasons for warnings. My car’s warning system is there for my well-being. God’s Word includes the most important warnings for spiritual living. Now it is up to us to heed the warnings. Are you willing to do so?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

To leave a comment, please click here.