DRIFTING TOWARD DEAD ORTHODOXY
Hebrews 2:1 (NIV 1984) We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
Jesus, heir of all things, creator of the world, and the radiance of God’s glory is Himself much better than prophets and angels. The author of Hebrews has just powerfully presented this truth, and now he exhorts us to pay more careful attention to it. As Christians, if we are not intentional in paying more careful attention to this resurrected man, Jesus, we can drift into something called dead orthodoxy. Dead orthodoxy is where we get overly focused on good beliefs at the expense of good living, and by good living I not only mean doing good, but having a good, thriving relationship with Jesus that comes through the Holy Spirit (Jn 7:38; 10:10). We may believe the right things, but they do not necessarily affect how we act, feel, or relate to God. Christianity can’t merely be a religion of doctrines, creeds, and liturgies, which are form minus power, in other words, dead orthodoxy (2 Tim 3:5). Our Christianity must affect choices and energize life. Kids have not left the church in droves solely because the world’s pull is so strong, but because often what they have seen in the home is good theology that does not translate into good living, meaning, at least to them, that the good theology they have been taught is not that good.
After a conservative resurgence that rightfully saved a major denomination from drift into liberalism, a pastor I knew asked one of the leaders of the resurgence, “Well, now that you have gotten rid of the liberals, how is dead orthodoxy working for you?” A bold question to be sure, but a good one. We need good theology, without it we believe bad things, and when we believe bad things we do bad things, but we need more than good theology. We need a good life! We need abundant life! Without abundant life our good theology seems irrelevant and we drift into dead orthodoxy. The author of Hebrews is telling his readers that they have a role in preserving their souls, and that it begins with giving intentional focus on the beauty and character of Jesus that he has so eloquently displayed in the previous chapter. He is not giving them a list. He is giving them one thing they can do - focus their attention on the wonder and magnificence of Jesus! This requires intentionality, and it certainly takes the Holy Spirit’s help, and it is perhaps the only way we can keep from drifting into dead orthodoxy.
