A Conspicuous Diverting of the Heart's Attention
By Al Stoner

There is a conspicuous diverting of the heart’s attention in Hebrews chapter 2 (and in the following chapters) from the Cross of Christ to Christ’s High Priesthood at the right hand of God.  Our attention is turned from the regions of the seen to realms that are unseen by the natural eye; from sufferings that made atonement for sins to the sufferings which have enabled the Savior to sympathize with, and come to the aid of, those who are tempted to sin.  We are made to consider and know, not only the purging of sins from the mind of God, but also the purging of the conscience from sinful defilements.  Our attention is now focused not only upon the blood that was shed on Golgotha to make atonement for sins, but also upon the effectuality of that same blood as it is now presented to, and sprinkled before, God in “Heaven itself” on our behalf (Heb. 9:24, cf. v. 12). That sprinkled blood, when duly considered by faith, purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. This diverting of the heart’s attention of which we are speaking is calculated to establish men’s devotion for, and affix the heart’s affection upon, “the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth” (Col. 3:2, ASV). 
For those with ears to hear, and hearts to receive, the book of Hebrews is masterfully written to draw men’s affections far away from the jurisdiction of the seen to the blessed domain where Christ, our great High Priest, presently sits enthroned at the right hand of God.  [Those who have their affection set upon this world have surrendered themselves into the hands of “the prince of this world” (Jn. 14:30). This “present evil world” (Gal. 1:4) is exclusive domain where Satan has power to deceive, to tempt, and to destroy. Therefore, men must escape upwards by faith, setting their affection on things above. Their hearts must be “nourished” by God’s Word “from the face of the serpent” (Rev. 12:14), if they would escape out of the Devil’s domain.]
But alas, there are myriads of professed Christian?? people who have not made this indispensable shift in their thinking nor in their heart’s affection. They evidence, by their speech and conduct, that they are strangers to “the substance of things hoped for” (Heb. 11:1), (simply meaning that they have not believed). They are citizens of Heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20, NASB) by profession only, and not in actuality.  Of such individuals wrote the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Phil. 3:18-19). 
Note that the enmity to the cross of Christ, grievously lamented here by the Apostle, is evidenced, not necessarily by the expression of wicked and lewd deeds, but merely by the failure to mortify the deeds of the body, and by the minding of earthly things.  The affection of these individuals was being set on the things which are temporal in the domain of the seen, and not upon the things which are above.  Christ, our Forerunner has entered into Heaven itself, now to appear in the Presence of God for us, but the recreant individuals of whom we speak have contented themselves with settling down in this present evil world.  They have struck up a “friendship with the world” (Jas. 4:4), in spite of the fact that such friendship is “enmity with God”.  They have been mindful of the country from whence they came out, and consequently have found opportunity to return (cf. Heb. 11:5) “as a dog to its own vomit” and “as a sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (II Pet. 2:22). 
“We must therefore pay more careful attention to “what we have heard” of the things regarding God’s salvation in Christ, “so that we do not drift away” from them. Faith will be of no profit to casual and inattentive souls, and salvation shall not be the portion of those who are unable to handle “the substance of things hoped for” (Heb. 11:1), and who have no “conviction of things not seen” (11:1, NASB). And let us see that we have made this necessary shift (mentioned above), in our hearts and minds, to which the Apostle is beckoning us in the book of Hebrews. In our hearts, let us seek grace to become as conversant with those aspects of the “great salvation” (Heb. 2:3) which are transpiring at the right hand of God (cf. Heb. 7:25; 8:1) as we are with the ones which were wonderfully accomplished by the Savior “in the days of His flesh” (Heb. 5:7).  “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4). —Editor

"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;  and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately" (Lk. 12:35-36).