Hebrews 12:14-29 - Warning Against Rejecting God's Grace

¹⁴ Try earnestly to live at peace with every one, and to attain to that purity without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵ Take care that no one fails to use the loving help of God, 'that no bitterness is allowed to take root and spring up, and cause trouble,' and so poison the whole community. ¹⁶ Take care that no one becomes immoral, or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you know that even afterwards, when he wished to claim his father's blessing, he was rejected--for he never found an opportunity to repair his error--though he begged for the blessing with tears.

¹⁸ It is not to tangible 'flaming fire' that you have drawn near, nor to 'gloom, and darkness, and storm, ¹⁹ and the blast of a trumpet, and an audible voice.' Those who heard that voice entreated that they might hear no more, ²⁰ for they could not bear to think of the command-- 'If even an animal touches the mountain, it is to be stoned to death;' ²¹ and so fearful was the sight that Moses said-- 'I tremble with fear.' ²² No, but it is to Mount Zion that you have drawn near, the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless hosts of angels, ²³ to the festal gathering and assemblage of God's Eldest Sons whose names are enrolled in Heaven, to God the Judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous who have attained perfection, ²⁴ to Jesus, the intermediary of a new Covenant, and to the Sprinkled Blood that tells of better things than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ Beware how you refuse to hear him who is speaking. For, if the Israelites did not escape punishment, when they refused to listen to him who taught them on earth the divine will, far worse will it be for us, if we turn away from him who is teaching us from Heaven. ²⁶ Then his voice shook the earth, but now his declaration is-- 'Still once more I will cause not only the earth to tremble, but also the heavens.' ²⁷ And those words 'still once more' indicate the passing away of all that is shaken--that is, of all created things--in order that only what is unshaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, let us, who have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and reverence. ²⁹ For our God is 'a consuming fire.'