Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
Hebrews 6:9-20.
Hope is one of the most precious things to possess when facing any form of adversity or uncertainty. A Godly person who demonstrates great prospects in life is always attractive and people are more likely to accept their gospel message because they can observe what he is enjoying. In Hebrews 6:16-20, the writer’s objective is to instill steadfast hope in us so that we are kept from drifting about aimlessly through our Christian life.
Three wholly reliable sources of hope as an anchor for the soul:
The Lord not only gives us the promise of salvation and eternal life- John 3:16, but He reinforces it by binding Himself with an oath- Hebrews 6:17. God’s word and nature are rock solid. He is trustworthy, and “it is impossible for God to lie.”- Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 6:19-20. The dependability of God’s promise and His character deepens our faith so that we can “take hold of the hope set before us” and “be greatly encouraged.” No wonder, that Jesus did not commit himself to men, for he knew what was in man- John 2:24.
One of the most unfortunate aspect of human being is deceit. That is why we should appreciate that God cannot lie. Scripture describes the Devil as a liar and the father of all lies.
John 8:42-44, Jeremiah 17:5-8
God’s Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, is a powerful and dependable anchor for our souls. Our hope-inspired encouragement is based on the finished work of Christ- Hebrews 9:11-12. As our high priest, Jesus “has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven… with his own blood- not the blood of goats and calves- he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.” Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ has won the ultimate victory over sin and death for us- Colossians 2:14-15, Romans 6:9, 1John 5:4. Because of Him, we have the promise of eternal life- 1 John 2:25. The anchor has been a symbol of hope among Christian since the days of the early church. The anchor metaphor emphasizes the stability and safety of Christ as our hope. The writer describes this hope as an anchor that is “firm and secure” (NIV), “sure and steadfast” (ESV), “strong and trustworthy” (NLT)
Just as an anchor stops a ship from drifting with the winds and currents, keeping our eyes on the hope of heaven- 2 Corinthians 4:16, Hebrews 12:2-3. Jesus Christ will prevent our souls from wavering and wandering in times of pressure and turmoil- 1Peter 1:3-5. As believers, we have “a living hope” and “hope as an anchor” that holds secure because it is tethered to the steadfast Word of God and the unchanging, reliable character of God. He is faithful, and His promises are true- Joshua 21:44-45, Psalm 33:4, Hebrews 10:23-24. Like rock climbers scaling an imposing height, Christians steady themselves by trusting God’s promises, holding on for dear life to this cord of hope. With Jesus Christ as our anchor, no power of darkness and no earthly opposition can harm us- Romans 8:31-33.
We live with hope because we possess the Holy Spirit inside us as a guarantee of our redemption and full adoption as sons and daughters of God- Ephesians 1:11-12. The hope set before us as an anchor of our soul is that Jesus Christ has already gone before us into the holy of holies where God dwells in glory. God’s word promises that we will be with Him there one day. The future reality is already secured by the finished work of Jesus, our High Priest. He is also our great shepherd who “through the blood of the eternal covenant” equips us “with everything good for doing his will” while we are on earth- Hebrews 13:20-21.
This hope as an anchor holds us steady in this life and secure in the future because it is firmly attached to the eternal throne of God.