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From COVID to the rioting and outright rebellion against authority --
All of these things are intertwined and all of them have created a great deal of hardship for many people, to say the least. We can spend hours sifting through all of the consequences and the repercussions of these things and never get to the end. But one thing seems to stand out above everything, people have lost their ability to trust. This mistrust has been building over time and yet the current events have brought it to a tipping point. People, especially those in positions of authority, leadership and influence, say one thing and do another or what they say is nothing more than a lie. We are seeing leaders who will not hold to the promises they made nor to their lawful responsibilities. The cause of all this is no great surprise when we compare it to God's word. His word tells us: "The whole world lies in the arms of the wicked one", and the wicked one himself is the father of lies. The truth is, and the sad thing about this, that where there is no trust, there is no hope. This is true of everyone in this world who is apart from Christ, but it is also becoming a reality to more and more people as their experience in this life. What a stark difference it is for those who belong to Christ. Of all the riches that God has given to His people, one that stands out is hope, a hope and a confidence for the future. But it goes beyond just the future, because it is a living hope. This hope is a present reality and a present strength within the lives of those who possess it. It is also a hope that transcends all that is earthly. That is to say, it is not affected or diminished in any way by a pandemic or civil unrest or by corruption or for that matter, the schemes of Satan. If anything, it shines brighter in the hearts of God's people in troubling times. We are given a very encouraging description of this hope in Hebrews 6:19-20. This is a passage that has strengthened the hearts of christians throughout history. It reveals much about the Heavenly Father and the blessed hope He has set before His people. Without hesitation, we can know that it is as relevant for us today as it was 2000 years ago when it was written. The writer uses a nautical imagery in these verses to describe the power of this hope.
The very first thing we are told is -- "This hope we have". This means that the hope God gives is the present-day possession of all those who belong to Christ. This is not something we must attain or achieve and certainly not something we can earn. It does not come from some special second blessing. This hope is a part of the eternal life that is granted by God's grace through faith. And it is a truth that is beyond compare.
We all understand the importance that an anchor is to a ship, especially in a storm. It is usually a heavy, hook-shaped, metal weight, that is dropped overboard, attaching itself to the rocky surface below. In this way, it keeps the vessel from violently casting back and forth on stormy seas. It keeps the ship secure. That is the image we are given of our hope, it is that which provides security to the soul of man during the storms of life. In verse 17 we are given three characteristics of this anchor, this hope that is given by God. The first characteristic is that it is "sure" -- that means it is immovable. The second is that it is "reliable" -- that means it can withstand a crushing weight. Together, they tell us that this hope is something that does not move when it is put under the stress and strain of this life. The third characteristic is crucial, it gives to us the meat by which all of this is true. It is the undergirding of the security that hope provides for the soul. It is "A hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil". There is nothing more important about this hope than the truth. The veil that is spoken of here is a reference to the veil that hangs across the inner sanctuary of the Old Testament tabernacle. Its purpose was to conceal the ark of the covenant. That is where God in His glory met with the high priest once a year when he brought a blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. Verse 20 then tells us the significance of this. The Anchor of our hope enters within the veil...
The significance is that this hope is not attached to anything on this earth. It is not attached to anything that is perishing, no matter how valuable or important it may seem. Instead, it is attached to Jesus Christ, Who entered into the holy of holies. And that is to say, Who has entered into the very presence of God. That is where the anchor of hope is located and secured, to Christ Himself. He is the anchor!
It has been said that years ago, sailors used to leave the main ship in a smaller craft for the purpose of carrying the anchor away from the main ship. They would carry it to a place where it could be firmly lodged and therefore provide security for the main ship. This is the picture we are given here of Jesus Christ, After the cross, after taking the sins of His people upon Himself, He died as the sacrifice for those sins, And not only that, He bore the wrath of God on behalf of HIs people and paid the price for their sins in full. It was then that Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead, conquering sin and death and then ascended into heaven. That is where He has secured the anchor of hope , it is seated with Him at the right hand of God. The anchor of this precious hope has been carried to the safest possible place... into the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, into the presence of God the Father. What makes this the safest possible place is that Jesus entered into the heavenly sanctuary as the High Priest of His people, forever. He is the High Priest Who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. Seated at the right hand of the Father, He now makes intercession for those who belong to Him before the throne of God. One last thing I want to share with you. We are told, in verse 20, that Jesus entered into heaven, into the presence of God as a forerunner. What that means is that He has gone before His people and that His people will one day enter there with Him. There is a promise attached to this, It is a promise the Lord made Himself recorded in John 14:1-3. It is a promise that cannot be broken.
When you consider carefully what the Lord reveals to us in these verses...you cannot help but come to realize that God has a deep love for His people, He abounds in lovingkindness. And that love is demonstrated by the fact that He is utterly committed to the hope that He has set before His children. He desires that they be people who are fully assured in what He has promised and that they have an unshaken confidence about the future. This is a confidence that can provide strength for today.
The question that is crucial to ask ourselves is: am I fully assured of my future? More to the point, do I have an unshakable confidence that when my life on this earth is over, I will spend eternity with God in the presence of His glory? God's word is very clear, this hope and confidence are found in Christ Jesus alone. He is the hope of eternal life. This is because He has provided a way of peace between God who is holy and just and men who have rebelled against Him as sinners. Because God is holy and just, He must judge sin and condemn those who have sinned and rebelled against Him. Speaking personally, Jesus did this by taking my sin upon Himself, becoming my substitute. As my substitute, He sacrificed Himself for me, bore the just penalty of my sin on the cross -- God punished Him instead of me. In this way, He has removed the obstacle of my sin that existed between God and me. This all was an act of God's grace and it is true of those who believe what God says. It is true of those who place their trust and dependence on Jesus Christ and His completed work on the cross as the only means to come into a right relationship with God. To those, God gives hope, He gives eternal life.
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"If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:31-32
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