“A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is a humble broken-hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit, and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behaviour.”
― Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections
With so many pressures and sorrows surrounding us each day we perhaps can understand the broken-hearted part of what Jonathan Edwards speaks of in this quote more than what we can understand the unspeakable, full of glory Joy or Hope. So often it may seem that we are holding tight to a very tiny ray of hope, just enough to get out of bed this morning to the next 5 minutes; yet, that ray carries us on to the next 5 as well and so on. We may feel the pains of great sorrow; yet, there is an under girding of hope, peace and even joy that helps us to remember where our source of hope is–our Heavenly Father. We very much like a child cling to our Father’s hand; knowing it is there that we are safe. When our hearts would fear, we seek His face; much like a child when lost in a crowd frantically searches for his father’s face. Still, there are two truths that can always be an anchor to our soul whenever the storms of life would beat furiously upon us.
Hebrews 6: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
1. God cannot lie and He has promised to all who would believe in Christ, His grace sufficient for each day.
2. Jesus Christ is our high priest and has paid the penalty for our sin so that our position and son-ship stands firmly anchored in heaven by His atoning sacrifice.
Listen to the words of this beautiful song and let it up lift you
Lead me Lord, lead me by the hand and help me face the rising sun. Comfort me through all the pain that life may bring. There is no other hope that I can lean on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QgdQPGjen4
For anyone who is feeling shaky or heavy burdened, please take the time to listen to John Piper’s sermon Hope Anchored in Heaven. http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/hope-anchored-in-heaven
Below is an excerpt:
This is the anchor of verse 19 which continues verse 18: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul." In other words: What anchors our soul is not our subjective confidence, but the sure objective reality that God has promised. This is our anchor. And this is what we are to lay hold of.
The Certainty of Our Hope
So the writer’s point is that what we are hoping for is absolutely sure. He uses three descriptions of the anchor to stress this. In verse 19b he calls the anchor (the hope), "both (1) sure and (2) steadfast and (3) one which enters within the veil." The anchor is sure, certain and safe. The anchor is steadfast, firm and reliable. The anchor is lodged within the veil. This is a reference to the veil that hung across the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle and concealed the arc of the covenant where God in his glory met with the high priest once a year as he brought a blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people.
So what’s the point of saying that our hope is an anchor lodged in the heavenly holy of holies where God’s glory dwells? Verse 20 fills it out. This is where Jesus has gone as a forerunner for us (which means we will enter with him someday). And he has gone as a high priest. Not in the order of Aaron and Levi—who (1) had to offer sacrifices for themselves and for the people (5:3; 7:27), and (2) who died and had to be replaced year by year (7:23), and (3) who offered the blood of bulls and goats which could never take away sins (10:4). But Jesus entered into the holy of holies once for all with his own infinitely precious blood and his own indestructible life so that his atoning work for us is perfect and lasts for ever. This is what verse 20 means when it says that Jesus "has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
So our anchor—our promised future—is sure; it is steadfast; and it is the finished and purchased work of Jesus our High Priest.
So last week the writer helps us hold fast our hope by telling us that it is based on two unchangeable things: God’s promise and God’s oath to bless us forever. This week he helps us hold fast our hope by telling us that our promised future (our hope) is "an anchor of the soul" that is sure and steadfast and as complete and binding as the work of Jesus in shedding his blood for our sins and taking it himself into the presence of God to plead the case of those he purchased.
What Is the Anchor of Your Soul?
Now here is the burning question for me. Is the anchor of my soul as firmly attached to my soul as it is to the altar of God? In other words is the picture here of an anchor with its hook and chain bound unbreakably to the altar of God in the holy of holies so that nothing could loose it from that end, but with the rope just hanging out of heaven in the air? Is the only point of this text to say "Take hold of the loose end of this rope and you will have safety and firmness and assurance"?
Would that give you the sense of security and confidence and hope and firmness that last week’s text and this text seem to be about? What was the point of an anchor in those days? It was to keep you from being blown by the wind or swept by the tide into destruction—out to sea or on the rocks. But what if someone said: I have fitted your boat with a good solid heavy anchor that will grip any sea-bottom, only have not made it fast to the boat. Would that give you encouragement?
I don’t think that is the image the author has in mind here. When he says in verse 19 that we have an "anchor of the soul" I think he means that the anchor is firmly anchored in heaven, and the anchor is firmly attached to the Christian’s soul.