AN ANCHOR OF THE SOUL. Hebrews 6:19-20 Those who read the epistle to the Hebrews face a test. Would they truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone as their Great High Priest without trying to make themselves more acceptable to God? In our lives, we also must demonstrate our faith through our actions, but we should not add anything to what God has already done for us. We place no confidence in what we do or who we are outside of our Lord Jesus Christ and His priestly work for us. We may be called to give up our wealth, health, and even our lives to pass the test of our faith in God and His word. If this happens, mature believers will see it as a privilege to be identified with our Lord Jesus Christ in this way.
The writer's goal is to lift Hebrew readers out of apathy, gloom, lukewarmness, and laziness, and to highlight the joy, faith, and hope that Christ brings to true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the “hope” he describes—a hope rooted in the anticipation of future blessings promised to those in Christ who love Him. It examines how the realities of heaven influence us and reveals how experiencing the power of these truths now can bring fullness of life in Christ.
It is deceptive and powerless to appear full of certainty and peace when we don’t truly have them, because we are seeking those things from ourselves or from others. Trying to find assurance and victory in our imagination is futile. We must look with faith and hope only to Jesus, who is our life and light. He is our hope; He is the anchor of our souls. This anchor is placed deep in heaven, not on earthly things. Our faith and love for God are rooted in Christ, who was crucified, buried, raised from the dead, and seated on the throne in heaven. Our anchor is there, both sure and steadfast in hope.
Anyone who is troubled, distracted, or unsure need only look above to where our Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God, ministering to our needs as our Great High Priest. The veil that kept us from approaching God has been torn in two, giving us access to God at any time through our high priest. This is our hope and assurance; our anchor is firmly fixed, unmovable, and unfailing. He knows our needs, the path we walk here on earth, and the difficulties we face. He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” He is our solid hope, anchored in the sure promises of God. Even more than that, He holds us tightly—“grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.”
As the “Forerunner” who has already entered into the holy place for us, our Lord Jesus is like the boat that carries the anchor into the safe harbor so the larger ship can be safely pulled into its destination. The forerunner knows that others will follow him. Our Lord Jesus Christ has entered heaven for us through the cross and the rent veil. Because He lives, who once was dead, we too live in Him and with Him. We have access to everything within the veil. We share a legitimate and close fellowship with God.
Because of dullness of hearing, lack of growth, and complacency that had hindered the Hebrew readers, these issues needed to be addressed, and warnings were given to those who professed faith in Christ but lacked the things that accompany salvation. At the end of this chapter, the writer moves forward to the central theme of the epistle: we have a Great High Priest in heaven; He is the Lord Jesus Christ, ministering there for us and doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Believers are neither bored nor lazy when we remember who we are and the promises of God as we think about what lies ahead. Abraham had to wait twenty-five years from the time a son was promised to him until Isaac was born. Our lives should reflect our faith in God, despite what others may do. God's promises are valid because they are His promises and are true because that is His nature. These two things confirm His oath and assure us that our hope is secure. Even though others may "fall away," God always does what He says. Christ, our Great High Priest, is continually in the presence of God, interceding for us and assuring us that we are safe in Him.