Hebrews 6:19-20 - Homiletics

Our anchor and anchorage.

This text suggests, first of all, that the Christian life is a life of storm. It is exposed to storms of persecution, of doubt, of remorse, of inward corruption, of outward adversity, and to the last great storm of death. But, blessed be God, believers possess complete security in the midst of these storms.

I. CHRISTIAN HOPE IS OUR ANCHOR . Of the three great abiding graces—faith, hope, love—hope is the one which often receives least prominence in our thoughts. Faith is the root, and love the full-blown flower, of piety; whereas hope occupies an intermediate position. Here is, in fact, just one of the first developments of faith—a sprout from the root of faith. The object of faith may be either good or bad; but the object of hope is always good. Hope in its essence is just the desire of good, with the expectation of by-and-by obtaining it. Now, hope has this blessed function—it soothes and calms and cheers the mind in the midst of storm and trouble. Even natural hope is "as an anchor of the soul." What drudgery would the world's business be apart from hope! Where would our great statesmen, our inventors and discoverers, come from, were it not for hope?

"Every gift of noble origin

Is breathed upon by Hope's perpetual breath."

(Wordsworth)

It was hope that buoyed up poor Columbus, and that inspired the lion-hearted Livingstone. But, as ancient seamen called the strongest anchor of their ships "the sacred anchor," and reserved it as "the last hope" for times when the vessel was in real peril; so, gospel hope is the sacred anchor of every good man. And, truly, this hope is the most influential of all hopes. It is the hope of eternal life;—the hope of looking upon Christ in his glory, of seeing the King in his beauty, Notice, also, the properties ascribed to this anchor.

1. It is sure. In substance strong and firm, and of weight proportionate to the tonnage of the vessel—in every way worthy of the greatness of our nature. No fear that it may fail: this "hope putteth not to shame."

2. It is steadfast. It takes a firm grip of the holding-ground, and will neither break nor drag. No force of wind or current will be able to tear it from its hold. How comes it that spiritual hope has these essential qualities? It is "both sure and steadfast" because it is the gift of God, and therefore good and perfect, like all other Divine gifts. It is so, also, because it is essentially connected with the cable of faith in the promise and oath of God.

II. CHRIST IN HEAVEN IS OUR ANCHORAGE . The Savior has gone before us into heaven, through the blue "veil" or ocean of the sky; and our hope follows him thither.

1. Our holding-ground is in heaven. Happy are all who are convinced that there is no safe anchorage for their souls anywhere below! Each of us has had many earthly hopes that have been baffled; but the hope which finds its object in heaven is "a living hope." Its holding-ground is beyond the frontiers of change, and out of reach of the touch of death. God help us amid the storms of life to look, not so much down upon the fierce floods which are beating about our feet, but rather upward to the quiet, holy heaven, and to our great Hope that is there!

2. Our holding-ground is Christ himself in his perpetual priesthood. Even heaven is nothing at all to the believer apart from Christ. The Lord Jesus himself is "our Hope." He is the Son of God, who knows all our troubles, and has power to control and subdue them. He is the Son of man, and full, therefore, of warm, human sympathy. He is our "High Priest," ever-loving, interceding, armed with authority and overflowing with tenderness. And he is our "Forerunner," who has entered heaven in our name, and left the golden gate open behind him, because he has arranged that we are to follow ( John 14:1-4 ).

Learn, in conclusion:

1. The anchor of hope does not quell the storm; what it does is to hold fast the vessel.

2. The excellence of the anchor and the strength of the holding-ground make the believer's security most absolute.

3. The sinner's only safety is to cast anchor in Christ.