Monday, January 08, 2018

2018.01.08 Hopewell @Home ▫ Hebrews 6:19-20

Questions for Littles: How does this hope function for our souls? What kind of anchor is it? Where does our hope enter? Who has entered there for us? What has He become? For how long? 
The Scripture for the sermon this week began by taking up the idea of “the hope set before us.” This is the hope of which God Himself wants us to be more sure, as we learned in the previous passage. So, it’s pretty important to answer the question: what hope is it?

Is it the hope that I will feel better about myself? Have less trouble in this life? Stop having to worry about money? Do better at relationships? Those are some of the hopes that people have, and we too often hear preaching that present such things as the hope that is set before us.

Well, the hope that we have is described here as an anchor. Wait… what? I want to be free! I want to move! What do you mean an anchor? Anchors just drag me down!

Not this anchor. You see, it depends upon where the anchor is. This particular anchor drags us up. It refuses to let us aim too low, remaining stubbornly stuck where it is. And where is it? In the Presence behind the veil.

Now that’s inviting… you might even say enticing. A veil is meant to keep you out. A veil is meant to hide your view. And indeed, before Christ it was forbidden to enter the Holy of Holies or even to see it. Not because God isn’t generous, but because entering or viewing is dangerous for sinners. It’s a recipe for being killed, being incinerated by the fire of His holiness!

So, the High Priest would enter for you. The High Priest would enter instead of you. This enticing veil? Yes, it stirs up your curiosity, but there was another anchor before. The rope around his leg. He wasn’t there steadfast, immovable. He was in danger himself, ready to be dragged out if he died before the holiness.

Not so with our Lord Jesus Christ. He is High Priest forever. Death has no claim on Him, because He already defeated it. Holiness is not dangerous to Him, because He is the Holy One.

And He is not there instead of us. He is there ahead of us. He is there because He is bringing us there. He has won for us an indestructible life. He has earned for us not only that we be counted holy, but that we also then be made holy to prepare us to enter with Him!
How does the fact that our entrance depends entirely upon Christ make us sure that we will enter at last? How does this being our hope reprioritize your goals that you are hoping for?
Suggested Songs: ARP16B “I’ll Bless the LORD” or HB368 “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”

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