Young Adults' Group

Hope As Our Anchor

by Pastor Mark
November 25, 2021

A certain hope in a difficult world

As we draw near to Christmas, we cannot but look back at another difficult year. The COVID-19 virus pandemic has once again adversely affected our lives. Have we allowed these difficult circumstances to cause us to lose hope? Have we become “sluggish” in our faith? Let us not remain where we are. Let us be challenged to find a most certain hope in the Lord. Hope is faith in God yet to be realised. But this hope is not wishful thinking nor is it weak. It is uplifting to know that we can have a hope that is strong, certain and confident. How can we learn to lay hold of this certain hope? It is through having strong assurances for our hope.

Strong assurances for our hope

1. Assurances based on the promises of God

“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie,” (Heb 6:17,18)

The word “immutable” in Greek is “ametáthetos”, which means “unchangeable”. Two unchangeable things have been shown to us as heirs of God’s promises. God’s counsel, which is His promise, is immutable. God is bound by His Word to fulfil what He had promised. The things that God promised to Abraham, He fulfilled (Heb 6:13–15). The promises of God alone should be sufficient for man, but God gave another assurance.

He backed up His promises with an oath. His oath acts as a confirmation of His promises (Heb 6:17,18). God understood man’s ways that require the swearing of an oath by someone greater to confirm things…to end a dispute (Heb 6:16). God’s oath, by His holy name, would give another strong assurance about His promise. As it is not in the nature of God to lie, we can be absolutely sure of the Lord’s promise and oath to us. These strong assurances form the basis for us to lay hold of our hope.

2. Assurances based on God as our refuge

“we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” (Heb 6:18)

In having these assurances, we have every encouragement to flee to God as our refuge. It is not about fleeing to someone or something else to find a temporary escape. It is fleeing to God who is our refuge. This is based on the Lord’s promise that He would be our refuge. The phrase “lay hold” means to “grab hold, to seize”. In Greek, the word uses the infinitive mood. One of the functions of the infinitive denotes “purpose”. When we draw near to God, our purpose must be to “grab hold” of hope. This hope is something that is laid before all of us when we flee to God as our refuge. Let us be challenged to have these great assurances as the basis of our hope, that we may have a firmer grasp of our hope in God.

Hope as an anchor for the soul

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,” (Heb 6:19)

When we are able to lay hold of hope, this hope then becomes an anchor of our soul, especially through the testing of life. The anchor is meant to firmly hold the ship from drifting. It will keep it steady through a storm. Hope is meant to keep us secure through the testing of life. This is the certainty of our faith and hope. It makes our soul sure and steadfast as an anchor holds fast a ship. Let us lay hold of this hope as our anchor this Christmas that we may be sure and steadfast through the storms of life.

Back to Article Listing