The Anchor part 4
So let's talk about what our key verse for this Rant series actually identifies as the anchor for our soul: "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:19). The hope we have in Jesus. But let's get even a little bit further into it. The phrase "hope we have" is number 2192 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, quite simply, "to hold." Biblical hope is never, "Gee, I hope this happens... but I guess it might not." Our "hope" in Jesus is our trust in Him. Our faith in Him. Fighting the good fight of faith isn't trying to make something happen. It is knowing and believing that it has already happened. The cross accomplished what needed to be accomplished. On the cross, what needed to happen... happened. He entered into that veil. It's not a pulling flower petals and hoping it ends up on "He loves me" instead of "He loves me not." It's not a blessed hope in that sense. It's a blessed assurance. So, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:22-23). He is our hope. Our assurance. Our promise. Chris in you the hope of glory REALLY means Christ in you the hope of REVEALED glory. The glory is in there. I heard one preacher say it like this: You are the spout where the glory comes out! We are the visible face of the invisible God. Every time someone sees someone love someone... they are seeing God. That's how we show Him to people. "By this shall all men that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). Jesus said that. If you want someone to know what you're about... be about it. Don't just talk about it, BE about it. But, as always, you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. That's why it's so important to understand what our anchor is. What our hope is. We love because God first loved us. He gave us the ability to love by filling us up with His love. He wanted us to do it, so He did it first. He wanted us to have it, so He gave it to us. That's the Divine Order of things. So we don't have to throw up a Hail Mary on a wing and a prayer. We don't have to run around like chickens with their heads cut off. We don't have to "hope and pray" that something will happen. Something already happened. The cross happened. And on the cross Jesus cried out, "It is finished." The finished work. That's why we can be sure of who we are. That's why we can be sure of why we're here. That's why we can stop trying to be someone we're not and start embracing ourselves (and each other) for who we were created to be. We were created to love. To be loved by God, and to love each other with that same love. That's our pupose. Our EPIC (Eternal Purpose In Christ) destiny. And in order to fulfill, and experience, and enjoy that destiny all we have to do is hold on to Jesus. Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of the gift of His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love that we have already been given. We don't have to get it. We already have it. We don't have to (and can't) earn it. It's a gift. All we have to do is receive it and release it. All we have to do is let God love us and then love Him back by loving each other. That's the New Commandment for the New Man. That's the hope that we have in Jesus. That's the anchor for our soul!