1st- and 21st-Century Christians

Our next passage is beloved among Christians due to its famous metaphor of hope like an anchor. You've certainly heard it before if you've been in the Church for more than a few years. It says 'this Hope we have as an anchor of the soul.'

First-century Christians used the anchor as a symbol of the Christian Hope, often engraving it on stones in the catacombs, as they hid from their persecutors underneath the city of Rome. Those men, women, and children were under such intense persecution that Hope was the only thing left for them. For many of them, all else had failed: family, friends, work, finances, neighbors, and justice. They could only cling to the Hope.

Can you see the anchor between the two fish in the carving below? Do you see how the anchor also contains a cross? First century Roman Christians inscribed anchors like this on stone on the walls of the catacombs to secretly identify with Jesus' death.

Many Christians today think of hope in more of an emotional sense. For them, hope is the alternative to depression. For them, speaking of hope makes them happy and gives them the kick they need to keep fighting against gloom. If you tell them about hope being the 'anchor of the soul' it will inspire them not to give up. But the first-century Christians didn't see the Hope that way.

Don't feel sorry for them. Many of those first-century Christians had more than we have now. Their family, friends, work, finances, neighbors, and Roman justice failed them--but they walked into the arena together with dignity, facing gladiators and lions--with the confidence that Death would allow them eternal life. They hid together in the catacombs and died together in the Coliseum because they had the Hope.

Fellowship didn't fail those first-century Christians, but modern Christians have been failed by fellowship. The Church isn't but a shadow of what it was in the first century. The doctrine, the anointing, and the love have mostly been lost--but don't let that depress you. Let it motivate you to seek something greater than fellowship. The same Hope of the Kingdom which fueled the faith of first-century Christians can fuel your faith as well!

A Church With Hope

Not only is it almost impossible to find a Church that teaches the Foundations (Hebrews 6:1-2) and almost impossible to find a congregation that affirms the Seven Truths (Ephesians 4:3-6)--it's also highly unlikely that you'll find a church where people love one another the way Jesus commanded.

Where are the churches similar to the first one (the Jerusalem congregation we see in Acts 2-4)? Persecution had not yet risen to the extreme it would reach in Rome, but the Jerusalem congregation lived in love and in the Hope. How do we know that they lived in Hope? They sold their homes and gave the proceeds to the poor.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need (Acts 2:44-45).

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had...

And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need (Acts 4:32-35).

How can a human being be moved to sell their home? There's only one way: the Hope. Otherwise, selling your home to give the proceeds to the poor is a ridiculous thing to do. Where will you live? How will you retire? People spend their whole lives saving to buy a home and you give yours away?

Seeking the Kingdom of God

If a person's Hope is the Kingdom of God, they have the power to let go of the things of this World because they are sure of the rewards of the Next. Someone who has the Hope can renounce possessions now because they know that they'll obtain eternal rewards. They have become sure of the Hope.

Jesus talked about what it means to seek the Kingdom of God in the following passage:

... seek his Kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 'Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in Heaven that will never fail... (Luke 12:31-33)

The first church in Jerusalem was not afraid. They took Jesus' words to heart: 'Do not be afraid.' Why not? Because they knew that the Father was pleased to give them the Kingdom. So, what did they do? They 'took hold of the Hope set before them' (Hebrews 6:18). They laid claim to the promise God made to us--the promise that we will inherit his Kingdom.

Context, Context, Context

What's the context of the statement that 'this Hope we have as an anchor of the soul'? The statement comes as the conclusion of a 6-verse lesson (Hebrews 6:13-18) about Abraham and his descendants, the one we posted in One Hope post # 16. The point of that lesson is that we who are the descendants of Abraham should grab tightly to the Hope of Kingdom of God.

Right after the author of Hebrews encourages us to take hold of the Hope set before us (Hebrews 6:18), he hits us with the anchor-Hope metaphor.

This Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a Hope both sure and steadfast and one [a Hope] which enters within the Veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever… (Hebrews 6:19-20; NASB)

Not Just Poetry

At this point you realize that this passage is not just poetry. In fact, the part about the Veil is not poetry at all. This passage describes a real place. In Heaven, in the Temple there, sits the One God. Our covenant is with him, and the Hope, the guarantee of our Eternal Glory, is guaranteed through his faithfulness to that covenant.

Someone else has passed beyond the Veil of the Heavenly Temple. God is not the only one there. The Lord Jesus has passed beyond the Veil. Behind the Veil is where very important legal deliberations take place. Our forgiveness is negotiated by Jesus before the Presence of God Almighty.

Yes, Jesus advocates for us if we commit a sin.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he himself is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1-2; NASB).

Did he say 'If anyone sins...'? Yes he did. It's not something that Christians do or practice. Sin is something we commit on occasion. When we do commit a sin, we can enter behind the Veil through Christ in prayer and obtain mercy--preserving the covenant which guarantees our Kingdom inheritance.

If you understand where the Veil is, and you are the kind of Christian that does not practice sin [a real Christian], you’ll understand exactly how you and others can access mercy from God. Sound important to you?

Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us within the Veil so that God will forgive your sins.

The Heavenly Temple

So, what does Hebrews mean when it says that our Hope enters within the Veil? The apostle paints a picture of God’s Temple for us here, one that you’ll be familiar with if you’ve studied Solomon’s Jerusalem Temple--the difference is that the Temple the author of Hebrews mentions is much greater than Solomon’s Temple. It’s the real thing--Yahweh's Temple in Heaven.

Within Solomon’s Temple, the Holy of Holies was hidden behind a large veil. Only the High Priest could enter there once a year to intercede for the sins of the people. That was the Old Testament Law, our tutor to lead us to Christ.

But now through Jesus we have access to God. Right now, under the New Covenant, Jesus having passed beyond the Veil in Heaven, and having interceded for us before the Father in the true Holy of Holies in Heaven, has allowed us also that same access through prayer.

... because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a High Priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:24-26).

Because Jesus has entered behind the Veil, our Kingdom Hope is guaranteed. We are assured forgiveness of our sins, reconciliation with God, and eternal life--the Kingdom. This is all possible through Jesus’ current ministry of intercession, a ministry which he earned. And how did he earn it? On the basis of having died for us and shed his blood on Calvary.

Do you remember how when he died on the Cross the Temple Veil was rent in two? That's because his death is what opened access for us to God! Through his sacrifice we now have access to the Father.

An Anchor In Heaven

Jesus’ intercession makes it certain that we’ll obtain the mercy we need in order to get the rewards God has promised in the Kingdom! Our Hope is guaranteed in Heaven (where it’s secure), in the single safest place in the Universe—behind the Veil of the Celestial Temple—the place Jesus’ mediation for us in the Presence of the One True God.

Most anchors are dropped down to the depths of the sea. Ours reaches up far above us--it is firmly grounded in Heaven. Our Hope of the Kingdom is that anchor because it gives stability to our soul. We know our destiny. We know what lies ahead in Eternity.

Jesus has obtained access to the place no other person has ever been able to access: God's Mercy Seat. Now, if we confess our sins in Jesus' name, God will forgive us.

If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Most anchors keep a ship from being carried away by the wind and currents. Our anchor (the Hope) keeps us from being carried away by the World, because it is the firm guarantee that we have an inheritance in the Kingdom. It is the anchor of our soul because our soul can be unstable. In our soul is the seat of our thoughts, will, and emotions. Our soul needs stability!

The Veil: His Flesh

Jesus enters the Holy Place in Heaven to this day. We enter that Holy Place too, through the prayers we lift up to God in his name. Since Jesus went in for us, and 'always lives to intercede for us' there, he continues to represent us there and God hears our prayers.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a Great Priest over the House of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-22; NASB).

The Mechanics of Christ's Intercession

So, we've read plenty of Bible passages. Now, let's outline the mechanics of what happens if Christ's mediation is truly working on your behalf:

1. we need to have our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience (repentance)

2. our bodies must be washed with pure water (this is baptism)

3. we need to come to God through Jesus -- we pray to God in Jesus' name. This is 'entering the Holy Place through the blood of Jesus.'

4. a perfect time for this to happen is during the Lord's Supper, while we drink of the cup of the New Covenant

5. we must confess our sins

6. God will forgive us

7. God will cleanse us from unrighteousness through the blood of Christ

Necessary Food and Drink

Must we drink of Jesus' blood to have eternal life? Yes. And we need to eat his flesh also. That is, you have no other recourse but to participate in the Lord's Supper with sincere faith, and without hypocrisy, if you're going to be forgiven.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them (John 6:54-56).

Is the witness of Jesus' blood necessary for salvation? Yes, it is. It's one of only three witnesses to our salvation on Earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. These three agree. They testify to your salvation. Without them, you have a deficient testimony.

... there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three are in agreement (1 John 5:7).

Meet the Conditions

For everything to work so that Christ's intercession for you is effective, you need to walk in the light, have fellowship with God, and with other Christians. Only then will the blood of Jesus be effective to cleanse us from all sin.

Notice the conditions you need to meet for forgiveness according to how John taught on it and used the word if:

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:5-7).