This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. Hebrews 6:19 We have a pub in our town called, The Hope and Anchor. It was once for sale, and I had the idea of purchasing it and turning it into a friendly coffee shop. With a name like that, it would lend itself as a home for those in the community who hoped for a fresh start to life. I would have called it The Real Hope and Anchor.
Scripture tells us that faith is the substance in things hoped for. It also says, “But hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Hope is anticipatory. That is, it anticipates the fulfilment of a dream or the answer to a prayer. Without hope, we can have no faith. When I climb aboard an Airbus 380 to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, I have hope that the plane will land safely on the other side. The substance of that hope is my faith in the pilot to do his job well. If hope is the anchor, then faith is the chain that keeps tethered to the vessel.
Christ in us is the hope of glory. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was sinless. Yet, God his Father ascribed to him the sin of the world. On the cross, Jesus became sin for you and me so that, in him, we might be ascribed the righteousness of God. If we confess our wrongdoing (our sin) then God who is faithful and just, will forgive us and cleanse us from all sin. Only by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection do we have any hope to be good. Jesus, our High Priest, passed through the veil that separates you and me from the glory of God, to intercede for us. And that’s God’s grace manifest. Grace is God’s doing. Only by faith in the grace of God can you and I realize our hopes and dreams.
Hope is your anchor while faith is your tether. So, hold fast to the confession of your hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.