Hebrews 6 Devotional

An Anchor That Holds

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,”Hebrews 6:19 (BSB)

Hebrews 6 contains one of the hardest warnings in the New Testament. It speaks of people who have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit, and then fallen away, and it says they cannot be brought back to repentance, because they are putting the Son of God to death again (6:4-6). The chapter does not soften this, and neither should we. Turning away from Christ after knowing him is never a small thing.

Then the tone changes. The writer is convinced of better things for his readers, things that belong with salvation, because God is not unjust and will not forget their love (6:9-10). Then he turns to God's promise to Abraham. Since nothing is greater than God, he swore by himself, so that his heirs would have two unchangeable things to lean on, his promise and his oath (6:13-18). That hope anchors the soul, fastened behind the curtain where Jesus has already gone for us (6:19-20). When the warning makes you tremble, let it drive you to that anchor.

To think about: When you feel unsure of where you stand with God, what difference does it make that his promise rests on his oath rather than on your feelings?