The title of my message, the
text will be verses 17 through 20 of Hebrews 6. The hope we
have. The hope believers have. Not everybody. Not everybody.
But the hope that those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ
have. Now that's the sure and certain
hope that we read of here. Let's begin at verse 17. No,
let's include verse 16. For men, verily, swear by the
greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of strife. That's telling us if a man tells
you, now, I swear to you, I'm telling you, I'll take an oath
on it, then we think, well, he's sincere. He's sincere. I can believe him. I can trust
him. Now God says in verse 17, or
rather the Apostle says concerning God, we're in God willing more
abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of
his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. Now you think about
that. That's a strong expression. God
Almighty takes an oath. Is his word not enough? Is his
word not sufficient? but in order that we might be
more convinced of his word, his promise, he confirms it with
an oath. My soul, we can rest on that,
can't we? That by two immutable things
in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope
set before us, which hope we have. as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within
the veil, whither the forerunner for us is entered, even Jesus,
made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." Thursday
evening, after those storms had passed by, that evening and the
next morning, Friday morning, I called some of you. And I emailed
others to see if you were all right. And I want to share a
portion of the reply I got from the Buckners. Bobby said, we
were in Home Depot, and I saw a dark cloud, but it didn't disturb
me. And then all of a sudden, the
wind came through the doors at Home Depot and blew everything
that wasn't nailed down. Just blew it all aside. Blew
plants everywhere. Never have I ever seen such a
furious wind come up so quickly. The lesson I remarked to each
other, when the Lord comes, it will be a wind like no other. We were shocked on the drive
home how many trees were down, because we saw huge trees, decades
old trees, snapped like pencils. When I was preparing this message,
I thought of that email, and I also thought of this verse
of scripture. that that message would well
illustrate concerning the storm. Hebrews chapter 12, this same
book that we're in. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 25. The writer says, see that ye
refuse not him that speaketh, that is God. For if they escaped
not who refused him that spake on earth, that is Moses, much
more shall we not escape if we turn away from him that speaketh
from heaven. whose voice then shook the earth,
shook the earth. People talk about mother nature,
oh no, no, no, the mighty God, God in the beginning, oh how
great thou art, whose voice then shook the earth, but now he hath
promised saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but
also heaven. And this word, yet once more
signifieth, the removing of those things that are shaken, as of
things that are made, man-made religion primarily. That those
things which cannot be shaken, what cannot be shaken? When God
judges this world in strict righteousness, what in the world cannot be shaken? Everyone that's founded upon
the rock, the rock Christ Jesus, they'll not be shaken, they'll
remain. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire."
Now compare that, what we just read in Hebrews 12, to what our
Lord Himself said in Matthew chapter 15. Our Lord on this
occasion had gone through the fields and his disciples plucked
some ears of corn and the Pharisees, oh those Pharisees, as always
they were watching, they were spying, they were trying to find
something to accuse him of. And they said, aha, we have it
now. Why do your disciples do that which is not lawful to do
on the Sabbath day? They plucked ears of corn and
ate them on the Sabbath day. You remember how our Lord replied
to them? You hypocrites. Wow, wow. You hypocrites. You make void the word of God
in order to maintain, to keep your tradition. You set aside
the word of God. Doesn't that sound familiar?
I mean, the same thing is true of our day. Religious people
set aside the Word of God in order to maintain their tradition. I saw something the other day.
It was pointed out to me. Someone I know very well had
a picture on their Facebook page of a bunch of dogs. Just a bunch
of dogs. And with this caption, this is
what heaven will look like. And I wanted to ask him, and
I would have if I had an opportunity, can you show me the scripture
for that? Can you take me to the word of God and show me where
the word of God says that? But people imagine that heaven,
like God himself, is whatever they want him to be. Now is that
not so? Is that not so? God said, you've
made a terrible mistake. You thought that I was altogether
such a one as yourself. I'm not like you. I'm not like
you. God requires not my imagination
of what I think he should be or what I would like him to be
or what I can live in my rebellion and lay down and sleep like a
baby at night because he's a God that won't send anybody to hell.
He loves everybody. That's another religious lie
of our day. Oh, but the God of scripture
says I'm not like that. I'm not like you've imagined.
And our Lord, the disciples on this occasion came to our Lord
and said, knowest thou that the Pharisees, the religious leaders,
the Pharisees, ooh, the Pharisees, hmm, they were the who's who. If you'd have picked up the newspaper
in Jerusalem and opened the page, the Pharisees would have been
on top, would have led the list. The Pharisees were offended.
They were offended at what you said. And the Lord answered and
said, listen, every plant, like that storm Thursday afternoon
that took down decade-old trees, just snapped them like pencils,
every plant which my Heavenly Father have not planted shall
be rooted up. Let them alone. They be blind
leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both
shall fall into the ditch. But what about those that the
Heavenly Father has planted? What about those who have been
rooted, deeply rooted in that foundation, that rock? Isaiah chapter 61, concerning
the believer, it says that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that they might be glorified. Not
one of those shall be removed. When God in strict justice shall
judge this world in righteousness, those planted by God himself
in the garden of his grace, they shall stand. Yes, the wind may
blow and the rains will descend. The Lord said, you're not exempt
from those things, child of God. In the world, you're going to
have tribulation. Any believer here have trouble?
Believing that that's so? You don't need to be convinced
of that promise, do you? When he said, in the world you'll
have tribulation, we can all say amen to that. I know that's
so. Hardly a day goes by. But he
didn't end there, did he? But, but, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And
he did so as our representative. He did so as our substitute. Now that brings us to our text
here. in Hebrews chapter 6, the hope we have. I read an article
the other day. I had to rub my eyes and look
at it again. It said matter-of-factly, this
article said that 80% of people in the United States, 80%, what
is that, 4 out of, no, no, what's that, 8 out of 10? Is that right? Am I doing my math? That's a
bunch. 80% of people in the United States claim to be Christians. Wow! Are you kidding me? 80%? 8 out of every 10 people,
yes, they may claim to be Christians, but I can only imagine what their
answer would be to this question that Peter proposed. Be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of
the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Ask that 80%. What's the reason of your hope?
You boldly claim that you're going to heaven. You have no
fear of standing before God. You say you're a believer. What
do you base that on? Give me a reason for your hope. My soul, something that important. Something with such eternal everlasting
consequences you would think people would take serious. They
would examine to see whether they'd be in the faith. They
would examine to make sure they're not believing the lie and will
thereby be damned. What's the reason for your hope? You take care of the body. What
about the soul? You're trying to gain all you
can of this world. What about your immortal soul
that you're on the verge of losing? What about that? Tell me the
reason for your hope of standing before God Almighty and hearing
Him say, enter into the joy prepared before you. What's the reason
you think you'll hear those words? And there's really only one reason.
There is only one reason for the hope of a true believer. But I dare say these people would
answer with, and I've heard it all my life, and you have too.
Well, my daddy was a Baptist preacher. My daddy paid for the
first bricks that we used to build that church. My uncle was
a deacon in that church. And my mama taught Sunday school.
Oh, my mama, oh, bless her heart. I wanted to build me a mansion
in heaven next to mama. Mama was not a word about Jesus
Christ. I made a decision for Jesus.
Oh, my son. My, so anybody that equates that
with the same thing of the saving experience of God's grace, they
just don't have a clue. I'm telling you, I'll give as
much elbow room as I can, I'll be as kind as I can, but making
a decision, walking to the front of the church, shaking a preacher's
hand, or getting in a little booth and some priest saying,
your sins are absolved, give me four push-ups and go on your
way, And they equate that as the same thing as coming to Christ.
They don't have a clue. They don't have a clue. You say,
oh, Larry, I declare you have wiped out 80% of the people who
practice such a thing and make such a claim. I know I have.
I know I have. The Word of God does. Many will
say to me in that day, that's your pastor's article. the theme
of it in your bulletin today. I hope you read it. Many were
saying to me in that day, Lord, we've prophesied in your name.
We've performed miracles in your name. We've done many wonderful
works in your name. Can you imagine the horror that
will grip their hearts when they hear him say, I don't know you,
cast them into hell. 80% say they believe they'll go to
heaven. Oh, but let's come to this. Let's
give this answer. Oh, by God's grace, if you can
give this answer, bless the God of all glory, who had called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Our hope is
this. The hope we have, we trace it
to the very presence of God. Verse 20, that anchor of our
soul, that refuge, is traced within the veil and both speak
of Jesus Christ Himself. Our hope is built on nothing
less. We're told in these verses, as
we are throughout the Word of God, that the only hope for any
sinner is the hope that God gives in His Son. Look what Paul says
in verse 11 here of Hebrews 6. And we desire that every one
of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
until the end. Be diligent about this. Be sure
about this. Know this. Am I a believer or
not? I know that it's true that true
believers Some do not enjoy the blessed peace of the full assurance
of faith that Paul speaks of here. But as he said, give diligence
that not to remain in that condition. It's possible for us to have
this assurance in this world and we should seek it. We should
seek it. What is more blessed? What is more inspiring to my
soul? What is more comforting to my heart than a well-grounded,
full assurance of my interest with God Almighty? My interest
in Jesus Christ. And what is more honoring to
God Himself? Remember what Paul wrote in Romans
chapter 4 concerning Abraham? He gave glory to God. A man can
do that. A man can give glory to God.
How did he do that? Did he build some big cathedral
and put his name on it? Did he give a lot of money in
the offering plate? How did he give glory to God?
He believed God. He believed that what God Almighty
promised, he's able to perform. God said he has placed his word,
magnified his word above everything, and we honor God. Glorify him
when we believe what he said. Consider the reverse. Doubting
the true reason for my hope causes me to be like this, like David
said. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? And why are you disquieted in
me? Well, I'll tell you what. I know
it wasn't by looking to Christ. He wouldn't be in that condition.
It's only when we take our eyes off of Christ that that happens.
We become depressed, discouraged, and sad. But David answered his
own question, didn't he? Why are you cast down, O my soul?
He reminded himself of the cure for that by saying this, hope
thou in God. Hope thou in your unchanging
God, for I will yet praise Him. Remember who your God is, what
He has promised to do for you, and everything He's promised,
He's able to perform, able to bring it to pass. The hope we
have rests upon this, as we read in these few verses a moment
ago. It rests upon an unchanging God. The two immutable things
that he speak of in verse 18, those things are his counsel,
that means his decree, his promise, and his oath. The two things
are his promise, his decree, his counsel, and his oath that
he'll make good on. When the scriptures speak of
God swearing by himself, it's a display of great condescension
on his part, on his part. Because of you and I, he condescends
to our weakness, assuring us by his oath that his promise
is good. As we said earlier, it would
have been ample enough, you would think, but he makes his assurance
doubly sure by adding to his word of promise his oath that
he'll make it come to pass. The unchangeableness of God's
purpose in saving us by Christ might be manifest to us and doubt
be put out of the equation, he confirmed it with an oath. God
not only determined that he would save us and promised it in his
covenant, but he confirmed it the more to those he purposed
to save by adding this, he interposed, is the word, he interposed his
oath. He lay himself under obligation. Now you think about that. That's
what it means. He laid Himself under obligation
and became a surety for the fulfillment of His purpose and promise. What
more can He say than to you He has said, to you who to Jesus
for refuge have fled? What more can He say? He confirms
it with an oath. It is blessed to see how the
Lord delights in reminding His people of His word and oath.
that he might teach the church to rest their confidence not
in their attainments, oh no no, but in his own faithfulness. I've told you before and it's
still true. I have not got beyond that. I
have not arrived at that place of sinless perfection that a
lot of professors claim to have reached. No, not this sinner
and I don't expect to until I enter glory. When I lay down at night
and look back over the day, I don't care what the best day I ever
had, the best sermon I perhaps had
preached on that day or whatever, I don't see nothing to rest my
immortal soul on as a foundation, as a reason why God should accept
me. Do you, John? Do you? I mean, if I look from
the time I open my eyes in the morning, and every step I take
throughout the day, when I lie down again in that bed at night,
sin, sin, sin, sin, everything I did, everything I thought,
tainted, marred by sin, and makes us cry out, O wretched man that
I am. So if my confidence was dependent
upon myself, no wonder I would toss and turn. But the oath that
God makes to this sinner, of His promise, His sure and certain
hope rests not upon myself, but upon Him. You see, God's glory
is at stake, Billy. Now you think about that, child
of God. Think about that. My soul, that ought to float
your boat. I mean, that ought to float your
boat to know this. God Almighty has bound Himself
with an oath. He swore by Himself. He could
find nothing or no one higher than Himself to swear by, so
He swore by himself, saying, blessing, I will bless you, I
will keep you, I will preserve you, I will bring you to glory,
and I will bring you into the presence of my son, where you
shall be forever. Glory for his name. And you know
what he based that on? His own unchanging faithfulness. It's got nothing to do with you.
And thank God it's so. The unchangeableness of his person. I am God. I change not. Well, why would he? Why should
He? Why would God Almighty have to
change? Does He change for the better?
Well, He's perfect. Does He change for the worse?
Of course not. I am God, I change not. And His
purpose doesn't change either. He's unchanging in His person,
the sovereignty of His will. There's another foundation of
our hope in our God, His sovereign will. Our God's in the heavens. Well, David, where's your God?
You've been chased from your throne. Your own son chased you
from the throne. You've had incest in your own
family. Even on your deathbed, you're
going to say, although my house be not so with God. Where's your
hope, David? Where's your God now? Has the
devil ever talked to you that way? When the storms of life
are raging, and you try to see the good in it, but you can't
see. You just can't do it. And you think to yourself, how
can this be working for my good? And the devil says, God's forgotten
you. How can you be a son of God? If you're really the son
of God, why would he leave you in this condition? Oh, for that
grace, that sufficient, sustaining, reigning grace that allowed David
and every believer to answer that taunt by saying, my God's
in the heavens. He's where He always is and He
hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. Oh, the omnipotence
of His mighty arm, His unconditional grace, the inexhaustible merit
of His Son, they're all included. and that blessed oath. Some,
James Smith wrote, he was the pastor at New Park Street before
Mr. Spurgeon came there. James Smith,
he said, soon, very soon, it will be seen that infinite wisdom
and mercy, grace and goodness have marked out every step of
your road. And Spurgeon, who followed that
man, himself said, however great my troubles, they are not so
great as my father's power. However difficult may be my circumstances,
yet all things are working together for my good. We can all quote
that verse, can't we, in Romans 8. And we know that all things
work together for good to them who love God, them who are the
called according to his purpose, But how do we know that? I mean,
we can say it, we memorize it, but how do we know that? Because
it's God that's doing the work. God's the worker, that's how
we know. He's the ones working all these things out. We're His
workmanship. Therefore, we know it must be
well with my soul. And here's the second thing.
The hope we have that God gives us, as we said, following this
trail, Following the link in every chain to which this anchor
is attached, following that road that leads to the city of refuge,
we find in verse 20, both are Jesus Christ himself. Whether
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. All the promises of God are yea
and amen in Christ. That refuge of verse 18 is Christ. He's that hiding place. It alludes, I'm sure, to the
cities of refuge, where if someone had unintentionally killed someone,
they could flee from the man's slayer. And once they got within
the walls of one of those six cities marked as a city of refuge,
and there were signs on the road with the hand pointing, and saying,
refuge, refuge. Can you see that man running
for his life? Running for his life. If that
kinsman of that one I've slain reaches me, I'm a dead man. He sees that sign, refuge, refuge,
and down that road he goes. Man, he runs through the gate,
gets within the walls of that city and nobody can touch him. Nobody can touch him. Jesus Christ
is our refuge. There is no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. God's justice can't touch us.
You know why? You know why? It already has. God's justice has already been
satisfied in the person of His dear Son. That's why Christ says,
let these go their way. Take me, take me, slay me, awake,
O sword, against the man who is my fellow, smite the shepherd,
but in doing so, the sheep must go free. They must go free, unless
God Almighty ceases to be just. Unless God Almighty ceases to
be the God that He is, they must go free. that one in whom sinners
are found with a perfect righteousness, that one that for those who are
in him are never condemned, in him we're saved. Justice can
never touch us. Satisfaction has already been
rendered, and that is what gives the child of God strong consolation. Great comfort. Great comfort
in knowing that Jesus Christ was made sin for me. knowing
that he has entered in as my forerunner into the presence
of God for us. For us, representing us. This is how Mr. Toplady put it.
From whence this fear and unbelief. Do I have a reason for that?
Am I justified in doubting God? From whence this fear and unbelief?
Hath not the Father put to grief his spotless Son for me? And
will the righteous judge of men condemn me for that debt of sin
which Lord was charged to thee? No way, no way. Complete atonement
thou hast made. You like that? You like the sound
of that? Complete atonement thou hast made, and to the utmost
thou hast paid, what e'er thy people owed. How then can wrath
on me take place, if sheltered in thy righteousness, and sprinkled
with thy blood? If thou hast my discharge procured,
and freely in my room endured the hold of wrath divine, payment
God cannot twice demand, first at my bleeding surety's hand,
and then again at mine. In verse 19, and the hope we
have, sure and steadfast, is described there as an anchor
for the soul. Our hope is fastened within the
veil. It's a sure and a steadfast hope
and though our ship may be tossed to and fro by angry waves, listen
to me, it can never be destroyed. It can never sink. That anchor, every link in it,
leads to the same place that the city of refuge leads to and
pointed to Jesus Christ. You mean both the anchor and
the refuge are Christ? Absolutely. That's where Paul
takes us, isn't it? Jesus Christ is all. If you trace
that chain of God's unchanging purpose of grace you'll find
that each and every golden link is united to Christ, the anchor
of our soul. Again, referring to Romans chapter
8. And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.
His purpose, there's a link in this chain. For whom He did foreknow,
foreknow, foreloved, everlasting love, there's another link. He
also did predestinate. to be conformed to the image
of his son. Predestination, there's another
golden link, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Verse 30, moreover, you mean there's more? Oh, he giveth and
he giveth and he giveth more grace. Moreover, whom he did
predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. Called and justified, there's
two more unbreakable links in this golden chain of grace, and
whom he justified, then he also glorified. There's the final
link, and that chain reaches all the way into heaven, where
Christ now sat at the right hand of God Almighty, making intercession
for us. We have an anchor. We sometimes
sing that keeps the soul steadfast and sure when the billows roll. Jesus Christ himself, the last
thought, again looking at verse 20, where the forerunner is for
us entered. Now, pause for a moment or two
on those words, for us. For us. Jesus had entered the
holy place for us, like the high priest entering into the most
holy place with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on
his breastplate. Jesus Christ has entered the
holy place, the very presence of God for us, representing us. He's entered within the veil
into God's own presence. Chapter 9 of Hebrews, for Christ
has not entered, verse 24, Christ has not entered into the holy
places made with hands, which are the figures of the true,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us. It seems like that two out of
three commercials on TV is a lawyer. Call me, Alabama. Let me represent
you. I tell you what, I've got an
advocate representing me before the Father, before God Almighty,
and he's perfectly satisfied with me. He's making intercessions
for all his Nor yet, Hebrews 9, yet that he should suffer
or offer himself often as the high priest entereth into the
holy place every year with the blood of others. For then he
must often have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now, verse 26, but now, now,
right now, once in the end of the world hath he appeared to
do what? To put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Well, did
he get it done? That's what he intended to do.
That's what he came to do. Did he do it? As it is appointed
unto men, once to die. And after this, the judgment,
even so, Christ was once offered, once was enough. Once got the
job done. Once put away our sins. Once
made atonement. Once brought in an everlasting
righteousness. When he cried, it is finished,
once was enough. He offered himself once to bear
the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time without sin unto salvation. Our forerunner for
us has entered glory. As you follow him there by faith
now and by sight hereafter, we might well sing these words.
We should sing these words. This should be our heart's testimony. Arise, my soul, arise, Shake
off those guilty fears. The bleeding sacrifice in my
behalf appears. He appears there for us. Before
the throne my surety stands and my name is written on his hands. He ever lives above for me to
intercede. His all-redeeming love, his precious
blood to plead. His blood for sin did once atone. And now he pleads before the
throne. Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary. They pour effectual prayers.
They strongly plead for me. Forgive him, O forgive, they
cry, nor let that ransomed sinner die. The father hears him pray. His dear anointed one, he cannot
turn away the presence of his son. His spirit answers to the
blood and tells me I am born of God, the forerunner for us
entered, even Jesus. Christ has entered into heaven
for his people as their mediator, as their high priest, where he
represents them. He appears and intercedes for
them, takes care of all their affairs, prepares mansions of
glory for them, takes possession of heaven in their name. We're
a joint heir with him. He's taken possession already
in his father's house for his people, and opens the way for
them to follow him there. Peter, you can't follow me now,
but you'll follow me hereafter. Hebrews 12, wherefore seeing
we also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily
beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, Looking unto Jesus, he's already ran this race, the
author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God. Oh, can you behold
him there? Can you by faith behold your
glorious substitute there, your advocate with the Father, the
forerunner, Jesus Christ, It was of him that God said, behold
my servant. Behold my servant. Why are you
cast down, O my soul? It's because you're not beholding
my servant. Why are you worried? Why are you perplexed about your
eternal salvation? You can't be if you're beholding
my servant. Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. This is God speaking of his Son.
I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not fail nor be discouraged,
till he hath set judgment in the earth, and the owl shall
wait for his law. And it was said of him, Call
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And of whom he himself said rather,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except the corn of wheat fall
into the ground and die, It abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit." The very fact that the Son of God now appears
before the throne of God in heaven proves that He did not fail.
His very presence there speaks volumes of His acceptance and
our acceptance in Him, because had He not done all that the
Father sent Him to do, He would not have risen Him from the dead.
Philippians 2 is exactly what we read. Let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. And what Christ accomplished,
not what he made possible, not what he merely attempted, not
what he hath finished, but what he accomplished is the very reason
God did this. God also hath highly exalted
him and giving him a name above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things
in earth and things under the earth. That pretty well includes
everything. And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Let me bring this to a close.
Let me use Mr. Toplady once again. This, another
hymn appears. He said, the work which his goodness
began, the arm of his strength will complete. His promises,
yea and amen, and never was forfeited yet. Things future, there are
things that are now. Not all things below or above
can make him his purpose forgo or sever my soul from his love.
My name from the palms of his hands, eternity will not erase. Impressed on his heart he remains
in marks of indelible grace. Yes, I to the end shall endure,
as sure as the earnest is given, more happy but not more secure,
the glorified spirits in heaven." For every believer, we have this
hope. We have this blessed hope. Is that your hope? Is Jesus Christ
your hope? God bless each of you. Thank
you for your attention. Amen. Amen.