Hope As the Anchor of Our Souls

Our hearts are not the only organ that decides what we are going to do. Our minds work with the heart. We may with our hearts want something very strongly, but because our mind sees that what we crave may kill us, we do what our mind says, and not what our heart wants. That is also why Paul, having told us to put on the breastplate of faith and love, tells us also to put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. This truth is based on what we find in Hebrews 6:19 , where we read, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the souls, both sure and steadfast."

Is it not unique that in I Corinthians 13:13 Paul speaks of faith, hope, and love? The word translated as "charity" actually is the strongest word for "love" in Scripture. In I Thessalonians 5:8 Paul spoke of faith and love being our breastplate, and hope being our helmet in the battle of faith. These are three very, very important things in our lives.

What we believe, what we love, and what our hope is has tremendous importance.

Hope is not merely wishing. Its basic meaning is expecting what we desire to have. When then in Hebrews 6:19 it is called the anchor of our souls, we can see why it makes us steadfast when Satan through men comes to keep us from being sober, and to make us spiritually silly and foolish. In all our temptations we must have upon us the helmet of hope. Otherwise we are going to be spiritually shipwrecked. We are going to be swept into hell! Only the expectation of what Christ earned for us, and God promises us, will keep us living wisely and safely.

By God's grace then seek the strengthening of your hope, so that in every temptation you may say, as Jesus did, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Do not let him deceive you and make you long for that which sweeps man into hell. By reading and by study of God's Word, seek the strengthening of your hope. In that way keep on your head the helmet of hope, and stand firmly in safety.

Read: Hebrews 6

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 42 ; Ezekiel 43:1-27 
James 5:1-20 
Psalm 119:1-16 
Proverbs 28:6-7 
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Quote for Reflection:

The vast majority of our fellows live as though there were no eternity to come, no judgment day when they must appear before God, give an account of the deeds they have don in the body, and be sentenced according to their works.  They know full well how brief and uncertain this life is: at short intervals their companions are cut down by the hand of death, but no lasting serious impressions are made upon them.  Instead, they continue in their pleasure-loving whirl, impervious to the divine threatenings, deaf to the voice of conscience, disregarding any entreaties or admonitions which they may receive from Christian friends or the servants of God. 

-- Arthur W. Pink, The Life of David, (pg. 220)