And this is Leslie Curran saying hello and welcome in the Saviour's name to our Gospel broadcast. I'm glad you're joining us today and here to let the Bible speak is the Reverend John Greer. And this is John Greer welcoming you to another Gospel program, thanking you for tuning in once again and we pray that the Lord will draw near to us as we gather around his word and consider it once again.

My text today is found in Hebrews 6 toward the very end of that chapter. In verse 19 we read that we have an anchor, both sure and steadfast, within the veil, whether the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. These words within the veil would have been very familiar to Paul's original readers, these Hebrew Christians.

Being Jews they were closely acquainted with the layout of the temple, therefore with this veil which divided the holy place from the holiest of all in the temple. The holiest of all was the innermost section of God's house containing just one piece of furniture, namely the Ark of the Covenant, with its covering the mercy seat. Once each year in the day of atonement the high priest went past the veil into the holy of holies, taking with him the blood of the slain goat which he sprinkled on the mercy seat.

But in our text the place and view in these words within the veil is not the earthly holy of holies but the heavenly. Throughout this epistle of Hebrews a number of references to the holy place will be found in terms of speaking of heaven. Hebrews 9 verse 12 tells us that Christ entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us.

But the reference is to his entrance into heaven at his ascension. Hebrews 9 24 informs us that Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. The holy places made with hands refer to the earthly tabernacle and as Paul points out these holy places built by human hands were figures of the true symbols of heaven only.

Moreover as the verse shows it is not into these symbolic buildings that Christ has gone but into heaven itself. So the earthly holy of holies was a figure of heaven and for Christ to go within the veil was to go into heaven itself. Moreover the vital point underlined in these references is that Christ entered into the holy place on behalf of his people indicated by the use of words for us.

It says whether the forerunner is for us entered the people in view in the pronoun us are those who have fled to Christ for refuge as verse 19 verse 18 says talks about those who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us and that hope of course is our lord and Jesus Christ who for us has entered into heaven so the people in view are a people who have sensed their need their danger have fled to Christ and Christ in heaven is there for them on their behalf. This little word for is actually a very strong word it indicates the idea of substitution is found in many verses in the New Testament and in some particular places it's translated in this way that is for the sake of on behalf of instead of or in place of and therefore it has the idea of substitution contained within it very obviously. So Christ has gone within the veil for us that is for all those who are saved who know him and who are trusting in his blessed work.

Christ is the believer's anchor within the veil because verse 19 speaks of an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast which entereth into that within the veil. So the lord Jesus Christ is our anchor his position is that he is within the veil. The figure that Paul is using here is that of the little boat that took the anchor of the large ship and carried it inside the harbor and dropped it there so that while the large vessel was still out in the ocean it was anchored within the veil and we are therefore given a pointer to our own position in Jesus Christ.

Christ is our anchor within the veil but we are joined to him with that invisible line of faith and therefore we are also anchored within the veil because of our union with the lord Jesus Christ. We must keep this in mind we must understand that we are joined to Christ and that we must see ourselves therefore as a heavenly people who are in union with him and because we're in that position of being within the veil ourselves through union with Christ we belong there we don't belong to this old corrupt world and therefore we're not to think or behave or uh conduct ourselves in a manner that is incompatible with being a heavenly people rather we are to behave in a manner that is in agreement with who we are and what we have in Jesus Christ. So there is the position of the anchor here there's also the power of the anchor that is

“Preaching from Epistle to the Hebrews 6:19–20, this message presents Jesus Christ as the believer’s “anchor within the veil,” who has entered heaven itself as our High Priest and Forerunner. Just as the high priest once passed beyond the veil into the earthly holy of holies, Christ has entered the true heavenly sanctuary on behalf of His people, securing eternal redemption for all who flee to Him for refuge. Our hope is not rooted in ourselves but in Him—sure and steadfast—because the power that keeps us is outside of us, anchored in Christ’s finished work, intercession, love, and faithfulness. Though believers remain in a stormy world, they are held secure by this heavenly anchor and are being drawn safely home, for Christ has gone before to prepare a place and will bring every redeemed soul within the veil to be with Him forever.”

More on this epiosde

the anchor dropped within the harbor holds the vessel that's still out on the ocean and the holy spirit is underlining that Christ's power holds the one who is resting in him so verse 19 refers to this anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast meaning certain and firm pointing to the power of Christ to safeguard the sinner who rests in him the pun underlined is that the power that keeps the soul that rests in Christ is outside itself this is very important if you think about the symbolism employed in this text then the believers like the ship out in the ocean and you might wonder at times how you can ever be saved from all that threatens to undo you and destroy you but you must you must remember that you've entrusted yourself to Christ to the anchor already within the veil and you will find that he will sustain you in the midst of all that will come against you the winds may roar the waves lash the boat but it rides steadily because it's held by the anchor by something outside itself you as a Christian are in the world of the wicked and the ungodly and that you live in this present evil world and the world is and as it says in Isaiah 57 20 to the troubled sea which cannot rest but you see there is one who is the anchor that holds the soul with unlimited power he says that he gives on to sheep eternal life neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand so while there's nothing in the believer that's sure and steadfast yet there is such in Christ it's all that he is to you and all that you have in him that is meant by this idea of the power of the anchor you have the Lord's love the Lord loves his people on today and you have the Lord's faithfulness he ever lives to make intercession for his people you have the Lord's blessed power holding the child of God as it says in 1st Peter 1 5 kept by the power of God and therefore through prayer through fellowship today draw from Christ his power his resources and you will find that your soul will be kept your soul will be preserved in the midst of a wicked and degenerate age and then there is the pull of the anchor the reason for the ship's anchor being taken into the harbor was that the ship itself might then be pulled right into the harbor and therefore Christ the anchor of the soul not only keeps those who trust him but he also draws them eventually within the veil where he has as we've noted Christ as the sinner's anchor has not gone within the veil for his own sake but for the sake of all those who trust him he has gone there with the intention that all that will be with him within the veil for this he has prayed john 17 and verse 24 father I will that they whom thou has given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory that is the prayer of Christ and therefore Christ is calling his people pulling his people one by one right within the veil where he is he wants them there and he looks forward to their arrival and therefore we must not quibble with this you may have lost a dear loved one in recent time someone who has left you and gone home to heaven but remember it was an answer to the prayers of our Lord Jesus Christ and the will of Christ has been done he is your anchor within the veil and he is gradually pulling his people home to be with himself he's there also as our forerunner he speaks or Paul speaks of him in this way it says whether that is within the veil the forerunner is for us entered the Lord entered within the veil in terms of declaring that he had fought the battle won the victory paid the debt of sin removed the guilt of his people secured their justification what a declaration that is he has gone there by way of preparation he's gone to open up a way inside the veil for his people that we might draw near and worship that we might enter in at death and be with the Lord forevermore and reign with him throughout the endless ages of eternity then he's also the forerunner within the veil in terms of occupation it says here the forerunner is for us entered that means that he has taken heaven in our names for our sakes on our behalf he hasn't gone there again we put it in isolation but with a distinct purpose of bringing many sons to glory and he will succeed he will accomplish his purpose he will bring those children home he will gather them all one by one right within the veil itself and present them without fault before the face of his father with exceeding great joy now what blessed thoughts these are do you belong to Christ are you saved are you resting in him are you looking forward to being with him the anchor within the veil the forerunner within the veil oh search your heart make sure you're saved and if you're not a child of God flee to Christ flee from the wrath to come trust the savior of men and come to know him whom to know as life eternal