Keeping the Cross in XMAS (A is for Anchor)
:1 Thank you ______________________________
It is 2 o’clock in the morning, and you can’t sleep, being 1,000 miles from home on a business trip. You hate staying in hotels, because the combination of loneliness, a TV set, and a remote control always combine to compromise what you believe as a Christian. You think, “I love Jesus, but how in the world can He love me with the things I do?” You resist for a while, but as it happens way too often, you power up the TV, and start taking your eyes in places you know they shouldn’t go.
The next morning, with red eyes and a guilty conscience, you wonder, “How come I keep doing this stuff? How can God love me when I know He hates this? Am I really saved?” But you’ve been taught “once saved always saved,” although you don’t understand how God works that out. Just the same, you push your guilty conscience down further and further, and try and get on with your day, somehow putting it behind you.
:2 This year we are learning how to keep the Cross in Christmas, and this morning I am going to take that cross, shape it into an anchor, and help you see how holding on to Jesus is our only security. Keeping the cross in Christmas means resting securely, not in what we have or have not done, but in what God has done. When we have that, it will be the foundation for holiness in your life, especially in the area of sexual purity.
:3 Over the past few weeks, we have looked at symbols to remind us how to keep the cross in Christmas. I started two weeks ago looking at the cross itself as a reminder how God always takes the initiative in our lives. Last week Michael Connor looked at the manger and the message of the cross, which is salvation in Jesus Christ. I’m looking at the anchor this week, which speaks to the security of our relationship with God, and next week Michael will return to talk about the star.
:4 I was struck with a Scripture Michael read last week. It’s in Luke 2:30, where Simeon sees the baby Jesus in the Temple and says, “my eyes have seen Your salvation.” I was struck with two things. First of all that salvation is not work that God does, it’s a person that God provides. Secondly, from God’s point of view, salvation is not a process, it’s a done deal. Simeon looked at Jesus, at the very beginning of His earthly ministry, and saw a completed work. Ephesians 1:3 says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Technically speaking, our salvation occurred, not only in our historical past, or even Jesus’ historical past, but before there was a you and me. Before there was an Incarnation, before was a world - before there was even sin – God chose to save us in His foreknowledge of all that. From God’s point of view, my salvation has always been a “done deal.”
:5 Now here is my problem: I am “in between.” Although I want to assure you, I’m not the guy in the hotel room, I tell you this, I could be. And if it’s not that sin, it’s something else. It’s one thing for you, a different thing for me, but haven’t you ever felt like, “although it is a done deal for God, why doesn’t seem that way to me?”
That’s because I am somewhere in between my second birth and my last breath. My life seems like a series of fits and starts, failures and successes, victory and sometimes despair. So how do I hold on to what God has already accomplished, while living in the midst of constant temptation, which is everywhere I turn? How do I move from failure to victory?
:6 Our text for this morning is in Hebrews chapter 6, verses 9 – 20. That’s page 171 in the New Testament portion of your pew Bibles. Now this is not a very “Christmassy” passage, I’ll give you that, but if we are going to keep the cross in Christmas, I think it is an essential one. I really believe that, if you latch on to what I am about to say, you’ll not only keep the cross in Christmas, you will keep the cross in the other 364 days too.
While you are turning there, I want to give you some background for the book of Hebrews. In this letter, which really reads like a sermon, the author is speaking to a primarily Jewish audience who apparently is undergoing persecution. Some are tempted to abandon Christianity as just too hard, or “it doesn’t work.” Some want to return to their Jewish roots. They have done some great things for God, but the storms of life are so severe now, that it seems impossible to hold on. And the way of the world is looking pretty good to them right now.
Understand this: the goal of the enemy is to separate us from God. Whether it’s persecution, or failure in our thought life, it’s all the same. The devil wants to get us away from God, get us away from His Word, get us away from His people, and the battle is won. I know a professional business woman, I’ll call her “Kathy.” Kathy is single, successful, attractive, smart – but she would also add - lonely. She wants a husband. But the guys she has dated, Christian guys no less, want sex outside of marriage, and that’s not for Kathy. On the other hand, she thinks, sometimes any relationship, even an immoral one, seems better than coming home to “frozen food and an old grey cat.” The pull for Kathy give in – it’s strong. It’s strong because the devil wants us on the outside. God wants us near.
Let’s begin with verse 9: 9But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. If you are familiar with Hebrews, you know that throughout this book, the author repeatedly warns them not to give in, that what they have in Christ is better than anything they would have under their Jewish traditions, and I’ll add better than anything this world has to offer. Jesus is better than the prophets, He’s better than the angels, and He’s better than Moses. The whole point of the book is that Jesus is better. Period. Of course, we all agree with that, don’t we? But when faced with the choice to depend on the tangible stuff of this world, the things in my control, and the intangible promises of God, which am I going to choose?
:7 Verse 10: 10For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 11And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Now, as we read through these verses, I want you to see that the author of Hebrews is not talking about what they DO so much as how they think – how they regard Jesus Christ and the quality of His work. What he is saying in verse 11 is this: “You are diligent in doing good works. Now, show that same diligence to how you regard what God has done for you. Make that your hope. Hold on to that. Don’t abandon that for what the world offers.” Don’t be “sluggish,” in your thinking.
You see, this is where the world has an advantage. For these Jewish Christians, the things of the Law were tangible, easy to understand, and believe in. You could see them, smell and taste the offerings, and sense that God was there. But Christianity, it’s hard on our brain. It takes faith. It believes in something we can’t see, and offers a reward that is largely beyond this world. For Kathy, it is easy for her to understand how a warm body will satisfy her. It is hard for Kathy to accept that abstinence is better in the long run.
And so we lean toward the world, because we can understand it, while trying to obey God, because that’s the right thing to do - and guess who wins? We try and fail, and try and fail, feeling more and more separated from God with each failure. This is where the wheels fall off the cart, when it comes to our understanding this whole concept of eternal security. We go around saying “once saved, always saved,” because that’s what the church teaches, but don’t really understand how God would do that with a bad bargain like me. It seems logical, now that God has saved me, to try and live up to His expectations. The problem is you can’t produce holiness out of the reservoir of good intentions. They weren’t good enough to save me in the first place, and they are not good enough to maintain a right relationship with God. It takes something more than that.
Now God wants good behavior. He wants holy living and holy thinking, but that comes only when we take hold of God’s promises by faith with both hands. When we do that, it keeps us close to God, which then changes our attitude toward the world.
:8 He gives Abraham as an example in Verse 13: 13For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” 15And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. Typical of God, He always takes the initiative. I want you also to see that God is the one who is concerned that Abraham get this. He’s so concerned that He doubles the promise with an oath. And when Abraham took hold of that promise, it was enough. It was enough to move him from Mesopotamia to Canaan. It was enough to give him a son. It was enough to sustain him from his second birth to his final breath, living as though all the promises were a done deal. Now look in the next verse. It is no different for us.
:9 Verse 16: 16 For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. At Northrop Grumman, I worked for years in the world of contracts and agreements as a buyer and subcontract administrator. An oath is simply a verbal agreement, to guarantee that what somebody promises, they will do. It takes away my doubts and gives me assurance that you will perform your part of the bargain. Let’s move to verse 17: 17In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,
:10 First of all, in verse 16, notice the word “dispute.” For now I want you to think of the disputing party as your conscience. You might even want to write the word “conscience” next to “dispute” in your Bible. Next, notice that the author has moved away from the subject of Abraham – he was just an example – to Abraham’s heirs. Notice it says “heirs of the promise.” That’s you and me. The “unchange-ableness of His purpose?” That’s the salvation that Simeon saw, the “done deal” from God’s point of view, the election of you and I from before the foundation of the world, accomplished through Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension. It also includes our future glorification with Christ. That’s God’s purpose which He cannot, and will not, change.
Now let’s look at the oath, picking up at the end of verse 17: God interposed with an oath, 18so that by two unchangeable things (the oath has two clauses) in which it is impossible for God to lie, (….Now here’s the purpose of the oath) we who have taken refuge ( or, we who are saved) would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. (You see, that’s the number 1 thing that God wants us to do: to take hold of our salvation with both hands.) 19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, (or, it gives us confidence before God. Now here’s the oath: ) 20where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
:11 That’s the oath that the author of Hebrews will explain in the next 4 chapters, found in Psalm 110, verse 4: 4The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, “You (meaning Jesus) are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” There’s two clauses, which say basically this: That (1) our salvation is eternal because Jesus Christ is eternal. And (2) our salvation is secure because His sacrifice entirely satisfies God. Now I think you get the idea in clause (1) that our salvation is eternal because Jesus Christ is eternal. With clause (2), I think I need to do some explaining.
In Hebrews Chapters 7, the author makes the point that this guy named Melchizedek was a priest who was completely outside the whole Levitical system, set up in the Law of Moses. Then he compares Jesus to both the Levitical priesthood and that of Melchizedek, and says that, like Melchizedek, Jesus Christ is of a completely different order. That’s his whole point: Jesus is better than the Levitical priests, and so His sacrifice – that of his own body – is a better sacrifice. The Levitical sacrifices never satisfied God – they had to be repeated all the time. The sacrifice of Christ completely satisfied God. It was offered once for all. So, (1) our salvation is eternal because Jesus Christ is eternal. (“You are a priest forever. . .”) And (2) our salvation is secure because His sacrifice entirely satisfies God. (You are priest according to the order of Melchizedek.)
So now let’s see how all this works out in real life. Let’s start with the guy back in that hotel room, stuck in a rut of sin, and beginning to wonder how secure he really is he continues on like this. Isn’t there a point where God says, “That’s enough! I’m through with you!” The answer is, “no, there is not,” and the reason is that our confidence rests, not on our behavior, but on God’s promise, made doubly sure with an oath.
:12 First let’s look at Hebrews 7:23-25: 23The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. The promise says that Jesus always lives to make intercession. So we have to ask ourselves, when we sin, will there ever come a point where Jesus is not our advocate before the Father? This verse tells us, “absolutely not!” As long as Jesus is on the job, He has promised to plead my cause before the Father. I am secure, not because of my faithfulness, but because Jesus is constantly on my side.
The important thing to keep in mind is that Jesus never pleads based on my good qualities. As though He would say, “Father, let’s go easy on Bob. He’s not such a bad guy.” The fact is, even at my best, there is a whole lot that could easily condemn me. Things that I don’t even know about. The sins of omission alone are enough to sink me. So that guy in the hotel room, even if he cleans up his act, would still be condemned, if he’s judged on his own merits.
:13 Aren’t you glad we are not? You see, our problem is that we don’t value the sacrifice of Christ like God values it. All we see is our sin. All God sees is His Son. Flip over to Hebrews 10, verses 5-6: 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. The implication is that God does take pleasure in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is why we celebrate Christmas, His coming into the world, in a body that will become the sacrifice that God accepts. As I said earlier, God’s salvation is not a work, but a person.
Now think with me a minute: When we sin, who accuses us? The devil certainly, the world often, and unfortunately, even our own conscience accuses us. Remember that I asked you to write beside the word “dispute,” the word “conscience.” You see, the dispute is between my own conscience, that condemns me, and the Father, who forgives me. I want to look within and find some justification for why God should love me. But that’s the wrong place to look. I need to look to the cross, and find my answer there. The answer for my conscience is that Jesus’ sacrifice is so good, and His mediation between my sinfulness and the Father’s holiness is so continuous, that nothing, nothing, nothing can separate me from the love of God. We don’t earn salvation by our successes. We don’t lose salvation by our failures. We live out our salvation by holding on to Jesus and resting in Him.
:14 So the oath, that Jesus is our priest forever, and that His is a sacrifice that God always accepts, cleanses our hearts from an evil conscience. Look at Hebrews 10:19-22: 19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
The world, the flesh, the devil, our guilty conscience - they all conspire to drive us away from God, when we need Him the most. The author of Hebrews is saying, “No! Turn around, you’re going the wrong way. When you sin, draw near to God, and hold on all the tighter.” And when the storms are all about us, tempting us to go the easy way, the way of sight, the way of the world - we who have taken refuge . . . have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, . .
:15 I want to wrap up the way Hebrews wraps up, with specifics on what holding on looks like between our second birth and our last breath. I’m going to focus on a few that deal with sexual purity.
Hebrews 13:4 4Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. God provides for the sexual drives that are a gift to men and women. It’s called marriage. This verse tells me that sex of any kind outside of a marriage is outside of God’s will. If you are a believer, you should ask yourself, “why would I want to behave like those people God plans to judge?” God has something better for you, so act like you believe that the reward of heaven is worth obeying God now.
Now I began this sermon talking about a in a hotel, viewing pornography. This is a battle for your mind, and I want to offer some practical advice. I want to suggest some spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines, by the way, are nothing more than intentionally putting yourself in a place where God can get at you. It is where you co-operate with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to renew your mind and soul.
The first is to set a hedge around you – which means you have to pull the plug – literally. At some hotels, you can ask the clerk at the front desk to turn off the “pay per view” movies. I once went on a trip with my boss. . . Personally, I don’t even turn the TV on when I am in a hotel room alone. If you are tempted by pornography, never surf the Internet in secret. I know families that have their computer right in the middle of the living room, as a hedge for all the men in the family, including teenagers. And if that doesn’t work, how about this: Get rid of the computer! I’m serious. What is your integrity worth? What’s the integrity of your sons and daughters worth?
Second, Hebrews 3:13 tells us to encourage one another every day, 10:24 tells us to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, and 10:25 says don’t forsake assembling together. That tells me that we need each other. If you are struggling with sexual purity, talk to someone of the same sex about it and ask them to hold you accountable.
Third, Psalm 119:11 says “your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Before I came to the Lord, I had a trunk full Playboy and Penthouse magazines, and that trash filled my mind. The best advice I ever received was to memorize large portions of Scripture, and replace those impure thoughts with the thoughts of God. Trust me, it really does work.
Finally, confess your sins and hold on to the hope you have in Christ. When we sin, what the devil wants to do is drive us away from God, to separate us from Him, using our own consciences against us. The farther we are from God, the easier it becomes to sin. Before long we are sluggish in our thinking, relying only on what we see in the world for comfort. It’s the devil’s lie, that this world is all there is. We need to apply diligence to our thinking, consider the great security we have in Jesus Christ, and hold on to our hope in Him, never in ourselves. The anchor we have in Him, is the only anchor that will hold.
:16 Let’s pray….