A promise from God

Hebrews 6:13-20

Hebrews 6:13–20 ESV

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

God made a promise and swore to himself…there is nothing higher to swear by than God alone!

Our word is not as good as it used to be. A handshake and your word used to be good enough…people would trust that you would come through. Now we have legal contracts for pretty much everything. BUT - even the contracts are good enough sometimes (Example sports players)

We swear on a higher being to make the promise more meaningful. We do this by “swearing on your mothers grave” or even in our courtrooms by “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?” Our assumption is that since you swore to a higher power to seal that promise, then you won’t break that promise.

Why would God need or want to swear to himself a promise?

He didn’t have to - but He wanted to erase any doubt from our minds

He didn’t need to swear because he may break the promise, but because he wanted to to put an end to all uncertainty and questioning. He cares about us and does not want us to worry if God will break his promises.

Hebrews 6:17

Hebrews 6:17 ESV

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,

God gives us the promise of security.

God will not forget about his promise

Isaiah 44:21

Isaiah 44:21 ESV

Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

Deuteronomy 4:31

Deuteronomy 4:31 ESV

For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

God promised to bless and multiply “us”. By us, we mean people who have been saved by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

God pledged his honor and his word. But he did even more; he pledged his oath. He pledged his own word and sacred honor of the Godhead that He would be true. But - there was a need to seal the covenant.

Jesus Christ sealed the covenant

Jesus made it valid, made it secure, by pouring out HIS blood to make the covenant effective once and for all and for everyone!

For instance - if there is an agreement for somebody to buy a house. Two people agree on the price and the arrangement. That deal is not final until the payment is made. Now - Jesus Christ’s blood was the payment for the covenant.

Spurgeon states it this way:

Hebrews Exposition

Now, Jesus Christ’s blood was the payment of His part of the covenant; and when He shed it, the covenant stood firm as the everlasting hills, and the throne of God Himself is not more sure than is the covenant of grace. And, mark you, that covenant is not sure merely in its great outlines, but sure also in all its details. Every soul whose name was in that covenant must be saved. Unless God can undeify Himself, every soul that Christ died for He will have. Every soul for which He stood Substitute and Surety He demands to have, and each of those souls He must have, for the covenant stands fast.

In addition to making the promise to bless us and not forgetting about the promise, God in these scriptures wants to do even more...

God is our anchor

Hebrews 6:19

Hebrews 6:19 ESV

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

Anchor definition - a device usually of metal attached to a ship or boat by a cable and cast overboard to hold it in a particular place by means of a fluke that digs into the bottom

A ship may not need and anchor in calm waters; when upon a broad ocean a little drifting may not be a very serious matter. But there are conditions of weather in which an anchor becomes altogether essential.

God does not want his people to be shipwrecked or lost. However, we all would be lost without an anchor. Without an anchor, we will slowly drift away until we complete fall off course.

God paid a great price for our salvation - the death of His son Jesus. A price too great to see us slip away and become lost.

God desires to be our anchor - but it’s up to us to choose what becomes our anchor.

God promises us access

Hebrews 6:19-20

Hebrews 6:19–20 ESV

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Because of Christ - we now have access to the father. We don’t need a high priest to be the between us and God…we can have all of God through the Holy Spirit thanks to Jesus!

Luke 23:44-46

Luke 23:44–46 ESV

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

The curtain had previously separated man from God but it was torn as Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins

Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we are promised access to God…all we have to do is ask!

Do you want access to God?