Do you have an anchor in your life?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Do you have an anchor in your life? 

Today, we are familiar with logos, icons, and symbols. They are a simple way of conveying a message. For example, most of us know what the symbol for Wi-Fi is, and when we see a red cross, we know that there is help available for an emergency. One of the early symbols of Christianity was an anchor. For Christians, Christ is the unfailing hope of all who believe in him. Pictured on the epitaphs of first-, second-, and third-century believers, it symbolized the hope they had for this life and the next, and so the symbol of the anchor was adopted as the symbol of hope. The anchor was also regarded in ancient times as a symbol of safety. In the Bible, the gospel message teaches us how we can be ‘safe’ or ‘saved’. 

However, you would be right to ask why Christians believe we need hope. The Bible makes it clear that life lived without God is ultimately hopeless. Please let me explain: 

 

The absence of hope

 

Scripture teaches that we were created to know God and to live in a relationship with Him. The first humans had the choice to live God’s way or to live without God. They chose the latter despite being warned of the devastating consequences. The result is stated in the Bible, people are ‘without Christ . . . having no hope, and without God in the world,’ Ephesians 2. 12.

 

The promise of the hope

 

I find it amazing that God planned salvation for humans long before they had sinned against Him. The Bible states in Titus chapter 1 verse 2, ‘In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.’ This reminds us that despite giving us a choice and being aware of how we would abuse that freedom, God loved us so much that He planned that His Son, Jesus, would make the ultimate sacrifice by becoming a man and dying for our sins. 

 

Hope brings peace & joy.

 

Most of us would prefer life to be problem-free and would like to be confident that everything will turn out all right in the end. God promised this in the Bible but only because His Son, Jesus, dealt with sin and evil by His death and resurrection. You can enjoy the safety and hope that is on offer by taking God at His word. The Bible expresses it like this – ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.’

Romans 5:1-2.

 

The entry on anchors in the New World Encyclopedia states, ‘The anchor is ancient in design and has not changed substantially over time’. So, the anchor used today has pretty much remained unchanged from ancient times. The Lord Jesus Christ is described like this in the Bible – ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever,’ Hebrews 13. 8. Life changes from day to day, and problems come with no warning, but the Lord Jesus Christ never changes. You can count on him to hold you steady no matter what the storms of life throw at your boat. He will hold you secure until the storm has calmed and the skies have cleared. 

 

Christ has always been the anchor of hope for those who believe. So why not put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to take you through the storms of life and save you from facing the judgment of God for your sins? Then you will be able to say the following words with confidence - ‘Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast’, Hebrews 6. 19-20. For your own safety, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,' Acts 16. 31 (ESV).