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For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, 
and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 8:12

I watched “Darkest Hour,” last night, which is a film on Winston Churchill’s selection as prime minister of England even as the country faces the aggressively advancing Nazi threat. The man had many open and obvious failures. He smoked too much and drank too much. The outcomes of his decisions and judgments prior to becoming prime minister made him an uncertain candidate for some. Yet, his boldness and intuition are what made him the man for his time and circumstances. For all of his faults he inspired his nation and led them to victory over Hitler and the Third Reich. Churchhill was able to move beyond failure (and success) in order to address the moment before him.

What is the relevance to Hebrews 8:12? As children of God, we must remember that the Lord’s forgiveness grants us liberty from the failures of our past. The Lord’s process of sanctification can only have a victorious outcome. The Lord’s grace is abundantly available to us in each present moment.

The Lord is mercifully forgetful, and as he has presently placed himself to the right of the Father and interceding on our behalf, we must direct also our focus to the present working of God in us and through us.

-C.R.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,

Hebrews 6:19

Ships, whether they be a “jon-boat” for fishing or an aircraft carrier ensuring national defense, benefit from an anchor.

The anchor of our soul is our salvation in Jesus Christ. Three quick thoughts on this anchor:

• When life is peaceful and calm we have a tendency to forget the need of the anchor to keep our ship safe, and our vessel can gradually float and into hidden dangers. We meander away from fellowship with the Saviour, having no felt need of him.
• Like a real anchor, we realize our need of Christ most when we are facing storms in life.
• When we do not have our anchor set, when we are not sure and stedfast by hope in Christ, we are driven about by turbulent circumstances. (James 1:6)

-C.R.

Bonus thought: human relationships are not anchors.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Hebrews 5:8

In context the author of Hebrews is writing about Christ’s suffering of the cross. Verse 7 appears to be referring to the Garden of Gethsemane in which Jesus prayed for deliverance, yet yielded to the Father’s will.

Though he was the Son of God, his humanity yearned to avoid what was before him. We experience a shadow of the same thing. This time of testing has the opportunity to mature us and increase our faith, but there is part of us that wants nothing to do with the “suffering.” The Bible says we must let patience have its perfect work, that we must endure to mature.

Learning obedience requires submitting to suffering, and we had better settle it in our hearts now that the the Bible is true when we read “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” (2 Tim 3:12).

Once we have settled and believed that truth we then do what Jesus did in that Garden… we pray. And the same Jesus who prayed, endured and was victorious having learned obedience now lives to make intercession for us. Our compassionate High Priest and brother unashamedly invites us to come to him with everything. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16)

-C.R.