Peter reminds us that the devil is on the prowl, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  In a gospel meeting that we are presently involved in at the Brown Street church of Christ, our guest speaker, Greg Gwin, made a good point about the devil.  He said that there are only four references in the Bible where the devil is speaking, and in all of them he is opposing man.  That is just what the devil does.  It is what he lives for—attacking us and doing whatever he can to cause us to lose our souls.

The devil is still actively trying to destroy us.  What can we do about it?  Are we just “sitting ducks,” destined to become his prey?  No, thankfully, God has given us weapons to overcome him.  We saw in last night’s blog that one thing we can do is attend services regularly, growing in faith by getting a steady diet of God’s Word.  Another thing we can do is keep our heavenly hope before us.

Hebrews 6:18–20 (ESV)
¹⁸ 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.  ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,      ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

What is this hope that the Hebrews writer tells us to keep before us?  He tells us by referring to the Tabernacle of the Old Testament.  That tabernacle was composed of two compartments, the “holy place” and the “most holy” place, separated by a God-designed curtain or veil.  While the holy place was a type of the church, the most holy place was a type of heaven.  It contained the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat, which was a type of God’s throne because it would be the place where the presence of God would appear (Numbers 25:10-22).  The Hebrews writer confirms this typology by referring to it as the place where Jesus had “gone as a forerunner on our behalf.”  Our hope is to someday follow Him into heaven, the “antitype” of the most holy place.

This hope, the Hebrews writer says, is “an anchor of the soul.”  What does an anchor do?  It stops a boat from drifting away, and that is what hope does for us—it stops us from drifting away from God.  This is why Paul tells us that we are sustained by hope (Romans 8:24).  John explains this further.

1 John 3:2–3 (ESV)
² Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

The hope that John is referring to is the time when we shall receive our glorified bodies like the one that Jesus presently has.  “We shall be like him” John says.  When will we experience this joy of a new and improved glorified body?  It will be when we are resurrected unto life (John 5:28-29), and we begin our eternity with God in heaven.

Remember, this hope should be set before us.  It should not be behind us or somewhere over to the side, but front and center in our lives.  This hope, in other words, should never be too far from our minds.  This is what Paul meant when he said that we should “set our minds on the things that are above” (Colossians 3:2).  As long as heaven is our aim, and we are doing all we can to make it there, we will live sanctified lives and remain faithful to our God.  Do not let the devil distract you.  Keep your focus on heavenly things.  Put on the helmet of salvation by filling your mind with the hope of heaven.  Doing this will tremendously help you avoid apostasy.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.