Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”
We enjoy “a strong consolation” when we “have fled” to our Lord “for refuge”. In this blessed “refuge”, by the grace and mercy of our Lord, we “lay hold upon the hope set before us”; that is, we “lay hold upon the hope” of “the forerunner” and that Holy Place where He has already “entered” (Hebrews 6:20). The “forerunner” is our Lord Jesus Christ and the Place where He has “entered” is Heaven itself where the throne of God is and there “are many mansions” prepared for us (John 14:2). To “lay hold upon” this blessed “hope” is to focus our thoughts upon it, pushing back the enticements, attractions, fears, and anxieties of this present world. The devil and his “antichrists” (I John 2:18) employ every trick and device in their arsenal to discourage and distract us from “the hope” that is “set before us”. If they can distract us, they can lead us into sin and error and rob us of our joy and peace in this present life. It is somewhat like an enemy that changes the road signs so that we will take the wrong road, and when we take the wrong road, we soon find ourselves in an ambush designed to totally ruin us. But, we avoid “the snare of the devil” (I Timothy 3:7) when we flee to the Lord “for refuge”! To “lay hold upon the hope set before us” is to pray, read and learn His Holy Word, go to Church and hear the Word preached and taught, and to talk with one another about the Word of God; all the while, thinking about the Place where our “forerunner is for us entered” (Hebrews 6:20). The majesty and glory of this Place far exceeds our ability to either comprehend or describe. But, in our “refuge”, our Lord strengthens our “hope” by giving us little glimpses of His Heavenly Place. So magnificent is this Place that Paul declared, “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) and “I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). But, he also wrote, “to live is Christ”; that is, while I live in this present world, the Lord gives us the sweet joy and privilege of worshiping and serving Him and He has given us a secure “refuge” from life’s stormy troubles. In this “refuge” we find “the throne of grace” and we “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).