Matthew Henry Commentary Hebrews 6:11-20

"And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end: that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us: which we have as an anchor of the soul, [a hope] both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil; whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." — Hebrews 6:11-20 (ASV)

The hope referred to here is a confident expectation of good things promised, an expectation that comes through those promises and is accompanied by love, desire, and valuing them. Hope has its degrees, just as faith does. The promise of blessedness that God has made to believers originates from God's eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God can be safely relied upon, for in them we find two unchangeable things: God's counsel and His oath, in which it is impossible for Him to lie, as that would be contrary to His nature as well as to His will.

And since He cannot lie, the destruction of the unbeliever and the salvation of the believer are equally certain. Note here that those to whom God has given full security of happiness have a title to the promises by inheritance. The consolations of God are strong enough to support His people under their heaviest trials. Here is a refuge for all sinners who flee to the mercy of God—through the redemption of Christ, according to the covenant of grace—setting aside all other confidences.

In this world, we are like a ship at sea, tossed up and down and in danger of being shipwrecked. We need an anchor to keep us secure and steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and steadfast; otherwise, it could not keep us so. The free grace of God, the merits and mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of His Spirit are the grounds of this hope, and thus it is a steadfast hope.

Christ is the object and ground of the believer's hope. Therefore, let us set our affections on things above and wait patiently for His appearance, when we will certainly appear with Him in glory.