Will This New Anchor Hold Fast?

I am in search of an anchor to keep my Christian life from being tossed about during what seems to be a never ending storm. A great hymn of the Church addresses that search by pointing us to Jesus who is that solid rock who alone holds the anchor of a life. But I am not searching for a rock; I am in need of a reliable anchor that will secure me to that Rock. I don’t know anything about setting an anchor but I assume some surfaces are better than others. We wouldn’t want to set our anchor on “shifting sand.”

That which the anchor attaches to is not my immediate concern. My concern is the quality of the anchor. If I am in a boat that has no anchor, as is the case among many once well grounded denominations, I fear that I will be tossed onto the rocks. I am told there are two kinds of anchors that serve different functions. One anchor is fixed and requires a specialized service to dislodge it. The other is temporary that can be easily attached and released – at the will of the Operator of the vessel. I need the kind that is permanently fixed until God Himself detaches it so the whole vessel can be taken up to Heaven.

Now this anchor and this boat are metaphors for the Church and the Believers’ set of doctrines. The Scriptures speak of being tossed about by every wind of doctrine – in other words “every crazy idea that flows from human imaginations.” (There is no shortage of those today.) We even read in I Tim 1:19 of certain pastors who have made a shipwreck of the faith. Young Timothy, the bishop, is warned by Paul to avoid their mistakes and to guard the truth entrusted to him.

The truth of God, found inscribed in the word of God is that anchor. You might object, saying, “You can prove anything by quoting some obscure passage from the Bible.” That is true. A single passage or even a poorly selected group of passage cannot form a secure anchor. That is why our anchor needs to be based on the full counsel of God found in what the Scriptures teach, not simply on what one passage seems to say or what some interest group wants it to say.

This is why there are documents that are carefully crafted to gather what the Scriptures teach about who God is and what God requires of us. The Apostles’ Creed is such a document. It is useful in addressing the most basic truths taught in the Scriptures. Yet, this statement is limited in the scope of doctrines it lists. It says, “I believe in God” but what kind of God, “the Father” – what kind of Father, “the almighty.” Who does what, creates all things, who is related to Jesus Christ, dies and rises, descends into hell, ascends into Heaven, who gathers a Church catholic, who forgives sins, etc. 

For a fuller statement of God, for example, read the Westminster Shorter Catechism – “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” That is an anchor I searched for and found. It will keep my ship moored securely to the Rock of my salvation.

If you mature in the Christian life, you will want to mature in your understanding who truth God reveals about Himself, the nature of very being, the plan and order of his saving work,  the manner and means of the salvation he secures for His Church, and implied moral duties such a salvation precipitate. You might what to consider the 300 level course found in the Larger Catechism or the 400 level exposition of what is taught in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

There are other Reformed confessions that might address a particular doctrine with more clarity or might include an area missing from the Westminster Standards. They too are useful. If an anchor is too weak, or too ambiguous or plainly false, we will surely make a shipwreck of any New Reformed Body, Church or Fellowship or Coffee Clutch we devise this January. I fear we will find a set of doctrines presented this January in Florida that are written with erasable magic marker. Such an anchor will not hold.