Wednesday, February 08, 2012

A Heavenly Country

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16, NKJV).
What is the hallmark of saving faith? Enduring to the end, or as Hebrews 11:13 puts it, dying in faith. You are not saved because you endure, but your endurance proves your salvation.

Dying in faith, by definition, means not having received the promises, and in turn, raises the question: what promises?

There are many; eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth, living in the radiant and ever-satisfying Presence of God, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, no more sin, and no more Curse. 

Each one of these could be expounded upon in page and after page, but the point the writer is making here is that the heroes of the faith prior to Christ did not even have the benefit of knowing that Christ had come, let alone the full redemption of those yet-future eternal promises. 

But they went to their graves in faith anyway, having seen [the promises] afar off [being] assured of them, [embracing] them and [confessing] that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Do you see the fourfold glory in that statement? Their belief in God and His Word was likened to being able to see His promises beyond the horizon, convinced beyond doubt that these would be fulfilled, holding fast to them more tightly than upon life itself, and, in doing so, declaring that this world was not their home.

Other than faith in God, there is no explanation for living life that way; no other reason. And by living life that way they proclaimed their trust in God in unmistakable and irrevocable terms. In effect, they were exiling themselves from this world in order to seek a [new and better] homeland.

The proof that their faith was real is that they didn't even [call] to mind that country from which they had come out, because had they done so, they would have had opportunity to return. To go back was literally unthinkable
Each and every moment, believers then (and now) chose to live by faith, resisting any temptation to turn away from God and back to the world. Through His grace, they understood the futility of earthly life without Him, and preferred death to apostasy.

Like Moses, and the other faithful before and after them, their focus was on things above, that heavenly country, the place where He has prepared a city for them.

It is that desire for Heaven that motivated them to live as children of God on earth. It was that desire for Heaven that enabled God to be unashamed to be called their God.

Have you heard or read the saying that someone can be so heavenly minded as to be no earthly good? This is exactly wrong - the very opposite of what is the case.

It is the desire for Heaven, the focus upon Heaven, that empowers a Christian to be like Christ, now.

It is the desire for Heaven that enables a Christian to hold lightly to the things of this life, and yearn for the permanence, beauty, security and glory of the life to come.

While it is true that there can be many pleasant and satisfying aspects of life on this planet here and now, these are mere shadows of the reality of eternal life; whispers, tastes, and fleeting glimpses of the unspeakable reality of that heavenly country.

And God looks upon anticipation of that homeland as a testimony of faith, and is pleased - for without faith it is impossible to please Him.

We are no longer of this world. Jesus has transformed us.

We are strangers, pilgrims, sojourners and ambassadors, but not permanent citizens here.

Our task is simply to live a life of faith and obedience as witnesses of the grace, love and mercy of God.