These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Christian Standard Bible (Heb 11:13–16). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
Like the patriarchs in the Old Testament, we are also foreigners and temporary residents. We are also like them that we will not see the fulfillment of all that God has promised in this life. The author of Hebrews had just finished telling us about Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. There are others we can look at to! Moses never made it to Canaan. David never saw the construction of the Temple. Jeremiah bought a field while Jerusalem was under siege, trusting that God would one day restore a land he would not live to see restored. Yet we know of all of these people because of what they did with their lives.
I recently listened to the audiobook of Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. The entire point of this book was to point out the fact that we cannot get away with sitting around. We are not saved into passivity. As Christians, we are a channel of God’s love in the world. He created us, chose to have a relationship with us, and even allowed us to partner with Him in making Christ known to the world. It is miraculous. Yet some people want to sit on their hands and wait.
We must accept that we are sojourners, people who live here faithfully without mistaking this world as our home. Like the patriarchs of Israel and the Apostles, we are not welcome here. If you feel welcomed, you may be compromising your faith. Like the patriarchs of Israel and Apostles we are also on a mission.
In Luke 9:57-62 we see three separate people who simply believed in Jesus yet couldn’t put earthly obligations behind them in order to follow Him. James 2:19 condemns only believing because even the demons believe. Revelation 3:16 tells us that Jesus will reject us for having lukewarm belief. There is a hint of agnosticism here. Acknowledging a higher power and suspecting that one of the current religions is correct does not equal faith. Even if you do so while regularly attending church. James speaks of faith but faith without action is really only belief. Do you believe in God, or do you have faith in God?
Our faith stirs us to act, to abandon this temporary home, to pray that the Kingdom of God is present on earth and allow God to use us to advance His Kingdom. So, brothers and sisters, we must find ways to serve our churches, our communities, and the Kingdom of God. For this is the promise we’ve inherited on this side of heaven. I’ll see you tomorrow.
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