Hebrews 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
In verse 14, God is directing the writer of the book of Hebrews to continue the point that was made earlier. Those spoken of prior to this verse proved with their words that they were looking for a country. They were not satisfied with what they saw and experienced around them. It was not that they were ungrateful people. They knew God had something better in store for His people. They knew that because they believed God.
I believe every born again Christian living in Canada should be seeking a better country than what we have here. That country is not on this earth. In the past people fled communism in Europe and came to North America for a better life. Some years back there was cheering because Ronald Reagan brought communism to an end. Communism never died. Communism has now taken over North America as well. In spite of what some people think, we are not going to see this country improving. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that I am.
I do not believe we should sell our possessions and move to some mountain to await Jesus’ return. I am not saying we should move to some secluded place to await the Lord’s return. There is no secluded place today. If you have a cell phone you cannot hide. They have drones as well that they can use to look for you. Then there are also the many snitches who are more than happy to tell the officials of those vehicles that were parked in that yard over there or in that field, etc. We have also witnessed the fact that our current government gave itself the power to seize bank accounts of those it did not like. I do not believe this will end with this one event. For those who believe the Bible, we know the anti-christ has even more sinister plans that he will enact. We have already seen that one man can make these changes all by himself. He just needs to threaten to call an election if he does not get his way and the worst of the fools come out and vote for him.
I am not depressed. I am not looking for a doctor to give me an injection that will kill me. I have refused the shots. They have the capacity to kill and to maim. That is a proven fact. The science proves that. The science does not support the mandates, but we are being lied to and told that the science does support them. The Bible warns of “science falsely so called.” God knows what is going on. He is the only One Who knows what is going on. Abraham and Sara understood that.
We need the faith of Abraham and Sara. We need the faith of Noah. They believed God and they acted in accordance with what God said. We have the luxury of having the completed Word of God available to us. We can read it at any time. We can attend a true local church and study God’s Word with other true believers, at least for now. We can have the same faith that others like Abraham and Sara had. We do not need to be so fearful of man. We do not need to be so divided in what is truth. We just need to take God at His Word and humbly submit to Him if we are His children. We need to be looking for a city whose builder and maker is God.
In verse 15 we see that God was not forcing anyone to follow Him. He told Abraham to leave Ur and go to a new country. Abraham chose to obey because he had his faith in God. Even after Abraham arrived in Canaan, he could have decided he did not like the land and he could have gone back to Ur. We know that many in the nation of Israel wanted to go back to the beatings and the oppression of Egypt as they wandered in the wilderness due to their own rebellion against God. Abraham had no desire to go back to Ur. He was looking for a city that hath foundations. Sara was also looking for such a city. Isaac and Jacob were also looking for such a city.
As we live on this sin-cursed earth, we (those who are truly saved), have a hope that carries us forward from day to day. We can get up in the morning and serve God because we know that is not a vain thing. We can be faithful in a true local church because we know that is God’s will and therefore it is good for us and for others as well.
In verse 16 we see that even back in Abraham’s day, they were not looking for some place on earth that would be better. Abraham did not leave Ur and head to the land of Canaan because he thought he could do better in that land. He moved because God called him to move. However, he knew that was not the final move he would make. He knew there was another move that he would be involved in that would take him out of this world and into heaven. He knew that there would be no lack of anything good in heaven.
The good news is that God was not ashamed to be identified with people like Abraham and Sara. God does not call all people of the earth His people. He is not the Father of all people. He is the Father of those who trust in Him. God does have righteous standards and righteous demands. He does not need to apologize for that. He does not need to change that. We are the ones who need to change. We need to be changed by God first of all in salvation. Then we need to be changed by God as we submit to His authority over us as our Father and we need to cast off former things and we need to put on the new man.
Ephesians 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
We see here in Ephesians that God always gives room for the individual to stop and consider if they are truly saved. There was much deception then and there still is much deception today. Those who are saved will be different and growing in the Lord.
God makes the initial change that enables those who are saved to grow in Him. The Calvinist claims that the unsaved are so dead that they cannot repent. They need to be saved before they can repent. The Calvinist is wrong. We can repent and we must repent in order to be saved. We must turn to God in humility and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. We can know we are lost and headed for hell. We can know that God did not make us to go to hell. We can know that God has something better in store for us, if we will turn to Him and be saved.
Abraham and Sara knew that God had something better for them. They trusted in God and they followed God on this earth and they were rewarded with a home in heaven. One day their bodies will be resurrected and they will dwell in that heavenly home in their glorified bodies. They will be glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ who provided the means for them to be forgiven and saved. That is true for all those who turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
Rather than sinking roots down too deeply here, we (those who are saved), need to be encouraging others to join us in living in expectation of that eternal home that God has prepared for all those who are truly saved.
Real confidence is found in knowing God’s forgiveness and living for Him.
Pastor Bartel
