Many Christians have not embraced their pilgrim character. Instead, they are in love with the present world, and as a result, their growth is stunted. Looking forward and upward has a purifying effect. Scripture says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (KJV, 1 John 3:2-3). The one who looks forward to the coming of Christ and hopes for the return of Jesus will be made pure in his hoping and looking.
John was neither speaking of a once-and-a-while type of hope nor looking either. Instead, John was speaking of an attitude and disposition. He was speaking of a mindset and habitual thinking. Simply put, the one who looks forward to being with Jesus will be made like Jesus, and the life of Jesus will be manifested in his life.
But was John the only one to touch upon how the Christian must escape this world and look elsewhere? Absolutely not! Paul has said, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-2). At this point, some explaining may prove to be helpful.
When Paul spoke of the world, he was not talking about planet earth. Instead, he was talking about the ways of the world as contrasted with the ways of God. Paul was not saying that the Christian need not love his neighbor who is on the earth. Christ had already spoken of loving one’s neighbor as one of the most important commands.
Instead, the world can be summed up as the way of life governed by Satan that so many live. Paul has said elsewhere, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:1-2). Satan has a foothold in the world. Many believe lies, follow foolish pursuits, and live for selfish gain. This type of lifestyle is what characterizes the world.
But does God have a remnant? Are there those who have lived as pilgrims and gone against the grain? The author of Hebrews can help to answer this question.
Faith in the Old Testament
In Hebrews 11, the reader is shown a marvelous display of faith. It should be noted that everyone listed lived during the Old Testament. Thus, even then, the people of God lived by faith. The people of God have always looked heavenward. They have looked beyond what is seen with the physical eyes to what is seen with the spiritual eyes. In Hebrews 11, after the patriarchs had been commended, we read, “These all died in faith…” (Heb. 11:13). Thus, the patriarchs endured by their faith; they died in their faith, and they all looked beyond what was seen to what God had promised.
Seeing things promised
Nevertheless, we read, “…not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them…” (Heb. 11:13). It is essential to realize what is taking place in the text because the words will fall flat without a proper understanding.
The author uses the Old Testament promises of land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to illustrate the pilgrim character that the Christian must also have. These men died in faith and did not receive what God had promised them in this life. Simply put, they did not receive the Promised Land. However, the exact same reality is true for the Christian. The Christian has not received the Promised Land as of yet. Instead, he sees the Promised Land from afar off. Nevertheless, he is persuaded of the reality of the Promised Land, and although he has not revived it, he embraces it in his heart.
A peculiar people
Patriarchs were a peculiar people, as are Christians. While they are in the world, they are not of the world. While they are on the earth, they are also seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Scripture says of the patriarchs that they “…confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13). Thus, they were out of place and unfamiliar to a watching world. They were strangers, aliens, pilgrims, and sojourners. They were like foreigners in a distant land awaiting the time of their departure to return home.
But did you catch the wording? They confessed they were foreigners. They were not only pilgrims, but they embraced their pilgrim nature. So must the Christian embrace his. Hebrews 11:13-15 is about much more than the patriarchs. The passage is rich with application for the modern-day Christian.
Seeking a homeland
One of the reasons the patriarchs were pilgrims was that they were seeking the Promised Land and had not yet acquired it. Scripture says, “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country” (Heb. 11:14). They not only confessed that they were pilgrims, but they also acted like it. They sought out the Promised Land. So must the Christian go and do likewise. He will not obtain the Promised Land in this life but must seek it out. But how?
Guarding the mind
The author of Hebrews tells us how the Christian is to seek the Land he will never obtain until death. He says, “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned” (Heb. 11:15). In other words, had the patriarchs been thinking of the land from which God had brought them out, they would have been likely to return to it. Therefore, to seek the Promised Land, the Christian must learn to embrace his pilgrim character by not thinking of the land from which God brought him out.
While in the wilderness, the Israelites often thought about Egypt. They did not remember the bad but chose to meditate on foolish things that brought about a desire to return. Likewise, the Christian must not entertain thoughts about returning to the land from which God brought him out.
Looking ahead
As the Christian turns in his thinking, he must turn to God. Scripture says, “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly…” (Heb. 11:16). Here we see the symbolism of what was said previously. Up to this point, the land promised to the patriarchs was not spoken of as heavenly. The author merely recalled the promises made and the faith in those promises. But here, we see the ultimate intent of the author all along.
The world was not their home. They were strangers and exiles, as is the Christian. They desired a better country and did not cling to the present world. So must the Christian desire the heavenly land that awaits him.
The smile of God
The reward is great, and the author does not fail to motivate the careful reader. When the Christian turns from this world and desires the heavenly one to come, we read, “…God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:16). What a great verse.
The author does not say that when the Christian is perfect, God will not be ashamed to be called their God. Instead, the Bible says that when a Christian genuinely turns from living for this world to desiring and living for eternity, God is not ashamed to be called his God.
The Christian must learn as the patriarchs did that this world is passing away along with its desires, but those who do the will of God will abide forever. The rich young ruler clung to this world and did not inherit eternal life. However, Zacchaeus heard the words of Christ and let go of the world to lay hold of the Son of God. A person cannot lay hold of Christ when he is clinging to something else with a clenched fist.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the promise of eternal life. Help me to turn from the world and lay hold of Christ this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.