From the heart of the
pastor:
“They desire
a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He
has prepared a city for them” (Heb. 11:16).
What impact do your
desires have upon your relationship with God? Is
God pleased with your desires, or do your desires
bring Him shame because He knows that you call Him
your God?
The Greek word God
utilizes for the verb “desire” literally means, “to
stretch out after.” Are you stretching out after
anything or anyone that should shame the normal
Christian?
Abel, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob desired a heavenly
city so strongly they stretched out after eternity
rather than becoming comfortable in earthly cities.
Paul left this world’s cities behind and stretched
forward for the heavenly city by always pressing on
for the goal of the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13f.).
God is not ashamed of
you when you vigorously desire His heavenly city.
God claims as His own all who live a life
energetically pursuing the heavenlies rather than
the earthlies. He introduced Himself to Moses
saying, “I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Ex.
3:6).
God is not ashamed of
those to whom the world is strange (Heb. 11:13).
God’s confederates renounce the world. They view
the world nearly as antagonistically as a prisoner
of war regards his “host” country. They know the
founder and foundation of their city is an architect
and builder named God (Heb. 11:10).
Perhaps the more
stinging question is, “Are you ashamed to be called
a child of God?” Few cultural Christians experience
shame when they enter their churches on Sunday
morning. Nevertheless, the world encounters great
difficulty on Monday through Friday determining
whether the word the cultural Christian heard
preached on Sunday ever entered the cultural
Christian’s heart. God says, Mark writes, “For
whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man
will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the
glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mk.
8:38).
God has already prepared
a city for those of whom He is unashamed. Jesus is
presently preparing a mansion within that city for
all who have placed their exclusive trust in Him (Jn.
14:1-3). Be ever aware that conflicting loyalties
incubate shame. In the courtyard of Israel’s high
priest, bold Peter said to a servant-girl, “Woman, I
do not know [Jesus]” (Lk. 22:57).
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
