Donald Barnhouse, the well-known pastor from the early 20th century once spoke of a refugee from Hitler’s Germany. The man had heard so much of America and so was settled he in his knowledge and love for this land that he refused to live as a German citizen. He did not accept the priorities of the German state and would not do what it took to be a “good Nazi.” So he left for a better country.
In a similar way, the author describes the people in this chapter as refusing to embrace the world system because they see in God something better for them. The key idea of this passage is that true biblical faith brings a person to have a different set of priorities from those in the world. Though they are in the world and must live in it they certainly live in a way that clearly portrays they are not of it.
I think faith-filled, rather than faithful, is the way the author would portray these individuals of whom he speaks. In this passage we note three aspects of the faith-filled of whom he speaks.
I. The Summary of the Faith-Filled (vv.13-14)
In verses 13-14, the first aspect we see is the summary of the faith-filled. The author has been listing various heroes of the faith but now stops his progress to recap what he has been taught about their faith. He gives us some kernel statements in these two verses to further define what biblical faith is. Remember, throughout the entire chapter, the author continues to add to the definition of biblical faith so we won’t be as one he describes in 10:39 who shrinks back to destruction but that we would be of those who have faith (real biblical faith) to the preserving of the soul. In these verses we note three characteristics of those who are “faith-filled.”
A. They recognized the faithfulness of God
The first characteristic of those who are faith-filled is they recognized the faithfulness of God. “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance.” The author says these people died in faith, or literally “according to faith.” We could translate it, “In a state of faith.” These people who heard God’s promises continued in their trust of God until the very end. They died while trusting. They had real faith that resulted in the preserving of their souls. Though they themselves did not receive the promises, as in the case of Abraham and Jacob and the land of Canaan, they still considered God trustworthy to fulfill His promises in His time. They knew that even though they could not experience them on this earth God would do what He said He would. They didn’t lose hope in God even though the promise didn’t occur in their day. They waited, all the while trusting. And when it came for them to die, they did not experience the torment of the unbeliever. They had peace that the God who had brought them thus far would Himself bring them home.
Only true biblical faith that rests securely in the promises of God can comfort a person in their time of death. Any shaky foundation that is not based on repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can never bring peace to a person in their last moments on earth before they will face God. Let me illustrate the difference with a few examples of those who spoke on their deathbed.
Voltaire, that French infidel, who had boasted that he would destroy Christianity in 20 years died in great desperation. The nurse at his deathbed said, “For all the wealth in Europe I would not see another infidel die.” His physician noted that Voltaire cried out before he died, “I am abandoned by God and man! I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months’ life. (If not) Then I shall go to hell.” The Duke of Buckingham, who was a professed atheist, said as he died, “I sported with the holy name of heaven. Now I am haunted by remorse and, I fear, forsaken by God.” Contrast these men with Daniel Webster who stated shortly before his death, “The great mystery is Jesus Christ – the gospel. What would the condition of any of us be if we had not the hope of immortality?…Thank God, the gospel of Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light.” And his last words were: “I still live.” The hymn writer, Isaac Watts, on the day of his death, said, “It is a great mercy that I have no manner of fear or dread of death. I could, if God pleases, lay my head back and die without terror this afternoon.”
As the author recounts those in the hall of faith he notes that they died in this steadfast trust of what God had said. True biblical faith recognizes the faithfulness of God in all He says. If you refuse to believe what God says as true in His Word, if you do not accept it all as from Him, you do not posses genuine biblical faith.
B. They recognized the fullness of God’s promise
The second characteristic of those who are faith-filled is they recognized the fullness of God’s promise. In verse 13 the author says that these died in faith, “having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance.” The people trusted the promises of God from a distance. They knew they would not receive them but they interacted with them. What do I mean? The word, “welcomed” is also translated “greeted.” They saw that the full promises of God didn’t just deal with land or physical descendants but included a fullness of spiritual promise. For example, Abraham could see that the promise to bless the entire world through his descendant described the salvation that would be provided through the coming of his One descendant, Jesus Christ. Beside the physical offspring and the national promises to Abraham, God had clearly relayed to Him that the Messiah would come from him. Abraham recognized, as the Apostle described in Galatians, that God’s promises for global blessing would be passed on to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
This is the promise for all those who have genuine biblical faith today. God has given us, Peter says, “Great and precious promises.” But these promises are not on the physical realm as if riches were what God has called us to. The promises that are available to us in Christ are the riches of His grace to live godly in Christ Jesus. The promises given to us are the strength to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called. The promises provided to us are those that allow us to have joy and peace in the midst of persecution. Recognize the fullness of the promises of God by faith and live in them so you conduct yourself as, Peter says in his first letter, as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
C. They recognized the futility of setting their hearts on this life
The third characteristic of those who are faith-filled is they recognized the futility of setting their hearts on this life. In verses 13 & 14 the author says that they had, “confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.” Genuine biblical faith causes us to long to be with God because we recognize how very much greater that is. And people with genuine biblical faith are not ashamed to reveal their true intent. The word the author uses translated “make it clear” is used several times in the New Testament where it is translated loosely as, “to bring something to someone’s attention.” Those who truly believe God’s greatness is represented in the fact that He brought salvation to sinful men want to tell others about this God. They want to make it clear to others why they are seeking another country. They want to bring this to someone’s attention.
But there are those, who proclaim to possess faith in Christ and yet they do not recognize the futility of setting their hearts on this life: They want all that life has, as their god, instead of wanting all that God has for their life. They are so enamored by a life of ease that they cannot recognize the blessing of missionary service instead. They can’t see the advantage of living a life totally given over to God. They are so enthralled by a life of plenty they cannot recognize the blessing in a life of sacrifice for Christ. Even the apostle Paul said that he had learned the lesson of being content in whatever circumstances he found himself. But there are some who are so given over to a me-first life they cannot fathom Jesus’ promise that the first shall be last and the last first. Simply stated, they don’t believe the promises of God found in His Word. They continue to complain and gripe and moan about the inconsistencies and unfairness of life instead of seeing that God calls them to trust Him and rejoice in Him right where they are, not when they get something better. They do not have biblical faith that truly lives out God’s promises as genuine. They see following God’s Word as something to be done grudgingly (if at all) instead of seeing obedience to God’s Word as JOY ITSELF.
Those who have genuine faith are not looking for a better life now. They are living the life they have now in joy and looking for every opportunity to make an impact for God’s kingdom. But Dave, you don’t understand, how can I make an impact for God’s kingdom? I have to work this job all day, spend some time with my family and start over the next day. How can I do anything for Christ? The eye of faith sees your job as an opportunity to witness for Christ by your work and your words. And the eye of faith sees time spent with your family as an opportunity to pass on a zealousness for the love of Christ. Too often, however, we fail to see that whatever we do we are to do for the glory of God. And so we slouch in our work. We slouch in our time with the family. It is much easier to throw in a video or flip on the TV and let my wife and children go to hell by drinking deeply of the world’s philosophy instead of gathering the family and reading the Scripture with them and praying. But the eye of faith says I will redeem the time because the days are evil. If we are to make an impact for Christ we are going to have to truly recognize the futility of setting our hearts on this life. But how do we do this?
II. The Heart of the Faith-Filled (vv. 15-16a)
The next verses describe how we do this as we see the second aspect of the passage as the heart of the faith-filled. Verses 15 & 16a note this. “Indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” There are two actions accomplished in the heart of the faith-filled we see in these verses.
A. They look forward
The first action found in the heart of the faith-filled is they look forward. The author said that if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out they would have had opportunity to return. The word translated, “thinking of” is literally the word “to remember.” In the New Testament this word is often used of remembering things or people with fondness. It is spoken of remembering Jesus’ words and acting on them; it was used by Paul as he remembered the service of the people of God toward him. But here the author is saying that these who were faith-filled did not remember with longing the place from which they left. Had they been meditating upon all the thrills and joys they experienced in the land they left behind they could have returned. Remember, as we mentioned last week, God called Abraham from the land of Ur. It was the land of idolatry. It was the land of sensual pleasure. It was the land of the good life for them. They could have enjoyed all this. The land of idolatry is filled with the pleasures of sin FOR A SEASON. The land of idolatry is filled with greater riches that are temporary. But they did not choose to remember these things that could have been theirs. They kept looking forward. And if we are to make an impact for Christ in our generation we are going to need to keep looking forward. We are going to need to keep setting our hearts upon the beauty of Christ and of God in all their holiness.
What was it that showed most of the Israelites coming out of Egypt didn’t have genuine faith in the God who brought them out from that land? Stephen describes it in his farewell address in Acts 7. In verse 39, Stephen says, “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to [Moses], but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.” What was it that showed their lack of faith? They turned back. They did not look forward to what God had for them. They longed for what they used to have. They didn’t follow God all the way.
Oppositely, the apostle Paul describes his genuine kind of faith in Philippians 3. He said in vv. 13-14, “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul kept looking forward to where he was going. He didn’t bother with what he had done or even what had happened to him. He didn’t live in the past. Too many Christians today live in the regrets of the past. They cannot do a work for God because they are still so hung up on what happened to them they can’t focus on that to which it is God has called them. They carry all this baggage of unforgiveness, regret, and bitterness and refuse to leave it at the cross where it belongs. And consequently they end up doing nothing for God. Stop letting what happened to you in your past prevent you from doing what God wants you to be doing now. Imagine if the apostle Paul had not kept this focus. He could have focused on the fact that he persecuted and killed Christians. “Oh, God can’t use me, after all I am Saul the Christian killer. Maybe those in Jerusalem were right. No one will believe that I met Jesus.” No, he did not let his sins in the past prevent him from going on for God. He repented and went forward from there.
The author of Hebrews says that what sets those with biblical faith apart from others is they keep looking forward. They don’t have time to pull pity parties for themselves. They keep going. They see their heavenly reward waiting for them as they continue to serve and love the Lord. And this brings us to the next action found in the heart of the faith-filled.
B. They look for something better
The second action found in the heart of the faith-filled is they look for something better. This is what the author says at the beginning of verse 16. “But as it is, they desire a better country.” What is it in the heart of the faith-filled that brings them to action? They understand that this isn’t “the good life.” They realize that today isn’t the “day of rest” the author of Hebrews makes mention of earlier in his letter. Today is the day of work. Today is the day of labor. Today is the day to break our backs for the kingdom of God. Today is the day in which, if we say to our soul, ‘take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry,’ many will perish who have never heard of the kingdom of God. But as we serve Christ now, we desire a better country that is, a heavenly one. We are not content with this the things of this life. And we cannot overcome that discontentment by filling our lives with the possessions of this world. Jesus said that a man’s life does not consist in that which he possesses. We overcome discontentment in this world by filling our lives with Jesus. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst.” When we drink deeply of Jesus, we find in Him something better. Even the apostle Paul spoke of looking for something better in Philippians 1. There he noted, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” While I live here on earth I get to know Christ better. When I leave this earth I will know Him forever. The obedient Christian who seeks to fill up his heart with Christ and His Word finds Himself in a win-win situation. His inner man is renewed day by day even though his physical body is perishing. And when the time comes for his physical body to stop completely he finds himself face to face with the One he has been seeking all along.
We need to be looking for something better than this life. We need to set our attention on Christ in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
III. The God of the Faith-Filled (v. 16b)
Finally, verse 16 ends by describing the last aspect of this passage as the God of the faith-filled. The author tells us, “Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a place for them.” There are two activities God performs with respect to the faith-filled.
A. He welcomes them without regret
The first activity God performs with respect to the faith-filled is he welcomes them without regret. “God is not ashamed to be called their God.” When someone believes God’s Word and trusts Him in what He says then God is not ashamed of them. God will neither condemn nor reject the humble believer who has received Christ as his Savior. Jesus says, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” We have these definite promises from God’s Word because those who honor Him by believing His Word He will honor.
Why is this? Those who have faith in His Word concerning His promise of eternal life in Christ have been made righteous in God’s sight. Therefore there is nothing to regret on God’s part. He is not ashamed to be called their God. The penalty for their sin has been paid. The justice of His wrath has been appeased. Those who have repented of their sin and have received Christ as their Savior have done so only because they have desired a better country than what this earth can give them. They have sought God’s righteousness and have found it. And if they have God’s righteousness then God can find no fault in them. These are Paul’s very words in Romans 8. He tells us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Therefore those who trust His Word will make Christ the hope of their life. It is He who has set them free from sin and so the life they live is filled by trusting His Word.
Can you say, “God is not ashamed to be called my God”? Or would God cringe when you say, “God is my God?” Can God say, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased?” Can you confidently acknowledge that God would welcome you without regret? Can you say, “There is no condemnation for me”? I can confidently declare that God is not ashamed to be called my God. You might say, “Dave, you’re boasting.” I am not because this confidence has nothing to do with my track record but with Christ’s. This past week, in sharing the Gospel with someone I told them that God requires absolute perfection if we are to be received by Him. And then I proceeded to tell him that for the last 20 years I had been completely righteous in God’s sight. He looked at me a little incredulously and I said that it was not my righteousness in which I trusted but in a righteousness that was given to me by God Himself. And unless you have repudiated all of your attempts to be right in God’s sight by your own effort and have received God’s righteousness available to you through Christ then you cannot say, “God is not ashamed to be called my God.” But if you have humbled yourself in repentance and received Christ as your Savior in faith, then you can truthfully say that God is not ashamed to be called your God.
B. He welcomes them home
The next activity God performs with respect to the faith-filled is He welcomes them home. The end of verse 16 says, “He has prepared a place for them.” Before Jesus left His disciples he told them, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” In Revelation 21 we find John’s words, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready…” God has prepared a place for all those who trust Him so that they may be with Him. This place isn’t doubtful. It has been prepared. It is ready to receive us. And God Himself will be there. John goes on to describe it as, “He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
This perfect place will find its perfection because of the perfect One who made it. And you, who have lived in genuine biblical faith in Christ alone, will hear God’s Word, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.” He will have prepared a place for you. Are you preparing yourself for Him?
Friends, is your faith causing you to look forward? Is your faith calling you to look for something better? Set your hearts on Christ. Seek Him in His Word with all your strength and you will not be disappointed. For God will welcome you without regret and when God welcomes you home you will not say, “I wish I hadn’t studied the Scripture so much. When you look into the face of Christ you will not declare, “I wish I hadn’t told so many people about Jesus. When you enter heaven and glimpse the beauty of the glory of God you will not remark, “I wish I hadn’t prayed so much.” When you hear the words of the Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” the thought will not cross your mind that “I memorized too much Scripture to prepare myself for this place.” All these things will not be found to be time wasted but time enjoyed, forever.