The Christian who is living by faith does not consider himself or herself part of the present world. Jesus was not part of the present world and we are not to be part of the present world.

Much of today's Christian literature is slanted toward improving our life in the present world. While some of this literature is helpful, we need to be careful that we do not lose sight of the fact that the present world is temporary and the Gospel of the Kingdom is a hope for relief at the coming of the Lord. If we do not have this viewpoint we will not be able to stand if America suffers problems as severe as is true of other countries of our day.

How many Evangelical Christians in America could stand if we were to experience the suffering true of our fellow believers in Sudan, in China, in Egypt? We simply must return to the idea that we are only sojourners here and our treasures are in Heaven. If we have this kind of faith we will stand in victory even though our families are tortured or killed. After all, we are not God's favorites. God loves the Sudanese Christians just as much as He does us.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:10—NIV)

I cannot tell you how Abraham knew about the new Jerusalem, but it is obvious he did.

Abraham was not looking forward to going to a city in Heaven. He was waiting for the new Jerusalem to come to the earth.

Notice the following:

For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:14—NIV)

The writer of Hebrews was not waiting to go to Heaven. He (or she) was waiting for the city that is to come from Heaven to the earth, that is, the new Jerusalem. The idea that Heaven is our eternal home is not found in the Bible. It entered Christian thinking perhaps as early as the first century; at any rate from very early times.

Our faith is not looking to go to Heaven to make our home there. Our faith is waiting for the heavenly city, Mount Zion, to come to the earth.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (Hebrews 11:11,12—NIV)

There had been great tension in Abraham's life concerning having an heir.

Then God spoke to Abraham. But twenty-five years elapsed until there was no possibility that the birth of Isaac could take place apart from a Divine miracle.

So part of the faith by which we are justified consists of waiting for God to fulfill His word, in the meanwhile judging God to be faithful. Faith has a lot to do with our opinion of God's Character!

To be continued.