The book of Hebrews reminds us of our eternal country that we will possess if we stick with Jesus, our only hope. The original readers of Hebrews were struggling to keep believing in Jesus. They were tempted to leave the gospel to go back to their old Jewish religion. The author of Hebrews argues that the old Jewish religion is obsolete because it pointed them forward to Christ. However, many believers died during those old covenant times before Christ came. They were people like Abraham and Joseph, who both died before inheriting all of God's promises. But they died in faith, looking forward to the hope coming in Jesus and ultimately in their heavenly country. The author writes:
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on the earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV).Our hope for a sinless nation or at least one where all its citizens are Christians will only be fully realized when God's Son returns for us, and takes us to the place he has prepared for us. So for now we can only see these things from a distance; we can't clearly see it yet with our eyes. But we do see something, don't we? Each Sunday when we are gathered to hear God's Word and to worship him, we see a glimpse of the better country, the eternal one that will come. We gather as one body, focused on our God, worshiping our God in unison. It is a glorious glimpse of what is to come.
The coming eternal nation will not gain power through an election cycle, but through Jesus' second coming. Its citizens won't disagree over sinful issues like abortion, rather its citizens will please God in obedience from the heart. This perfect city will be visibly ruled by our Messiah, who will rule with pure justice, love, and all power. This hope will soon call us away from our temporary residence and unto a better citizenship, and eternal country where God will be our God and our King and we will be with all his people, one Christian family and country.
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20).
