Pilgrims And ForeignersSample

Abraham – The example of the believer as pilgrim (Hebrews 11:8-10; 13:14)

Abraham is one of the best-known characters in the Bible, especially as an example of faith. His journey begins with the divine calling to leave Ur and to follow Him to an unknown place. Faith transforms him into a pilgrim. Because of that faith he was justified, as he believed God’s promise that he would have a son, which contradicted every possibility, given his age and his wife’s, together with her infertility. He believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness (Ga. 3:6). The faith that lead him to leave Ur did not appear randomly, but, as Stephen would say, “the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham” (Acts 7: 2). It wasn’t the glory of God, but the God of glory. This revelation extinguished any other and strengthened faith. What he expected was not longer an earthly place, but a heavenly one. It wasn’t a territory better than Ur, where he had lived; faith leads him to wander through the land of the promise, as a pilgrim, because he “anticipated the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God”.

This situation is the same for every believer. In the manner of Abraham, we believed and were justified. Salvation is by grace, through faith (Eph. 2: 8-9). The evidence of that faith is that the human being leaves everything to accept what only God offers them. The world becomes a place of transit towards the city that has foundations, according to Jesus’ promise (John 14: 1-4). As Abraham had to leave everything he owned to follow God, we leave our world to trail a path marked by the footsteps of Jesus (1 P. 2: 21). There is nothing permanent for a Christian in this temporality. Their vision turns to heaven, where the eternal goods are, awaiting the permanent city. The victorious church is that which, following Christ, is directed towards the heavenly abodes. 

In a relative world, as pilgrims we possess absolute values. 

Samuel Pérez Millos

Motives of gratitude:

· We thank God for being Abraham’s children regarding faith.

· We thank God because he accompanies us in our journey.

· We thank God because something much better than what we now have is prepared in the heavens for the believers. 

Confession:

· Forgive us, Lord, for our lack of faith on so many occasions. We acknowledge that we often do not live as pilgrims, with our sight set on our heavenly city. 

Requests:

· May the Lord help us be men and women of faith and to walk trusting in the purpose that God has for our lives

· May we become aware that the world is a place of transit for Christians, heading towards Heaven, the permanent city where Christ awaits.