Just Passing Through

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” Of Abraham it is said: “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Again it is said of the saints of old: “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God: is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Heb. 11:13-14, 10, 16)

In the annals of history there has been one common thread that motivated and captivated the thoughts of the redeemed of God; it was the promise of a city built by God, which is reserved for their eternal home and is called the heavenly Holy Jerusalem. The true saints of God have ever been utterly convinced that the pledge of the Father is to be unequivocally trusted. God cannot lie, thus, His promises are absolute! Abraham did not scour the world in search of a city; he understood the promises of God and awaited, looked forward to, that point in time when he would walk upon the streets of gold of his hometown. Abraham looked not for anything of this world, but he awaited the world to come.

The citizens of Holy Jerusalem have always known that what we journey toward is “afar off,” yet, we have embraced them because we recognize this world is not our home. We instinctively, because of our heavenly birth, are acutely aware of the fact that we are simply passing through this filthy foreign land. The word “seek” includes the idea of craving; and the word “country” out of the language infers one’s fatherland or native home. Having been born of God, true believers crave to be at home in their native Fatherland.

Because of this craving, we are not ashamed to display our homesickness and our longing to complete this journey. The word “desire” has the idea of stretching one’s self out in order to grasp a future event. The problem facing our generation is that there are too many saints who have lost sight and hope of the Fatherland, and have become too comfortable in Egypt. They are bogged down in the quagmire of the hog pen and no longer stare toward the Father’s house. Embrace the promises of God! We are just passing through!