# 211 How Then Shall We Live

The Book of Genesis

Day 211

Ge 23:4 "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

A teachable moment here as it concerns our status as believers on this earth!   Abraham’s statement about his status among the Hittite should remind us that we too are strangers in this world. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are pilgrims just passing through on our way to heaven.

As New Testament believers we have the advantage of hindsight, whereas the Old Testament believers only had the promises of a coming Messsiah. But in believing these promises they understood their status here on earth as they, in faith, looked forward to their permanent home!

Heb 11::13-16, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.  15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.  16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

 As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we join with believers of all time, looking forward to our ultimate destination and permanent home……heaven!  Php 3:20 reminds us: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

While we wait, we are to live as Abraham lived. With the help of the Holy Spirit we are to live our lives with standards that are different from the world’s practices!

1Pe 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;  1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

As sojourners we are to live in the world, but not embrace any of its sinful practices! Jas 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 It is as the old hymn has stated, “I am but a stranger here, heaven is my home!”

Let us purpose to live that way here on earth.  Let us be civil visitors on this planet, who live our lives confident of our arrival to our perfect future home in heaven!