Chapter 1 A Consecrated Life - Far Eastern Bible College

According to verses 14–16,
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country
from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity
to have returned. 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.
Abraham resisted the strong urge to go back to the city of Ur,
because he fully believed that the Lord had better things in store for
him, if he just patiently endured the inconveniences of being a foreigner.
Abraham’s consecrated life was characterised by endurance. He resisted
the pressure to take the easy way out of a difficult situation.
As Christians, we too need to have endurance for consecrated
living. Like Abraham, we are also called to be foreigners and strangers
to this world. In fact in our theme verse—Romans 12:2—we are told
not to be conformed to this world. In 1 John 2:15, we are told not to
love the world nor the things that are in the world. James 4:4 warns us
that anyone who will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. We
are therefore to be in the world, but not of the world. Consecrated living
is incompatible with the lifestyle and values of the world. Therefore if
you are consecrated to the Lord, the world looks at you and perceives
that you are a foreigner, an alien, and a stranger to it. You are out of step
with the world, and because of this you may sometimes face conflict
with the world.
You will find yourself sometimes facing hostility and opposition
and ridicule, and come under the pressure to conform to its standards,
lifestyle and values. But you must endure all these pressures.
And to encourage you to keep on enduring, the Scriptures say that
God is not ashamed to be known as your God. Look at verse 16 again:
“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.” When God revealed Himself to the Israelites later on, He
would identify Himself by saying, “I am the God of Abraham.” He was
not ashamed to be called Abraham’s God. A good question to think
about is: Would He be ashamed to be called your God? Or would the
46 A Consecrated Life