Currently,
as I write this I am overseas far away from home…
When
I arrived I had to learn a completely different culture, etiquette and
vocabulary. How and where to go for transport, places to visit to eat, where to
go and what to do for sightseeing and history landmarks. It was all daunting
and at times difficult. All the comforts of home and familiarity of
conveniences now a world away. But then, as believers, this is to be expected.
The
last 18 months have been especially difficult. Through a series of unfortunate
circumstances I have lost my dreams, vision, passions, confidence, hopes,
convictions and enthusiasm in my faith. My life had gone upside down and
everything I depended on has become nothing. Slowly these are coming back, but
at a price.
1
Peter 2:11 - Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and
foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your
very souls.
Just
this week I was walking in Green Park, London
seeking God with the hours ticking by like minutes. An overwhelming sense of
wandering aimlessly with no direction or vision for my life came upon me.
But
then, as believers, this is to be expected.
A pilgrim (traveler or wanderer) is one who travels to a
distance from his own country to visit a holy place, or to pay his devotion to his
God. The meaning here is, that the Christian has no permanent home on earth;
their citizenship is not here; they are mere sojourners, and passing on to
their eternal home in the heavens. In more details there true understanding is
they should not:
1) Regard the earth as their home;
2)
Should not seek to acquire permanent possessions here, as if
they were to remain here, but should act as travelers do, who merely seek a
temporary lodging, without expecting permanently to reside in a place;
3) Should not allow any such attachments to be formed, or
arrangements to be made, as to impede their journey to their final home, as
pilgrims seek only a temporary lodging, and steadily pursue their journey;
4)
Even while engaged here in the necessary callings of life -
their studies, their farming, their merchandise - their thoughts and affections
should be on other things. One in a strange land thinks much of his country and
home; a pilgrim, much of the land to which he goes; and even while his time and
attention may be necessarily occupied by the arrangements needful for the journey,
his thoughts and affections will be far away;
5) Should not encumber ourselves with much of this world's goods.
Many professed Christians get so many worldly things around them, that it is
impossible for them to make a journey to heaven. They burden themselves as no
traveler would, and they make no progress. A traveler takes along as few things
as possible; and a staff is often all that a pilgrim has. We make the most
rapid progress in our journey to our final home when we are least encumbered
with the things of this world.
1 Peter 1:17 - And
remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will
judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent
fear of him during your time as foreigners in the land.
A pilgrim does not give himself up to the indulgence of sensual
appetites, or to the soft pleasures of the soul. All these would hinder his
progress, and turn him off from his great design. The word ‘foreigners’ means a
sojourner, one without the rights of citizenship, as distinguished from a
citizen. Specifically, Christians are not properly citizens of this world, but
that their citizenship is in heaven, and that they are here as mere sojourners.
Hebrews 11:8-10 - By
faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his
inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was
going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a
stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking
forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is
God.
Abraham
was in a similar place. He wandered the earth with no real sense of purpose and
vision when God called him. He was far away from the comforts of home, probably
lost and confused. But he had faith that His God was leading him to a better
place. That His best was worth taking the risk of a lifetime. He saw a heavenly
city prepared for him long ago. Deep down, he knew he didn’t belong here on
earth…
Hebrews
11:13-16 - 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 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.
Being strangers and pilgrims we profess to seek a heavenly
country, not entangling in the affections with earthly things which are only
temporary. Others spend all their time and efforts acquiring earthly wealth at
the neglect of the salvation of their souls. But we do not gain the world and
lose our soul. The children of God live not
according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
We
have a heavenly city of the New
Jerusalem. We have rights and privileges which are heavenly and eternal. Our
fellowship is with God the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit, and the spirits of the
redeemed mankind of the Church. We have crucified the flesh with its affections
and lusts; and regard not the body, which we know must perish. We confidently
expect we shall be raised from death and be glorified with Christ in heavenly
bodies.
Friend, heaven is your home and God is your portion. All kinds
of earthly desires, whether those of the flesh or of the eye, or those included
in the pride of life, are here comprised in the words fleshly lusts.
Philippians 3:20 - For our citizenship is in heaven.
