STRANGERS IN THE LAND

For some time now, the sense of “having it all” in life has grown enormous and has become the major theme of the life of many Christians. The desire for earthly possession has crept the minds of Christians, making them forget that they do not belong here on earth.

The bible tells us about how we are not part of the world. We no longer obey the Lord neither do we fear Him because we have built friendship with the world and we have established it among our heart desires. But Peter helps us to “remember that the heavenly Father to whom we pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward us according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as foreigners in the land.” – 1 Peter 1:17. These are the very words of God and He will like to have His people living as foreigners. Today the partition between Christians and inhabitants of the world has become so blur that it is barely possible to possible to distinguish between the two.

The call to holy living is the call of God. For this particular reason Jesus came to die to give us a fresh start, starting with Holiness and enduring with Holiness. Christians are proving the purpose of Christ’s death to be useless. We accept him as Lord and Savior yet we continue in sin and even into deeper sin. This is exactly what Paul talked about when he wrote to the Philippians, “for I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conducts shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think about life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our savior.” – Philippians 3:18-20. Scripture never expires, that is why these words still apply to even more people now in these last days. We yearn more for worldly belongings rather than living a life that is holy and acceptable unto God. Premarital sex, improper sexual relations (gay, bestiality, oral sex, e.t.c), theft, murder, lies, vanity, etc, these are some of the things that earthly people do and now Christians inclusively; making the distinction very unstable and unrecognizable.
The main purpose of these warnings, is to help us escape the strong grip of the world, this is so because, when the world has an individual in its hands, it is very difficult to redraw and the most deadly; very difficult to realize that you have changed let alone coming back. The world rules you once you give in to it and when you hear the word of God, you think of it as foolishness because there is a new ruler in your life. And that ruler of your “messed up” life wages war against your old self. For this reason it is wise to take advice rather than suffering from this, you have been warned ahead of time!
“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your souls.” – 1 Peter 2:11

The point of this warning is not to say that one is not allowed to live a normal life here on earth but rather to keep you from being attached to the things of this land because we will leave these things behind. Those who become attached will be left behind as well because it is impossible to separate them and it is also impossible for the earthly belongings to enter the kingdom of heaven. Be very careful about your interactions with the things you find here on earth – some are so attached that a girl cannot do away with her short skirts, a man cannot do away with his wealth, besides they mean life to him, the youth cannot do away with sex, drugs, disrespect, indecent dressing, and others alike. This is the sign of “I like to be left behind”, because these very things don’t belong in heaven and since it is impossible to do without it, then you will have to stay with it.
“Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we all know it will soon pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 7:31.
For others, the feeling of being accepted among friends and groups is all they rely on. This feeling is not from God but rather from the world and if you feel this way, you will become part of it. If you don’t control your feelings because you choose which side you are on either the world or that of Jesus Christ, there is no middle ground.
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belong to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” – John 15:18 and 19.
May the Lord bless you after you this reading and give you strength for your daily living. Develop a strong devotion to the will of God and attachment to the Spirit of Truth. I leave you with this: “Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away” – Psalm 39:4.