Aliens and Strangers

I started counting how many times I came across the phrase "aliens and strangers" in the Bible, and I'm up to six so far. Peter said, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul." (I Peter 2:11), David says it in his Psalms, it appears in Hebrews and I Chronicles. It begins in Genesis when Abraham appeals to the Hittites to sell him some property to bury his wife Sarah. He said, "I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead." So originally, the term was used quite literally. Abraham was not one of the Hittites, so he was literally a stranger.

But it's the later usage that really got my attention. Something rang so true when I came across it. We, as children of God and citizens of God's kingdom, are aliens and strangers in 'the world'. We are "in the world but not of the world". As followers of God's laws and citizens of God's kingdom we feel like aliens in this world of self-worship and instant gratification. The Kingdom of God is 'the world' turned upside down. Or vice versa. For example:

In God's Kingdom -

- Whoever would be greatest must be the servant of all.

- The meek shall inherit the earth.

- You must love your enemy.

- Where your heart is, there is your treasure.



But in 'the world' -

- Whoever would be greatest must have servants on every side.

- The rich and powerful will control the world.

- Sue your enemy, or bring him to ruin any way you can.

- Where your bank book and investment portfolio are, there is your treasure.

But the world is wrong, because it's an illusion. It's all temporary and there is no joy or peace in it it. We are here for just a blink of the eye in terms of eternity.

But we must remember that salvation is now. And eternity is just one long 'now'. So walk in the light of salvation. It's not just about heaven and our life after death. We walk now, and just keep walking and one day we will come to a divide and we will just keep walking and walk right over it to the next world - our native land. But don't neglect the now. Even though we, as believers, are aliens and strangers here, we are here, and we can live brightly in the Kingdom within the world.