Featured Is this World our Home?

Scripture refers to Christians as aliens in a strange land, or sojourners.

Interesting you mentioned your time in Germany as that is a good example. I suspect you never considered Germany your “home” but was always looking toward the USA as home, though I don’t want to speak for you. I know when I was overseas in the Army, I always considered the USA my home.

Similarly, Christians live as strangers and aliens, making the most of our time upon this world but ultimately knowing our home is in heaven.

I have no problem with the song.

peace to you

 

Fair enough. Temporary home will do.

peace to you

 

Both Peter and Paul, when speaking to us about our exile, refer back to Jeremiah 29 where Israel resides in Babylon as aliens.

Jeremiah 29:4-7
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

I don't see this present earth as my home. In 2 Peter 3 we see that this earth will be burned and God will make a new heaven and earth where I will be a permanent resident.

 

John 15:18-19, ". . . If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. . . ."

 

Yes, this Earth is our current shabby home and Heaven is not our home.

Currently Heaven is a temporary lodging where we wait until He brings in the New Heavens and New Earth as per Revelation.

I expect the New Earth will be made out of the current one without oceans. So yes, this Earth is shabby version of our home that even still displays an awe inspiring wonder of God's creation (imagine what the non-sin-tainted one will look like). It may even geographically be similar.

The New Earth will be made when all the kingdoms of man are submitted to Christ, and it is the job of all Christians to take dominion over the world and make disciples of all the nations and thus submit the kingdoms of man to Christ. God's plan is already in motion to do so (See Roe v. Wade overturning).

I for one look forward to the day that God creates the New Earth and makes everything like Southern Appalachia and the South. Heheh, just kidding on this last bit

 

...so...filled with hillbillies that will rob you blind and then sell it back to you. Got it.

 

I always do the Christian thing and sell stolen items back for 50 cents on the dollar haha

 

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

 

Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

 

While our citizenship is in Heaven, this world is our home until such time as either we pass from this world to Glory, or until His return. Romans 13 tells us that we are to obey civil authorities as good citizens. Jesus tells us we are to "occupy until I return" (Luke 19:13). While I look forward to my Heavenly home, I recognize that Christians have dual citizenship - earthly and Heavenly. While we are here, we are to serve as ambassadors for our King, and to build His Kingdom.

 

1 Peter 2:11

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

The Bible does not tell us we have dual citizenship. It tells us we are sojourners and exiles.

 

We are automatically citizens of this world, and especially citizens of the country where we were born. We become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven when we confess Jesus as Lord, effectively swearing allegiance to our Heavenly King. We are sojourners and exiles from the fleshly system, not necessarily from our native land. I am proud to be a Texan and an American, but view my Heavenly citizenship of far greater value. Remember that even Paul appealed to his rights as a Roman citizen in Acts 16:37-38 and Acts 22:22-30. So, while Scripture doesn't explicitly state that we have dual citizenship, it is certainly implicit.

 

No. Matthew 7:21-23. Mark 10:14-15, Luke 18:16-17.

 

You make a good point, Brother. Many will say that Jesus is Lord but He won't truly be their Lord. I should have said that we become citizens of Heaven when Jesus truly is our Lord. Still, my point was those who follow Christ are citizens of their country on Earth and we are citizens of Heaven.

 

@Lodic
There are, what are otherwise, secondary issues, that genuine believers have different ideas on. I have been often surprised by what I did not expect to be a disagreement.

 

What does "sojourners and exiles" mean in your dictionary?