Are You An Alien, Pt 1 - No. 28
1 Peter 2:11 NAS, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.”
How would you like to be called an alien? Well, that’s exactly what we are called. As you know, we are New Zealand born and not native to America. We feel very blessed to have Green Cards and to be able to live in this great country of America and enjoy all the benefits. We count it a privilege. However, on our Green Cards are written the words, “Resident Alien”! Yes, they actually call us aliens!
I should not get too upset though, because isn’t that what we are meant to be anyway? The Bible says that we are to live like “aliens and strangers” in this world. What is an alien? It is someone who belongs to another country. Our true citizenship is in heaven! That is our real home! Do we live according to this truth, or do we live as if this earth was our real home?
In the faith chapter of Hebrews 11, it tells us about men and women who lived like “strangers and pilgrims” in this earth. As we read about them we begin to see the characteristics of aliens. Let’s see if we line up shall we?
1. Aliens live by faith.
“By faith Abel… By faith Enoch… By faith Noah… By faith Abraham… By faith Sarah… By faith Isaac… By faith Jacob… By faith Joseph… By faith Moses… By faith Rahab…” and so it continues down the chapter.
The heroes and heroines of the Bible were not dictated to by their circumstances. They lived by faith. They trusted God when it looked impossible. They put their faith in what they could not see.
Hebrews 11: 9 says of Abraham, “It was faith that kept him journeying like a foreigner through the land of promise.” (J. B. Phillip’s trans.) Our journey through this world is a faith journey. It is only faith that pleases God. Are you going through a time in your life when you feel you are being stripped of everything? Don’t despair. You can praise God. You are in a place when you can exercise faith. Faith is meant to be the normality of your life.
Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
2. Aliens please God.
Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death… for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
What an epitaph to have over our lives – “She pleased God.” That would be my greatest desire. I am sure it would be yours too.
Aliens are more interested in pleasing God than pleasing the world. Alien mothers are more interesting in pleasing God and doing what He wants them to do, than following the trend of society around them. They will stand up for God’s truth, even if the rest of the world is going a different direction. They confess, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4)
Alien mothers raise their children by faith. They learn to lean on God and trust Him in the difficulties and challenges that they face each day.
3. Aliens have a divine calling.
Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterwards receive as an inheritance.”
Abraham was called out of one kingdom into another kingdom. We are also called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. This is why we are aliens. We don’t belong to the kingdom of this world. We belong to the kingdom of God. We owe our allegiance to God’s kingdom. We didn’t just land in this kingdom – God Himself called us.
Deuteronomy 6:23 says, “He brought us out…that He might bring us in…”
4. Aliens are obedient to the country of their citizenship.
Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called…”
Abraham obeyed God’s call to him even though he didn’t understand it, and even though he didn’t know his final destination.
If we are living as a pilgrim, we will be obedient to God’s ways, even if they are contrary to the way of society. When the apostles were on trial for preaching about Jesus, they were strictly commanded not to teach in His name. But Peter and John answered, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20.
Again when they were on trial, Peter and the other apostles answered, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.
We have 16 points to look at on this subject, so we will continue next week.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
“Lord, you have said that I cannot please you without faith. Please increase my faith. Ignite faith in my heart. Help me to live by faith, instead of trusting in the resources of this world. Help me to constantly remember that I am an alien in this world. Amen.”
QUOTE:
“I am a pilgrim, a foreigner, a stranger, a sojourner, a refugee, a nomad, a passing traveler, a temporary resident, a transient, an exile, and an alien in this world.”