Resident Alien

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

In the part of North Carolina where I live, we see a lot of people from other countries and cultures. You can always tell when someone is “not from around here”. They speak, act, and can even look differently. Culturally speaking, it’s almost as if we are from another planet.
If you’ve ever been a stranger in a strange land you know how frightening it can be. You feel out of place and don’t really know your place. God has always taught His people to be kind to the alien because His people were once strangers in Egypt. While being an actual physical place, Egypt is also used to describe a culture of sin. God called His people out of Egypt and still does. Today He has called us out of sin. And some of our greatest pain can come trying to live godly lives and not coming out of Egypt.
When we are born again, we have a new nature. And God expects that we will be uncomfortable in our old environment. This exodus out of sinful lifestyles glorifies God. Trying to be godly and still living sinful lifestyles tells us something is wrong. We do not belong to this world and its bondage anymore. And that should be evident to us.

I. A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN SHOULD SPEAK HEAVEN’S DIALECT. Our language should be different from the world around us. Our language should not be a barrier to those who desire to understand Heaven’s language. The language of Heaven is the language of love.
II. A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN SHOULD ACT LIKE THEY’RE FROM HEAVEN. Our actions should be like those of an ambassador. We should represent our homeland in the most favorable light. Our actions should match the words that we speak. When we speak love, we should show love.
III. A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN SHOULD LOOK DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD THAT SURROUNDS THEM. In a world full of anxious people, Heaven’s citizen should have a peaceful countenance. In a world full of angry people, Heaven’s citizen should be a picture of grace. In a world full of sorrow, Heaven’s citizen should look joyful.
IV. A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN SHOULD BE ETERNALLY HOMESICK. That restlessness in a believer is homesickness of the soul. We have a longing to be in another country and often lament that we don’t seem to fit in trying to live in this world. That is a good thing. We don’t need to feel too comfortable here. This world is not our home. We are being purified to live with God.