How can we live purposefully, knowing we are "sojourners" on earth? Key Verse “Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11) Identity Framed by Heaven • Scripture repeatedly calls believers “foreigners” (1 Peter 2:11), “strangers and sojourners” (Psalm 39:12; Hebrews 11:13), and “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20). • We belong to God’s kingdom; our earthly address is temporary (Leviticus 25:23). • Knowing this keeps our eyes fixed on eternity, not on passing trends or comforts. Why Purpose Matters for Sojourners • We are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance” (Ephesians 2:10). • God has assigned each day here to glorify Him and bless others before we reach our true home (Matthew 5:16). Guarding the Soul in Hostile Territory • “Abstain from the desires of the flesh” (1 Peter 2:11). The battle is inward before it is outward. • Practical helps: – Fill the mind with truth (Colossians 3:16). – Practice immediate obedience when conviction comes (James 4:17). – Cultivate accountability with trusted believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). Engaging the World Without Settling In • Jesus prayed, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). Yet He sent us into it (John 17:18). • Balance: – Serve, work, study, create—yet refuse idolatry of career, pleasure, or possessions. – Enjoy God’s gifts with gratitude, remembering they are temporary (1 Timothy 6:17). – Hold convictions graciously but firmly (1 Peter 3:15-16). Eternal Investments • “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). • Ways to invest: – Generous giving to gospel work and the needy (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). – Sharing the faith (Matthew 28:19-20). – Acts of mercy that reflect the Father’s heart (James 1:27). • Each act done “to the least of these” will echo in eternity (Matthew 25:40). Persevering on the Journey • “Let us not grow weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9). • Remember the “great cloud of witnesses” who finished well (Hebrews 12:1-2). • Fix eyes on the promised “better country—a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). Encouragement from Fellow Sojourners • Abraham “was looking forward to the city with foundations” (Hebrews 11:10). • Moses “chose to suffer affliction” because he “looked ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:25-26). • Paul counted everything loss “because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Living Today with Tomorrow in View • Set your mind “on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). • Daily ask: Does this choice advance God’s kingdom or merely my comfort? • Live so that when the journey ends, you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Our time here is brief, but every moment can carry eternal weight when we walk as purposeful, heaven-bound sojourners. |
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