The concept of believers as "pilgrims and strangers" is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the transient nature of earthly life and the eternal perspective that Christians are called to maintain. This notion is deeply rooted in the understanding that the followers of Christ are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, journeying through a world that is not their ultimate home.

Biblical Foundation

The idea of being pilgrims and strangers is vividly illustrated in the lives of the patriarchs. Hebrews 11:13-16 states, "All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

This passage highlights the faith of the saints who confessed their status as strangers and exiles, demonstrating their focus on a heavenly inheritance rather than earthly possessions.

Old Testament Examples

The patriarch Abraham is a quintessential example of a pilgrim. In Genesis 23:4 , Abraham refers to himself as "a foreigner and stranger among you" when negotiating for a burial site for his wife Sarah. His life was marked by obedience to God's call to leave his homeland and journey to a land that God would show him (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham's willingness to live as a sojourner underscores his faith in God's promises.

Similarly, Jacob, when blessing Pharaoh, described his life as a pilgrimage: "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers" (Genesis 47:9). This acknowledgment reflects the transient nature of life and the anticipation of a greater promise.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament continues this theme, urging believers to adopt the mindset of pilgrims and strangers. The Apostle Peter exhorts the early Christians, "Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11). Here, Peter emphasizes the moral and spiritual implications of living as temporary residents in a world that is not their ultimate home.

The Apostle Paul also speaks to this theme, reminding the Philippians, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). This heavenly citizenship calls believers to live in a manner worthy of their calling, with their eyes fixed on eternal realities.

Spiritual Implications

The confession of being pilgrims and strangers carries profound spiritual implications for the life of a believer. It calls for a detachment from worldly values and an attachment to the eternal purposes of God. This perspective fosters a life of faith, hope, and perseverance, as believers navigate the challenges and trials of this world with the assurance of a future inheritance.

Moreover, this identity as pilgrims and strangers encourages a sense of community among believers, as they journey together toward their heavenly home. It fosters a spirit of hospitality, compassion, and mutual support, reflecting the love of Christ to a watching world.

In summary, the confession of saints as pilgrims and strangers is a powerful testament to their faith and hope in God's promises. It serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly life and the eternal destiny that awaits those who trust in Christ.1 Chronicles 29:15
For we are strangers before you, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 39:12
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with you, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 119:19
I am a stranger in the earth: hide not your commandments from me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Faith of Abraham.
... pilgrims on the earth." They are "pilgrims," because they ... way to another country;
they are "strangers," because they ... to love all angels and saints as brethren ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xi the faith of.htm

Hebrews xi. 13-16
... seen them afar off, [3251] and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the ... [4.] The saints were "strangers and sojourners ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxiv hebrews xi 13-16.htm

The Pilgrim's Longings
... There is enough in the world for sinners, but not for saints. ... faith to whom the apostle
referred in our text were not only strangers and pilgrims, but it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the pilgrims longings.htm

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
... it is the wisdom and discretion of all that rule, to fortify themselves against
them ... Here then the saints take shelter from the roaring of the devil, from the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the saints privilege and profit.htm

Symbolic Ornaments of the Church
... therein confess that we are pilgrims and strangers on earth ... one of the great centers
to which pilgrims came from ... Angels are included in the Communion of Saints. ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/symbolic ornaments of the church.htm

Letter Xlv (Circa AD 1140) to the Canons of Lyons, on the ...
... and declares, not the nativity, but only the death of other saints as precious ... It
is the happy lot of those who dwell there, not of strangers and pilgrims. ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter xlv circa a d 1140.htm

Against the Arians, and Concerning Himself.
... to bring a lying accusation against Saints, [3764] and to ... we are all alike strangers
and pilgrims, however much ... the voice of their own from that of strangers. ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xxxiii against the arians.htm

On Confession
... Hell, the more delighted the angels and saints are when ... the Christian soldiers and
many of the pilgrims who visited ... "To bury" those who are strangers and have ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 19 on confession.htm

Heavenly Rest
... homes of the immortal, they are strangers to the ... himself, when he wrote of the "Saints'
Rest," paused ... Progress," says, that when the weary pilgrims were once ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/heavenly rest.htm

V. ...
... Priests and kings are all spiritual names, as Christians, saints, the Church. ... Dearly
beloved, I admonish you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from ...
/.../the epistles of st peter and st jude preached and explained/chapter ii v .htm

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