“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. … they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” (Hebrews 11:13,16, ESV)
At home in the world means not at home in heaven!
Nestled among the words of 2 Corinthians 5 is a statement of poignant reality for living in true Christian faith. Paul wrote that true Christians are “always of good courage” (2 Corinthians 5:6). They need to be full of courage. Why? Because, as Paul wrote, while in a physical body on earth, “we are away from the Lord”. We are seemingly light years from heaven. Paul then explains that true Christians “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
If you find yourself feeling much more comfortable with your life on earth, totally contented with how things are, then something is wrong with your faith. People who are close to God often feel distant from God while in this world. Here on earth, we are surrounded by temptation, illness, struggles, problems, trials, and sin. We are susceptible to manipulation by Satan and his demons. Emotions and passions can sweep us away into a life of regret. Heaven is very different. It is a place of contentedness, peace, and love. It is a place where you are protected completely by God. Satan has no sway over you. God’s light and love are ever-present. Heaven is infinitely better than earth. Why would someone want to be happy on earth and not long for heaven?
Have you ever read stories of near-death experiences? There are scores of examples online and on YouTube of people who died and went to heaven, only to return when they were brought back from death by life-saving measures. In many of these examples, the people who visited heaven describe it as a place of safety, security, warmth, peace, and love. Many of these people say that for the first time, they felt completely enveloped in love. I met one woman who died while giving birth to her first child but was brought back after many minutes of no heartbeat. She can describe in detail what heaven was like. She also was quoted in our local newspaper as saying, “I no longer fear death. I know what is on the other side. I am excited to go back.” Heaven is that kind of place. It is God’s home. It is filled with God’s light and love and peace and good.
Still, there are some Christians who have gotten all too content with this earthly existence. They have built up for themselves lives of luxury and leisure. They are surrounded by material possessions that have regrettably made them feel content to stay put on this earth. Their lives of luxury have seeped into heart and soul. They often are shielded in safe homes while others go homeless. They build big bank accounts while others go hungry. They go to church on Sundays to worship God only to live out the rest of their lives in worldly ease. They want “this life” to last as long as possible. They don’t long for heaven yet.
Many years ago, A.W. Tozer noted the danger of Christians who got “too comfortable” with their life in this world. In doing so, they became more worldly than holy. He wrote:
“One of the most telling indictments against many of us who comprise our Christian churches is the almost complete acceptance of the contemporary scene as our permanent home!
We have been working and earning, getting and spending, and now we are enjoying the creature comforts known to human beings in this land. You may bristle a bit and ask: “Is there anything wrong with being comfortable?”
Let me answer in this way: if you are a Christian and you are comfortably “at home” in Chicago or Toronto, in Iowa or Alberta—or any other address on planet earth, the signs are evident that you are in spiritual trouble.
The spiritual equation reads like this: the greater your contentment with your daily circumstances in this world, the greater your defection from the ranks of God’s pilgrims enroute to a city whose architect and builder is God Himself!
If we can feel that we have put down our roots in this present world, then our Lord still has much to teach us about faith and attachment to our Savior!” (Mornings with Tozer).
Hebrews 11 of our Bible is called the “faith chapter”. It gives examples of faithful people from Old Testament times and explains what made them faithful. It extols the virtues of living in faithful obedience to God. Hebrews 11:13 states that those faithful people in Old Testament times “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on this earth”. They found this earth to be a wretched place where evil corrupted good, and faith was threatened. Hebrews 11:16 makes clear that these faithful people “desired a better country… a heavenly one”. Their true faith made them “strangers and exiles” on earth, not people who were contented to be here and surrounded by opulent luxury and worldly treasures. These people may have lived on earth, but their hearts and souls were firmly entrenched with heaven. Their aim in life was to be with God after death. They did not feel “at home” on earth because their true home was in heaven!
Don’t ever get too comfortable with your material possessions, your situation in life, your savings, your successes, or your accomplishments. They pale in comparison to what lies in heaven. Don’t let your mind or heart get consumed in worldly pursuits and earthly passions. They can sap your soul of strength. They can ruin your close relationship with God. If you put too much emphasis and worth on things of this earth, your future in heaven is in jeopardy.
Nestled among the words of 2 Corinthians 5 is a statement of poignant reality for living in true Christian faith. Paul wrote that true Christians are “always of good courage” (2 Corinthians 5:6). They need to be full of courage. Why? Because, as Paul wrote, while in a physical body on earth, “we are away from the Lord”. We are seemingly light years from heaven. Paul then explains that true Christians “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
If you find yourself feeling much more comfortable with your life on earth, totally contented with how things are, then something is wrong with your faith. People who are close to God often feel distant from God while in this world. Here on earth, we are surrounded by temptation, illness, struggles, problems, trials, and sin. We are susceptible to manipulation by Satan and his demons. Emotions and passions can sweep us away into a life of regret. Heaven is very different. It is a place of contentedness, peace, and love. It is a place where you are protected completely by God. Satan has no sway over you. God’s light and love are ever-present. Heaven is infinitely better than earth. Why would someone want to be happy on earth and not long for heaven?
Have you ever read stories of near-death experiences? There are scores of examples online and on YouTube of people who died and went to heaven, only to return when they were brought back from death by life-saving measures. In many of these examples, the people who visited heaven describe it as a place of safety, security, warmth, peace, and love. Many of these people say that for the first time, they felt completely enveloped in love. I met one woman who died while giving birth to her first child but was brought back after many minutes of no heartbeat. She can describe in detail what heaven was like. She also was quoted in our local newspaper as saying, “I no longer fear death. I know what is on the other side. I am excited to go back.” Heaven is that kind of place. It is God’s home. It is filled with God’s light and love and peace and good.
Still, there are some Christians who have gotten all too content with this earthly existence. They have built up for themselves lives of luxury and leisure. They are surrounded by material possessions that have regrettably made them feel content to stay put on this earth. Their lives of luxury have seeped into heart and soul. They often are shielded in safe homes while others go homeless. They build big bank accounts while others go hungry. They go to church on Sundays to worship God only to live out the rest of their lives in worldly ease. They want “this life” to last as long as possible. They don’t long for heaven yet.
Many years ago, A.W. Tozer noted the danger of Christians who got “too comfortable” with their life in this world. In doing so, they became more worldly than holy. He wrote:
“One of the most telling indictments against many of us who comprise our Christian churches is the almost complete acceptance of the contemporary scene as our permanent home!
We have been working and earning, getting and spending, and now we are enjoying the creature comforts known to human beings in this land. You may bristle a bit and ask: “Is there anything wrong with being comfortable?”
Let me answer in this way: if you are a Christian and you are comfortably “at home” in Chicago or Toronto, in Iowa or Alberta—or any other address on planet earth, the signs are evident that you are in spiritual trouble.
The spiritual equation reads like this: the greater your contentment with your daily circumstances in this world, the greater your defection from the ranks of God’s pilgrims enroute to a city whose architect and builder is God Himself!
If we can feel that we have put down our roots in this present world, then our Lord still has much to teach us about faith and attachment to our Savior!” (Mornings with Tozer).
Hebrews 11 of our Bible is called the “faith chapter”. It gives examples of faithful people from Old Testament times and explains what made them faithful. It extols the virtues of living in faithful obedience to God. Hebrews 11:13 states that those faithful people in Old Testament times “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on this earth”. They found this earth to be a wretched place where evil corrupted good, and faith was threatened. Hebrews 11:16 makes clear that these faithful people “desired a better country… a heavenly one”. Their true faith made them “strangers and exiles” on earth, not people who were contented to be here and surrounded by opulent luxury and worldly treasures. These people may have lived on earth, but their hearts and souls were firmly entrenched with heaven. Their aim in life was to be with God after death. They did not feel “at home” on earth because their true home was in heaven!
Don’t ever get too comfortable with your material possessions, your situation in life, your savings, your successes, or your accomplishments. They pale in comparison to what lies in heaven. Don’t let your mind or heart get consumed in worldly pursuits and earthly passions. They can sap your soul of strength. They can ruin your close relationship with God. If you put too much emphasis and worth on things of this earth, your future in heaven is in jeopardy.