"Sojourner or Settler?" - G. Scott Furniss

There is a popular hymn entitled “This world is not my Home” with the words, “This world is not my home. I am just a passing through.” I hear preachers speaking of a renewed earth as if this is our world. I listen to Christians talking about politics, elections, and other worldly things more than spiritual things and I am worried too many Christians are becoming settlers in this world instead of sojourners just passing through. They speak more of this world and fight harder to keep things in order in this country than they speak of their home and fight for Christ and His kingdom.  We need to remember we are aliens and pilgrims in this world and are supposed to be sojourners and not settlers. “ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off [e]were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16 NKJV).

 The sojourner declares he is an alien and a pilgrim in this world making it clear they are seeking a country of their own so God is not ashamed to be our God. They also abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our souls.  

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:11-12 NKJV).

When we think of these things let us look at three tests of whether we are sojourners or settlers. First, where Is Your Citizenship? “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV).

While Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah show us we should be good citizens of whatever country we find ourselves in this world, but we have to be careful how entangled we get with the affairs of this life as we engage in the warfare of the kingdom. The settler’s concern is their earthly country and rulers, the sojourner’s concern is their heavenly country and king?

The second test is where is Your Treasure? Jesus told us to be careful of our attitude towards the things of this life. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV).

We need to have the attitude of Job. “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong (Job 1:20-22 NKJV). We must heed the warning of Paul. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, [d]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many  foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:6-10 NKJV).

The Settler’s concern is his savings, the sojourner’s concern is his salvation? 

The third test is where is your home. “For we know that if our earthly [a]house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our [b]habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as [c]a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.(2 Corinthians 5:1-10 NASB). Are you more concerned with staying here or do you have the desire to go home? “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 [u]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know [v]which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy [w]in the faith, 26 so that your pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me by my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:21-26). The settler wants to stay the sojourner wants to go home.

What is your concern? Country or Kingdom?  Savings or Salvation? Stay or go home? So the question we must ask ourselves, is this world your home or are you just passing through? Are your treasures here on earth or are they laid up somewhere beyond the blue? Have you settled in the land or are you a sojourner, a stranger and an alien looking for a city not made with hands, so God is not ashamed to be called your God? God encourages us not to settle down in this world but continue as strangers and aliens here knowing our citizenship is in heaven, serving our king in whatever land we reside, laying up our treasure in heaven so our heart will be there. 

G. Scott Furniss