Focus: Our Place of Origin

Text: Jh.17:11,14.

"And now I am no more IN the world, but these are IN the world… they are not OF the world, even as I am not OF the world."

You are IN the world - that is location.

You are not OF the world - that is origination or nativity.

The 'born again' Christian is located on earth, but he originates from heaven. He is a native of another world or another kingdom. John says of Christ, "And Jesus knowing that… he was COME FROM God, and WENT TO God…" (Jh.13:3). Jesus knew his destiny and destination. He knew he didn't belong to the earth realm. He knew heaven was his country of origin, and the earth was his place of service. By nationality or naturalization Christ is not of the world. The world was his workplace, not his birthplace. He is not a native of earth. He was only on earth for divine assignment. He lived by the norms and culture of his native homeland, not by the dictates of the world.

Concerning the Christian, Paul says, "For our CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN; FROM WHENCE also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil.3:20). In Phil.1:27, he says, "Only let your CONVERSATION be as it becometh the gospel of Christ…" The word 'conversation' means 'citizenship.' The word in Greek is politeuma. From its root we derive the word politics, police, polity, policy, polite, etc, from it. We are indeed citizens of heaven, and in the world we play God's politics, not the 'dirty' politics of the world. Our home is in heaven. The Christian is in the world, but not of the world. He transcends all the cultures of the world. He refuses to be dominated by any earthly culture - be it African, American, Asian, Australian or European culture. He idolizes nothing belonging to this world or this life. He lives by the ethos, pathos and ethics of the Gospel. Christ is his center and circumference of existence. He lives within the earthly environment, but not a product of it. John says of the Christian, "As he is, so are we in this world" (1Jh.4:17). The Christian is one with Christ. He belongs together with Christ. He shares kinship with him. Christ is the Son of God, and the Christian is a son of God.

Christians belong to the community of heaven in the world. Heaven is their place of origin; the earth is their place of occupation. They ply their trade here. They occupy till their Christ comes.

John, by the Spirit, writes that "the world passeth away, and the lust thereof" (1Jh.2:17). Paul also lends his voice, "And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away" (1Cor.7:31).

The Christian is not a part of the passing, but of the lasting. You are a native of heaven. You don't fizzle; you sizzle. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter