Albert E. Brumley wrote a well known song with these words, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing thru. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”  (song, This World Is Not My Home)

This truth is echoed throughout the word of God. The words “sojourner” and “pilgrim” are found numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments. Happy and blessed indeed is the one who fully understands the importance and joys of  that our time here is but a preparing time and place for eternity. A question now and another at the end of this article. Are you  truly living  as with a full understanding of the truth that “this world is not my home, I’m just a passing thru?”

When we look at the examples of those in the scriptures that truly understood this truth we see they had a strong and active faith. Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews with this thought in mind.

Isn’t this the apostle Paul’s point in Romans 12:1-3? How can we live preparing for that heavenly home,  if the world and its allurement  and thoughts mold our thoughts and actions?  If this world has a stronger pull and hold on us than the “home beyond the blue?”  Are we truly “giving our selves in living sacrifice”  instead of being molded by the world.  Are spiritual things truly shown to be  of greater importance in your life, than earthly things by the way we live, by the choices we make, were we spend the most thought and energy?  Are we trying to please, and hold to both?

If we are no longer being conformed to the pattern of this world, then our minds must be renewed and we are proving “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”  Someone has said that, “We all are here for us to get packed-up for heaven.”  Think about going on a vacation or for some other reasons you are leaving your home for a extended period of time. Think about the preparations that have to be made, arrangement that have to be made, things that have to be turned on or off. Spiritually the Bible tells that same process must be gone through. Read Colossians 3:1-15.  Think also of the preparations that have to be made for the trip. Where are you going, what route are you taking to get there? Have you made reservations along the way?  What clothing do you need to take, did you think to pack clothes for worshipping God during the trip?  In taking a trip here we may leave things undone at home that needed to have been done and there were no serious consequences.  We may pack and take with us any numbers of things that are not needed, they are just excess baggage. These may cause no problem.

This is not true in our preparations for  our journey to our heavenly home.  The old man with all his worldly baggage must be put off.  It will not have any place in that heavenly home, and will cause us to miss it. (Luke 9:23-24, Rom. 6:1-6, Col. 3:1-15, 2 Cor. 5:17)  In making preparations for that “mansion” prepared by God  and Christ, Jesus exhorts to watch and pray. (Matt. 26:41, Mk. 13:33) A part of that preparation is living “soberly, righteously and godly.” (Titus 2:121). But, if we live as if this old world is our home and there is no tomorrow, we are not prepared for that heavenly home and  cannot truly enjoy the blessings of being a Christian while here.  We are to live seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matt. 6:33-34)           

In this life in a physical sense one of its great joys is going home after having been away.  We fondly say, “there is no place like home”, and it is true.  Do we have that kind of a feeling for heaven. Can we say with Paul,     “But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”  (Phil. 1:22-23).

Earlier in this article I asked one question and promised another later. Here is the last question:  WHERE IS HOME TO YOU?