I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. —1 Peter 2:11
Ancient Babylon was an advanced civilization of stunning beauty, wealth, and prosperity. But it wasn’t home to God’s people. They were captives, tormented by those who despised Jerusalem, the city of God. Babylon for the Jews may have been lovely, but it was a foreign land.
This world we’re living in is the city of man. It’s not where God’s children belong. We’re captives, in a sense. We’re scorned by those who despise the heavenly Jerusalem. If you’re a Christian, you can’t feel at home in this world because your citizenship is in Zion.
We can’t expect Babylon to be like home. So, we shouldn’t be surprised when the worldview of Babylon is different than that of Zion. In the process of living in Babylon, it’s important we don’t forget our true home, and that means we’re not supposed to assimilate to this world.
Don’t get too comfortable in Babylon. You have a passport to a different country, one where you will live forever with our Savior and Lord.
Make it Personal
Are there ways that you’ve gotten too comfortable in this world? How can you remind yourself of your true home?