12-09-23-ENG.

"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. "

Romans 13:14
 JUST PASSIN' THROUGH
 
Read It: 1 Peter 2:11-12
Remember the old cowboy movie where a guy would ride into town, tie his horse up outside the saloon, and go in for a drink? He'd stand at the bar as the locals stared at him intently. Finally, one of them would come over and say, "Howdy, stranger. You're new in town, ain't ya?" "Yup. "Will ya be stayin'?" "Nope. Just passin' through." Well, that's the idea Peter has in mind here. We're strangers on earth now We're aliens to this environment even though this is where we reside and operate for the time being. But our homestead is in heaven. If you're just passing through, you don't want to get tangled up in local hassles. That cowboy didn't have too much to worry about, because he would soon ride off and leave that town and all its problems behind him. Now the analogy breaks down here, because our job is not just to pass through town. We're to leave a witness. God did not just save us so He could take us to heaven someday. He wants us to be walking advertisements ments for heaven while we're here on earth. Why? Because other folk need to know about heaven and how to get there. But if we as God's people get all tangled up in fleshly lusts and start looking, talking, and acting like everybody else, don't be surprised if the world starts taking potshots at the church. It's one thing to be falsely accused and slandered as an evildoer when you're actually doing good.

It's another thing to be called an evildoer-and have the charges stick! Let's change the imagery from cowboys to space aliens. How do you know when an alien from outer space shows up in a science-fiction movie? Well, he looks different. He acts different. He communicates in a different ent way. He's not interested in "earthling" stuff because he's got higher business to tend to. He's on a mission for his master. Do you ever feel a little different as a Christian? That's good. Just make sure you're different for the right reasons. Think About It It's true that we are a "peculiar people" (v. 10, Kiv). But that means special, called, chosen-not odd!