Living as Exiles

By Travis Robertson

    I don’t think we believe we are living in exile in America. We look at ourselves as extremely blessed to live in such a rich country. We have all kinds of freedoms and rights because we are citizens of the United States of America. While there are many blessings to be had living in this country, have we missed the fact that we are first and foremost citizens of heaven? “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
    I encourage you to read the book of Daniel in the Old Testament to see God’s people living as exiles in a country not their own. There are several lessons we can glean from this book on how we should live today in a country that is spiritually not our own.
    The Jews worked hard and served the Babylonians without undermining the government or rebellion in any way. They were respectful and submissive to the rulers over them. They lived above reproach, even their enemies struggled to find fault with them. However, their true loyalty was to God. The Jews would disobey the laws of Babylon or Persia, so they could remain faithful to God. They accepted the consequences of their disobedience, even if it was death, because they trusted in God’s power to save.

- Travis Robertson preachers for the Lake Norman Church of Christ in Huntersville, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at http://lakenormancoc.org/