Pilgrim or Citizen?

“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” -2 Timothy 4:10

The world we live in today, this “present world”; is a threatening one.  This is obviously true in the natural sense, and it is also true in the spiritual. The fish in the sea need the sea to survive.  It is where they find their food, their community, but it is also full of predators and things that threaten them.  The same is true for the impala in the African desert.  That is their habitat, and their present world, but there are lions amongst them, predators that threaten them.  The same is true for us, there are things in this present world that we need to survive like food, clothing, shelter; however, there are also those things that threaten our spiritual life and we have an adversary seeking to destroy us.  He may choose to walk in sheep's clothing, hide himself in false theology, wealth, or personal satisfaction.  Or, he may just charge straight on with outright persecution and temptation.  Regardless, of the method, he uses this present world to attract, allure, and ultimate condemn; because of this, our love for this present world will always be in direct conflict with our love for Christ.  So the question this: Are you a pilgrim or a citizen?

When you become sanctified, according to the scriptures, you are no longer a citizen of this Earth.  You have been translated, adopted, born-again.  You live here in the flesh, you exist here in the body, but according to the scriptures you thoughts, actions, wants, wishes, etc. are tuned and influenced by things above.  In short, you're a pilgrim.  After Damascus road, the Apostle Paul was no longer a citizen of this world, he became a pilgrim and stranger.  He wrote in Hebrews that the saints of old confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers seeking a city to come, and I just believe that when he was writing that letter there was something that stirred inside him when he penned those exact words; and with tears streaming down his face he put the pen down for a moment, to walk about the room with hands raised saying “Praise God, I am pilgrim, I am pilgrim!”  Whether he did that or not, we have no way of knowing, but what we do know is that he lived the testimony that he was a pilgrim and stranger here.  He forsook this world and all the attraction of it to live totally for Jesus.  This was Paul’s testimony, right down to the end.  However, the topic of this little message is not about Paul, it is about Demas.  The scripture tell us that Demas forsook Paul (and more importantly Jesus Christ), having loved this present world.  It is entirely possible that Demas was once converted and maybe even sanctified.  It is recorded that he was a “fellowlabour” with Paul, therefore he served the church.  There is a lot to Demas that we can only guess at, but what we do know, for certain fact: is that Demas loved this present world, and he loved it so much that he forsook Christ, and Paul, and the Church.  We are not really sure how it all happened, but it happened; somehow, someway, the devil used the things of this world to draw Demas’s heart away from the things of God.  It could have been money that drew him, or a person, a dream that he wanted to follow; we don't know.  However, something or things in this world attracted him and he loved it; and when he loved it more than Christ, he was no longer a pilgrim, but a citizen.

             What do you love most...Funny thing about humanity, is our unique ability to deceive ourselves about ourselves.  We can go our whole lives believing (or at least pretending to believe) one thing, but living something completely different; and never really reconcile the two.  For this reason I ask you all (and myself) plainly, are you sold out to God?  Or is there a price on your soul?  Something in this world that you would trade eternity for.  Brothers and Sisters, if we are not sold out, we better be, because if you have a price, the devil will find it and he will buy you out.  He will use this present world to attract, allure, and condemn.  Again, are you a pilgrim or a citizen?