Today is July 4th, Independence Day here in the United States, and it sounds a lot

like that outside right now.

And Matt, a podcast listener, writes in to ask this, Pastor John, obviously as Christians,

we are to live as strangers, exiles, aliens, and pilgrims on this earth.

Is there an appropriate place in the Christian life for patriotism?

Yes, there is.

And it's right.

We are pilgrims.

We're called exiles, we're refugees, we're sojourners for speed or two, beloved, I urge

you as sojourners and exiles, abstain from the passions that ways which war against

your flesh or flippings three.

Our citizenship is in heaven, so the question is framed rightly.

We are citizens of heaven, we are sojourners and pilgrims on the earth.

And that's owing to the fact that this world is fallen, not the fact that it's created.

We're going to spend eternity in a created world, but Satan won't be the God of that world

anymore.

What makes us feel so alien here is that the God of this world is Satan, he holds such

extensive sway that world is permeated with sin.

It makes us feel like we're not at home, we're just aching that we be done with sin and

being the presence of holiness.

So when I say we're aliens and exiles and sojourners and pilgrims, I don't mean that the

earth is a place we despise.

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