True Alien - Portrait of a Christian

By Patricia Newman

To be true is to be authentic and not fake, loyal and without guile. To be true to God is to be faithful in devotion to Him. It is to be in a relationship with God, to love Him whole-heartedly and to be obedient to His will. Ever since He created the world, God has been calling men, women and children to Himself. Not because He needs us. But purely because God is love. Out of the abundant overflow of divine charity and benevolence our Maker calls. He calls and He calls. They are blessed who hear and follow Him. Some obey right away and some procrastinate. Beloved, how about you? Have you answered the heavenly call?

  Those whose hearts and minds are set on obedience to the heavenly call are true to God but in essence, alien to the world hence the title "True Alien". Foreign to the world’s ways, they are, in the main, seen as narrow-minded, distasteful, and offensive. Politically quite incorrect. This is not surprising. In many ways, the Christian is alien to worldlings: the unsaved. Their nature, character, values, preoccupations and ways are altogether different. To worldlings, anything goes. More or less. They do not believe in the divine authority of the word of God and they do not submit to the word of God. Not so with Christians: lovers of God. They are true to the One who made them, the One who has delivered them from the  kingdom of darkness and transferred them into another realm, the kingdom of His beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13)

These were once citizens of this fallen world: sin-ravaged, rebellious and hopelessly lost like the rest. They were once travellers of the “broad road”, on their way to destruction. Rejecters of truth, despisers of God, self-absorbed lovers of fleshly pleasure. But the course of their journey has changed. By the miracle of grace and faith, they have embarked on a new life. A qualitatively different life. The pilgrim life. True alien life. As different as light is from darkness. They are no longer of this world. They are still in the world but they are not of the world. They have had an encounter radical and supernatural. They have met the blessed Redeemer, the pure Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. They have seen the beauty and glory of the Son of God. Through the faith that comes from hearing and receiving the living Word, they have come to see their true spiritual state. Sinful, abject and alienated from their Maker, a holy and gracious God. A self-centred generation deserving of God’s just wrath and eternal separation from Him are now the recipients of divine mercy. They know something of the power of the revered blood. Their sins have been washed away by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. 

The things of the world which once charmed, dazzled and held them have dimmed and faded. They are now captivated by the sublime beauty and glory of God. Born anew from above, regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, they are just not the same. Instead of soccer or gym or a myriad other sports or entertainment on Sunday morning, they gather for worship and fellowship with kindred pilgrims. Instead of night clubs and other fleshly pre-occupations, they now attend bible study and prayer meetings. Voluntarily and eagerly. Their citizenship has changed. Holiness and righteousness, once offensive to them, has become a delight to their souls. They are no longer centred on themselves. They have died to self. They have risen with Christ. Hallelujah! Christ is their Centre, their Head, their All. They are now truly foreigners in their earthly environment. They are temporary residents of a doomed, decaying and passing world journeying to the pure and everlasting city where God their Maker dwells. 

No turning back. To the true alien, “Egypt” is history. They have been called out of Egypt. The captivity of the world system over their lives is broken. Hallelujah! They are firmly on the narrow,  difficult but blessed path in obedience to their Master, Jesus Christ. Tenaciously, they hold on to the Word of life. Immersed in the word of their Master and filled with the Holy Spirit, they journey. Trials, tribulations, and hardships ensue. But they lack no good thing. The Spirit of truth leads them. They are comforted and edified because the Lord their God is faithful in all situations. Despite relentless ridicule and hostility, to and fro they go, making Christ known: disseminating the Word of life. This is their element, their joy and their preoccupation. When hated, they love, when downtrodden, they sing. When persecuted, they glory because they are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of their Master. The world is not worthy of the true alien. But the true alien is energised, approved, upheld by God. They are the blessed recipients of the riches of divine and redeeming grace. 

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Beloved, are you a true alien?

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you that You are most holy, most pure, most righteous and most merciful. Thank You that You have wonderfully ordained that Your children will be holy, and conformed to the likeness of our Blessed Redeemer and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Grant me, O Father, all grace to yield to the cleansing and purifying work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I ask that You continue Your gracious and precious work of sanctifying me by Your holy word. As I journey through this dark world, uphold me and keep from all compromise. Grant that I continually do Your will. May it be my food. I heartily desire to live a clean and righteous life as must all who belong to Christ having been called out and called up for the glory of Your most holy name, in Jesus name.