Ever moved houses? How was it for you?
Since
I was born, my family has lived in three different homes. We moved out of the
first one when I was 7, transitioning to a new state and city entirely. It
meant a new neighborhood, a new school, a completely different environment. By
the time we visited our old neighbors months later, they said we had changed.
"You speak better English now." Lol. We lived in this second home for
17 years.
Last
year, we moved out of our second home. It’s been a year now since the move—same
city, new neighborhood. I haven’t lived in our new home as long as the rest of
my family, so I don’t have many experiences to reflect on yet.
But
thinking about my experiences with home reminds me of my spiritual home so I’m
flipping the script on how moving houses reflects the bigger picture of moving
houses spiritually – to Christ!
Ephesians
2 tells us about our condition before Christ: we were dead, separated from God,
without hope, essentially orphans. Colossians 1:13 expands on what’s
changed—how God has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated
us into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, the Son of His Love. As Rev. Ifo (one of
our church pastors) mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we weren’t just
relocated—we were translated. That means our nature has changed. We’ve been moved
into a new home, a new location: Christ. We are now seated in heavenly places
in Christ, far above all principalities and powers.
If
I were to rewrite this for Gen Z, I’d say: "We’ve moved out of Sin City, Death State in the Darkness Country
and migrated to a new place called In-Christ Country. We now live in Heavenly Places State, in the Far Above Principalities and Powers City."
The
point?
By
putting our faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for salvation,
we’ve moved homes. From one country to another! The passport has been stamped! This change of address isn’t a physical relocation. It
signifies a change of our nature and, therefore, a change in our experiences
because new homes mean new memories, new experiences, and a completely new way
of life.
At
times, you might find yourself thinking about your old home and feeling
nostalgic. You might even visit old neighbors or places, but none of that
changes where you are now. Sometimes, you might even forget that you live in a
new home and find yourself slipping back into old habits or old ways of
thinking. But eventually, you’ll reroute and return to your new home because
that’s where you belong.
As
one of our pastors, Rev. Charles, shared, a friend told him: “The record we
have in scripture is that we’ve passed from death to life. However, there’s no
record that we’ve passed back from life to death.” Once we're in Christ, we’re
sealed until the day of redemption. We have eternal redemption, and the door is
locked. There's no going back.
And
honestly, we don’t even want to go back. We’ve come into the fullness of God’s
grace, and we’ve been called to freedom—true freedom (Scriptural references:
"For freedom, Christ has set us free"). So yes!
You’re
home!
Christ
is your home.
"He’s
not a stepping stone. He’s not a means to anything. He’s the end." —John
Piper
Have
you ever stopped to think about what it means that you’re home in Christ, and
Christ is your home? Stay tuned for the next article in Flip The Script’s HOME
IN CHRIST series.
Not yet in the fam?
God is a good Father who loves you so much and wants you to be part of His family as His child. He offered His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pursue your heart and save you and bring you into the family. All you need to do is to receive His love and you can live in it and enjoy it for the rest of your life. Will you receive it? Then please say this prayer:
Father in Heaven, I thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to save me from my sins and give me eternal life. I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins, He was buried and on the third day, He rose again, to make me right with you. I declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour. I thank you that I am now saved and I'm a member of your family. I ask that You fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me to know You more. In Jesus' name, amen.
Welcome!
If you said this prayer for the first time, you're now a child of God and I am excited that you are my sibling in Christ. Welcome!!! 🥳There's a whole party going on in Heaven right now, on your behalf, like the excitement over a newborn baby. Will you please reach out to me and let me bless you with a resource that will help you get started on your journey of faith? Click here to do so. I love you and can't wait to meet you.
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