Images of a Christian
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
Formal theology has special terms for certain aspects of Christian theology. For example, Christology speaks of the doctrine of the person and work of Christ, soteriology speaks of aspects of salvation and eschatology refers to end-time events.
Although lacking such a single theological term for the study of the Christian life, Theology 101 has been using common biblical images that help illumine aspects of being Christians. Last week the imagery of a farmer ended by noting how the farmer patiently awaits harvest time. This week the image of a pilgrim draws our attention to the journey of Christians themselves prior to the final harvest time.
God’s people often saw themselves as pilgrims. In his farewell prayer at the end of his reign as Israel’s king, David acknowledged, “We are all aliens and pilgrims before You as were all our fathers” (1 Chron. 29:15).
‘Strangers on the earth’
The same sentiment is expressed in the Hebrews 11:13 summation about the ancient patriarchs: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
This sentiment has been expressed in a gospel song by the declaration, “This world is not my home I’m just a passing through … and I can’t feel at home in this world any more.”
Simply put we think of pilgrims as people on a journey. Consequently pilgrims are at best temporary residents of the places along the journey. They do not linger to put down roots in the places through which they pass.
Permanent home in heaven
We might add that those who are pilgrims may well be journeying toward a permanent dwelling place. In school most of us were introduced to the early settlers of our nation as pilgrims. These early pilgrims ultimately became citizens of the new nation.
As Christians we are in this present age as pilgrims on a journey toward a permanent place in the Father’s house (John 14:2–3). We are embraced in the declaration of Philippians 3:20: “Our citizenship is in heaven.”
It also is true that we sometimes think of citizens going on pilgrimages to other lands or to holy places, all the while being citizens of their homeland. We will be blessed if we can look back across our pilgrimage and confess before the Lord, “Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage” (Ps. 119:54).
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