Heavenly Citizenship
Philippians 3:12-4:1
Key Verse: But our citizenship is in heaven. And we
eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20)
What does it mean to have citizenship in a
particular country? There are rights and privileges that are afforded citizens
that are not afforded to others. There are also responsibilities. It also
requires a certain amount of loyalty. If you are a citizen of a particular
country, and then do something to help a foreign government move against your
country, that is called treason. For many countries if you are a citizen in one
country and become a citizen in another, you must then renounce your allegiance
to the other country and pledge your allegiance to the new country in which you
now hold citizenship. So what does it mean to be a citizen of heaven? As
Christians, where do our loyalties lie. What do we owe the “country” in which
we hold citizenship? What does this mean for our loyalties not only to this
world but to the country in which we reside and currently hold citizenship? How
does our loyalty to heaven affect our loyalty to our own countries? How does
thinking about our relationship with Christ as a citizenship in Heaven change
our understanding of the Christian life?
Prayer:
Lord, I pledge my allegiance to you, over all other
things. I am not a citizen of this world, but a temporary resident. I live
here, I work here, but I do not belong here. Help me to see heaven as the place
I belong. I desire to be loyal to heaven
and all she stands for over an above any loyalty I might have to any country or
institution on earth. Help me to live into my heavenly citizenship daily, aligning
who I am with her values and who she is calling me to be. Amen
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