Citizenship- The American Dictionary definition is this, noun: Citizenship is also carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a member of a particular society:(Good citizenship requires that you do all the things a citizen is supposed to do, such as pay taxes, serve on juries, and vote.) Collins Dictionary definition, noun: 1. If you have citizenship of a country, you are legally accepted as belonging to it. 2. Citizenship is the fact of belonging to a community because you live in it, and the duties and responsibilities that this brings.
View this blog in video by clicking here.
When we talk about citizenship, we are at some level also talking about our identity. Our citizenship plays a role in shaping who we are, what we value, what is important to us, and how we live. Since as believers we are citizens of God’s kingdom, that reality should shape the way that we we live as sojourners and exiles in this world.What does it mean to live as a citizen of God’s kingdom? What is it that governs our lives as citizens of God’s kingdom?
A citizen is a person who legally belongs to a country and has the rights and protection of that country. Citizens adopt the culture and practices of the nation or kingdom to which they belong. Every human being is born into the kingdom of this world, in which Satan rules. 2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Consequently, we grow up adopting the culture, practices, and values that he instigates. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world.
Which nationality are you?
Satan’s kingdom enslaves its citizens Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? People blindly follow their leader into the very sins that pull them deeper into slavery. We remain captives in this kingdom of sin, headed for destruction, until Jesus frees us. Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,.
Philippians 3:18-19 highlights the differences between those who desire fellowship with Jesus Christ and those who focus on earthly pursuits: “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.” Those who do not know Christ live only for this world and the pleasure they can find for themselves. They are “citizens” of this world and live by its rules and value system.
Phillippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, Shouldn’t your character and personality reflect this?
How do we attain this citizenship? John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus spent much of His earthly ministry explaining the Kingdom of Heaven. He compared it to many things, including a wheat field in which weeds grew along with the wheat. The plants appeared identical at first, but were separated at the harvest.
Many people may appear to be citizens of heaven, when, in fact, no rebirth has ever taken place in their hearts. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Are you born again? Has your heart changed?
The Holy Spirit and His help in our citizenship.
When God grants us citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, we become “new creatures”. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. He sends His Holy Spirit to indwell our spirits, and our bodies become His temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? The Holy Spirit begins to transform our sinful, worldly desires into those that glorify God Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. His goal is to make us as much like Jesus as possible in this life.
Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. We are given the power and privilege of exiting the world’s flawed value system and living for eternity. To be adopted into the family of God means that we become citizens of an eternal kingdom where our Father is the King. Our focus turns toward eternal things and storing up treasure in heaven. We consider ourselves ambassadors to this earth until our Father sends for us and we go home.
We live for a short time in these physical bodies, anticipating the bright future in our real home. While here, we share Abraham’s experience, living “like a stranger in a foreign country. . . looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”. I pray you are a citizen of heaven. Troy Rockers
Resources: American Dictionary, Collins Dictionary, https://www.gotquestions.org/citizenship-in-heaven.html
