“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ NIV

Now, let’s talk about citizenship. Some countries allow dual citizenship. People are allowed to carry two passports…one from the country of their birth, and one from their country of adoption. This means that they have the rights and privileges of both countries and can travel freely between them without hindrance. 

In the spiritual realm, those who have been born from above also have dual citizenship. We are citizens of the earthly realm and are subject to the systems and government in whichever part of this realm we live. 

Some of us reside in countries where the government rules with moderation… others under tyranny and cruelty. Paul instructed that,

…whatever the nature of the government…it has God-ordained authority, and we are obliged to submit…unless the laws oppose the law of God. 

Where we live and under what kind of authority we function in this earthly realm are part of our training for our citizenship in God’s realm. We can never separate the two. In this life, we fall under hostile powers in two ways… the one operates under Satan’s influence in the world systems…and the one inside us that pulls us towards Satan’s influence…called “the flesh” or “the old nature”. 

God planned it that way! Yes, this is part of His strategy to train us for the realm in which He reigns supreme and in which in we live now and will continue to live in the age to come…in the world, because we live under its authority here and now… but not of the world because our loyalty and obedience is to God. 

Jesus prayed…

“I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do.”

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

First, Jesus gave us new birth into His kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

“Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When this happens, we acquire dual citizenship and the training begins. 

Second, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit who now lives in us, we must learn to navigate the world system in which we live without becoming a part of its evil ways. We must also learn, under the Spirit’s personal guidance and instruction, to live in the kingdom of God, applying its laws to our everyday lives in place of the ways of the world. 

This training is lifelong, difficult, and sometimes costly…as Paul had discovered…hence his imprisonment in Rome. The world is hostile to God’s kingdom. Its standards are designed to function under Satanic influence by deception, in rebellion against righteousness, justice, and truth. 

Our role as citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom is to keep walking in God’s ways in obedience to His Word…and to suffer the consequences of civil disobedience or the injustice and hostility of the world’s people without anger or hatred, and without retaliating. 

This is the place where we learn to live as dead people to the treatment that attacks our very person. Love your enemies. Do not take revenge. Give to those who cannot give back. Rejoice when you are persecuted. Be merciful…like your Father in heaven is merciful. 

These requirements are the real test of our citizenship…not a passport…not church membership…not a baptismal certificate…or even “the sinner’s prayer” prayed at the altar! The real test is fruit…the life of Jesus that flows into the vine to which we are attached…producing the character of Jesus in increasing measure and showing, by our fruit, the nature of the kingdom to which we belong. 

Living as citizens of God’s realm takes power…not will-power but His power working in us. This power is given to us through the Spirit in us when we focus on living where we are supposed to live and keeping our eyes on Jesus, our model and mentor. We live under God’s authority moment by moment…decision by decision…choice by choice…word by word…and action by action. Every minute of every day, we choose in which dimension and under whose authority we will operate and who we will obey…the Spirit in us or the flesh that rules our appetites. 

Now let’s see what Paul says…not what just happens, or over which we have no control…but what is real…what is fact…and where we live here and now. 

Fact number one… “our citizenship is in heaven”. We are only passing through this life, not a permanent part of it. “Living as foreigners…” said Peter. 

“This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fact number two…”we eagerly await a Savior”. Our attention is on Jesus, not on our circumstances or on the world around us. We have a hope and a motive…and we live accordingly…

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fact number three…we have a destiny…a kingdom in which everything will be restored to its original perfection…

“…who, by the power that enables him (Jesus) to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

…including the bodies that were corrupted by sin. 

For everyone who believes in Jesus…our future controls our present. 

To be continued