Dear Citizens of Heaven,
Citizenship is a unifying concept in society. As citizens we’re subjects to the country we live in – its laws and leaders. Citizenship helps create and keep order in God’s creation. However, when citizenship gets divided, problems arise – which laws, which leaders do we follow? When that happens, I hope the laws and leaders of the country we’re from would take precedence. The saying “home is where the heart is” applies; so, if your heart’s from one place, you should live by that place’s laws and leaders. If not, move to the other place.
As disciples of Christ, baptized children of God, we have dual-citizenship – we’re citizens in one of the earth’s many nations with hearts from the Kingdom of Heaven. However, dual-citizenship can cause problems – which laws, which leaders do we follow? Are we, as Paul writes to the citizens in Philippi, focused with “eyes on those who walk according the example” of the faithful disciples of Christ, hearts obedient to “our citizenship in heaven” (Philippians 3:17, 20)? Or are we walking “as enemies of the cross of Christ … with minds set on earthly things,” (Philippians 3:18-19) hearts set on the world’s rulers, continually calling on us to say and do things that clearly run counter to God’s Word? As citizens of Heaven, subjects of the King of kings, the Word of God – His law, His gospel, and His rule over us should take precedence … even if it brings earthly persecution and suffering.
Jeremiah is a good example of how to live out our dual-citizenship. A citizen in Israel, God gave him a difficult message to preach to Israel and its leaders. For his efforts, he was threatened with death. Yet he said, “Do with me as seems good and right to you … (but know) the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” (Jeremiah 26:14-15) Let us live first as citizens of Heaven serving in the world – loving God first by loving our neighbors in the world in accord with His Word.
Your Fellow Citizen,
Pastor Jim