Kingdom #4--Citizenship in Heaven

 “Our citizenship is in heaven,” Paul says in Philippians 3:20.

When some people hear this phrase they think “Heaven is eventually where I will go.” Paul seems to have something else in mind. The Greek word for citizenship can mean a form of government or citizenship. Paul is saying that the form of government disciples of Jesus are under is ultimately the reign of God and as such our citizenship is in heaven… or if you will “our political thinking comes from heaven.”

A citizen is a native or naturalized member of the state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and can feel entitled to its protection. A citizen is to be distinguished from an alien or a foreigner.

It is most significant that Paul makes this statement to the Philippians, for their city was highly favored by the Emperor, and he had granted most of the people there Roman citizenship for which they were extremely proud. But Paul reminds the believers that their citizenship is really not Roman but it is in heaven.

Peter, perhaps writing about the same time, says to Christians in another place:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:10-11

Here is our main point today: Kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God are drastically different. We will often have to decide which one has our ultimate allegiance. Those in the Kingdom of God are called to be submissive to human government, for human governments are ordained by God to keep order in society. However, our ultimate allegiance must always be the Kingdom God. Our citizenship is in heaven, we are citizens who operate by the standards of the age to come. This will inevitably mean there will be clashes between what human government wants us to do and what "your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven" will mean in our lives.

Some of you watching or reading this live in the United States (where I live and am a citizen). Others of you live in other parts of the world – Venezuela, China, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, Russia, the Ukraine and many other places. Your earthly citizenship is different from mine, but we are one people, part of one holy nation because our ultimate allegiance is to the Kingdom of God. That citizenship trumps all others.

Different countries have different standards and operate by different principles. Some are more repugnant to believers in Jesus than others, but every country, every nation, every kingdom of this world operates by the principles of "worldly wisdom" and so that means that regardless of which country we live in and which earthly citizenship we may have, because we pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of God, that makes us aliens and foreigners and strangers in this world.

In 2 Corinthians Paul tells us that we must not be yoked together with unbelievers, asking, “For what does light have to do with darkness? Here is one of the important implications of the Kingdom of God. Our allegiance to our King and his kingdom will mean that we cannot yoke ourselves together with those trying to accomplish plans by worldly wisdom that conflict with the wisdom of God.

Instead, we must advocate for kingdom principles which usually sound crazy to the world. Otherwise, the salt will lose its saltiness and we will no longer be the salt of the earth, light of the world, the city set on a hill.

The implications of all of this are serious. If we have disciples in the United States who are fervently patriotic and nationalistic, and we have disciples in China who are fervently patriotic and nationalistic , the body of Christ will be torn asunder because we have an idolatrous relationship with our countries and are not pledging ultimate and complete allegiance to the kingdom of God.

Too many disciples bring with them into the Kingdom their views of government, patriotism and politics and never place those views under the rule and reign of God or allow God's wisdom to transform their thinking.

Disciples of Jesus in United States do not have the mission of spreading democracy and capitalism to the world. Disciples of Jesus in China do not have the mission of spreading communism to the world. Those in the United States and those in China and those of every other nation on earth who are in the Kingdom of God must be concerned about bringing men and women from all cultures and all economic systems to be a part of God's Royal priesthood and God's holy nation. This is one of the crucial meanings of the biblical concept of God’s Kingdom.


Next week: The Kingdom and the Church