CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

Philippians 1:27 says, "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News." Paul encouraged the church in Phillipi that in everything that they do on this earth, they must live as citizens of heaven. Being a citizen of Heaven means living in a legal and under the authority of a sovereign kingdom, in this case, the Kingdom of God, which is not of this world, but it is God's throne in Heaven. Since all believers are under the authority of the sovereign kingdom of God in Heaven while living on this earth, Paul was encouraging the Philippian believers to live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, which means to live righteously. As they lived righteously, they would stand together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith which was the Good News. 

Many people in the world want to become citizens of the United States of America (USA) because of the benefits and opportunities that they could have as citizens. They sacrificed everything just to get to the U.S., and many chose to come here illegally. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), there were 818,500 became naturalized citizens in 2024, and there were over 10.7 million eligible to apply for citizenship. As we can see based on the data that many are putting their faith in the U.S. government that their lives could change only if they could become citizens. However, Christians have a better citizenship, whether you live in the U.S. or other countries in the world. We are citizens of Heaven, where there is no more sin, suffering, and death, which is far superior to the citizens of this world. The physical kingdom of God in Heaven awaits us. All our sufferings will end when we enter God's Kingdom in Heaven.

Our citizenship in Heaven must inspire us to live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ on this earth so that we can live in unity to stand for the Gospel. Our life on this earth is temporary, but our life in God's Kingdom in Heaven is forever. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the benefit of being a citizen of Heaven? How should I live my life as a citizen of Heaven? Where should I put my hope, the kingdom of this world or the kingdom of Heaven?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you that I am a citizen of your kingdom in Heaven. Please help me to live righteously so that I may live in unity with other believers in standing for your Gospel. Please help me not to put my hope in the U.S. government, but I will put my hope in you. The governments in this world are broken because they are run by imperfect people, but your kingdom is perfect because you are a holy and perfect God. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.