For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Philippians 3: 20, 21, NKJV.
Holy Father, Here we are again, waiting to hear a Word from You. Please speak to our hearts in heavenly tones, and help us to understand that we are citizens of heaven, by Your grace. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
It is good for us to be reminded from time to time, that we are citizens of heaven. About a week ago we studied that Terah left home to go to Canaan, but instead, he settled in Haran, and died in Haran. Apparently he forgot, where he was headed, and he settled down too soon. If we are not careful, we too are in danger of forgetting where we are headed. Today, let us take just a few minutes to remember, that this earth, in its present condition, is not our final destination. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Yesterday, we listened to the apostle Paul as he exhorted the new converts in the church at Colossae, in beautiful terms of endearment. What he was obviously trying to keep before them, is that they were not who they used to be. Amen. When we come to Jesus, everything changes. We become new people. Everything that was BC, (Before Christ)is passed away. We are now BA (Born Again); and we are HB (Heaven Bound). Let us not forget that we are only pilgrims here, and heaven, is where our citizenship is!
Because of this, he exhorted them to “think on things above, not on earthly things.” The importance of his exhortation lies in the fact that, because we are so intricately made – so fearfully and wonderfully fashioned – our minds and our bodies so intimately intertwined – our minds tend to pull at our bodies. Wherever our mind goes, our body tends to follow. If we are heaven bound, then we ought to be heavenly minded!
To make sure that they understood what he was telling them he painted a very graphic picture of those who “set their mind on earthly things” (19), “they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame.” This is not a pretty picture, but according to the apostle, this is the direction of those who “set their minds on earthly things.”
Nevertheless, the future is never gloomy for the children of God. Before warning them about the results of being earthly minded, he painted them a picture of hope, “. . . but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind” (13-16, emphasis provided).
May the God of grace, peace, and love, help us to respond to the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” and keep our minds on things above. We are only pilgrims here, “our citizenship is in heaven.”