But there’s far more to life for us.
We're citizens of high heaven!
Philippians 3:20 MSG
These flags represent my heritage, my privilege of citizenship in the first 2 countries represented, and my right to citizenship in the 3rd (under the Law of Return) if I choose to claim it.
My family history is not better than yours and yours is not better than mine. God decided where and when we should be born and to what parents. But, your family history is unique to you. My heritage and your heritage are most certainly something to cherish and celebrate.
People can also become citizens of a place seldom recognized by earthly governments. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, Philippians 3:20 says, "We're citizens of high heaven!"
The privilege of citizenship you have in your country of origin is yours by right of birth. The privilege of citizenship we have in heaven is also ours by right of birth - the new birth in Jesus Christ who shed His blood to make it possible for us to become part of God's family!
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13 ESV).
Your family history has helped to shape who you are just as mine has helped to shape who I am. The countries from which my family came are a part of me, just as those of your family are a part of you. As children of God, we have another country, not our country of origin but our glorious destination!
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city (Hebrews 11:16 ESV).
Now that is something far more worthy of celebration than any sense of nationalism this world has to offer!
We must remember that with privilege also comes responsibility. When we were children, we might have heard our parents say, "Don't forget you represent this family." I have tried to avoid saying that to my children but instead have, at times, reminded them that they represent the Lord Jesus Christ wherever they go and whatever they do.
That is true for every person who has been washed in the blood of the Lamb, born into God's family and headed to a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Most people in the US would say they are proud to be an American. Shouldn't we value our citizenship in heaven, and the One who died to make it possible, even more?
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:18-20 ESV).
As God's children, citizens of heaven, we have a responsibility to represent Him well to the world.
What kind of citizen am I? What kind of citizen are you?
Father, thank You for the privilege we have of being citizens of heaven because of the blood of Christ. Help us, Lord, to represent You well in this world, for Your glory. In Jesus' wonderful Name, Amen.
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