“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 3:20

In my last blog I addressed the subject of the kingdom of the Lord. Jesus Christ, being the King, rules over His kingdom, which is not of this world, but, as I mentioned in my previous blog, is “other-worldly”. When an individual is born again into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ, he/she instantly becomes a citizen of Jesus’ kingdom. Being citizens of His kingdom means that we are representatives of that kingdom which Jesus rules.

Let’s think for a moment about the concept of citizenship. As a citizen of the United States of America, I have all the rights, protections, and privileges that come with that citizenship. Being a citizen of a free republic gives me the privilege of striving to attain my full potential, and of enjoying the benefits that will result from that potential. It offers me the protections that come from being a citizen, but it also comes with the strict warning that if I do not abide by the constraints of the law that I will suffer the consequences of breaking that law.

Being a citizen of the US also means that I adopt the cultural practices of the country. This is where the tension begins for one who has been born into the family of God and has become a citizen of heaven. We now abide in two different “kingdoms” and are called to be subject to two distinct kings. I am not referring to earthly kings, but rather to the one who is referred to in Scripture as the “god of this world” and the “ruler of the powers of the air”. Satan is the one who actually rules the worldly systems, be it a specific political system, societal system, the religious system, etc. When I speak of “the” political system, this is an all-inclusive term which would include all political systems of the world. Therefore, being a citizen of a particular nation means that I am under the rule of the god of this world.

So now, being a citizen of the US, and also a citizen of the kingdom of the Lord, I am placed into a position of conflict when the demands of one kingdom are diametrically opposite to the demands of the other. This happens quite often. This is the reason the Bible admonishes us to make sure we are living as good representatives of our heavenly citizenship.

So, how is the citizen of heaven supposed to live in dual citizenship with the world? Read carefully the words from the pen of the apostle John:

“Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

1 John 2:15-17

Note especially the words “passing away.” The present worldly system, ruled by the god of this world, is already passing away. This includes all aspects of the world. It is temporary and will one day cease to exist. Those who have placed their hopes in the world will pass away with it.

But, the one who does the will of God will abide forever. What a stark contrast! Citizenship in a worldly kingdom will pass away, but the kingdom of the Lord will abide forever. Those who have entered into a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, will live forever in that kingdom ruled by the righteous King Himself.

So why is it that many who profess to be citizens of the kingdom of the Lord place so much emphasis, and spend so much of their time, and invest most of their energy, on the things of this world? We are not to give ourselves over to the desires of this world, as John asserts, but are to live our lives for the glory of our King.

The apostle Paul says in Colossians that we are to set our minds on things of heaven. But too often it seems that many believers are so enthralled with the things pertaining to this life that they give little to no thought of the things pertaining to the kingdom of the Lord.

We are to live our lives with the intent of being good citizens of both kingdoms, but the kingdom of the Lord should always take precedence over the kingdoms of the world. We are never to look at any of the world’s systems – political, societal, cultural, and religious – to provide salvation that we so desperately need. Being good citizens of heaven will mean that we are the best citizens of earth there are, being law-abiding citizens who do our best to represent our Lord in the best ways possible.

But we are to make sure that our first priority is to live as citizens of heaven being the best representatives of our Lord we can possibly be.

Blessings!