Identity in Christ Series: Week Seven I am a Citizen of Heaven

Philippians 3:20 (NLT) But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

As believers it is important for us to understand that we are not citizens of this earth but our citizenship is in heaven.  According to 1 Peter 2:9, as Citizens of Heaven we have different roles/duties to fulfill. 

Our first role is as a chosen people. God chose each of us to be citizens in His kingdom.  Before the world was formed God handpicked each of us. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  We were not chosen because of our abilities or appearance.  He chose us because we are his creation and He loves us. 

Jesus chose the least likely to be his disciples.  In Bible times a Rabbi would only choose the best and the brightest to invest in.  He would not accept anyone who he did not find “worthy.”  When Jesus chose his disciples He chose: Peter, James, John, and Andrew who were all fishermen. He also chose Matthew who was a hated tax collector.  Simon was a member of the Zealot’s, a political group who wanted to provoke the Jewish people in Judea to rebel against the Roman government and to expel them from the Holy Land by force.  He also chose  Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. 

These men were obviously not thought of as the best and brightest of their day or they would have studied under rabbis.  The fact that they were in the “family business” or another occupation implies that they had been passed over for rabbinical training.  

Jesus was the greatest Rabbi to every walk on the earth and yet he chose these “less than desirable” men to be the ones to who he entrusted the future of the Church.  Wow!  How awesome is it to think that as citizens of heaven we too have been entrusted with the future of the Church!!

Thanks be to God that in His kingdom we are all made worthy/qualified by salvation through Christ.  Colossians 1:12 (NIV) and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.Our second role is that of Royal Priesthood. We have a priestly responsibility today.  It is not just something we will do in the future when we rule and reign with Christ. We need to operate as priests now to prepare for our roles in the future.  Let’s look at some of the ways we operate as priest today. 

First, in Bible times Priests had access to God that the average Jewish person did not have.  They were those who offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. The declared the goodness of God before their fellow Jews.  Today we as believers are to preform out priestly duties by offering sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.  We are responsible for offering our lives in sacrificial service daily to our King. 

Secondly, the priest ministers to others. Our responsibility here on earth is to minister to those around us whether lost or found (saved).  We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ on this earth.  

Thirdly, we are representatives of the Kingdom of God.  It is our responsibility to lead the lost to Christ.  We were given a commission along with the first disciples to witness and make other disciples.  Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Our third role is that of Holy Nation.  1 Peter 1:15 (NLT) But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. Our holiness comes through Christ.  Hebrews 10:10 (NIV) says, And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.           However, staying holy is our choice.  Isaiah 35:8 (NLT) And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.

 When we come to Christ in repentance His blood removes our sins.  Once our sins are under the blood we are free from the punishment for those sins. The struggle we all face is choosing to walk in holiness; choosing to live our lives free from the stains of sin. When we willfully sin we are choosing to walk out from under the blood and protection Christ provided through His death and resurrection.  

If we were automatically eternally holy, Peter would not have admonished us to be holy in everything we do. The good news is that once we decide to walk in holiness the Holy Spirit begins to guide our steps and to influence our choices.  We must be obedient to His voice, however, we will never be asked to walk in holiness alone.  He is always there to lead and guide.

We are a Holy Nation.  1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT) The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body [nation]. So it is with the body of Christ.  We are all one nation as believers in Christ.  

 In Nehemiah 3 we read the account of the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem.  The chapter is divided into 11 sections. Each section lists the names of family leaders and the sections of the wall each family was working on.  Around then entire wall one family lined up next to another family and so on.  The whole community worked together, side by side, to complete the rebuilding. The same holds true for us today.  We must be united as one body, working together for the cause of Christ. We need each other in order to walk through this life; remembering our citizenship is in heaven, but our journey takes place in this fallen world.  God has called us to carry each other’s burdens and to lend a hand wherever it is needed.  Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  This doesn’t mean we get so burdened down with the cares of others that we struggle to live our own life, however, it does mean that we encourage and pray for each other’s needs. 

Our fourth role is as God’s very own possession.  We have been bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

After the creation of the world, God created man.  He provided him with everything he would need to enjoy abundant life.  However, sin entered the picture and that perfect place became a place of bondage for Adam and Eve.  They were then sent out to live in this fallen, sinful, broken world. Choices they made affected the rest of their lives and ours as well.  

God, however, had a plan to redeem mankind and to restore us to right relationship with Himself.  This sacrifice came through the shed blood of Christ.  The price for our salvation was the death of the one and only Son of God.  Imagine being God and being forced to watch as your plan unfolded.  Your most dearly love child goes to his death on a cruel cross, mocked and despised by the very ones you sent him to save.  The price to reclaim us as His own was very high indeed!!

 When I go shopping I don’t buy things I just like.   If I am going to spend money I want to be sure that I get things I love.  My possessions are things that have value and importance to me.  During this past 10 years we have downsized a lot. We have had most of our belongings packed in boxes in storage in New Mexico for over two years.  I can tell you that while I have lived without the things in the boxes, I miss them!!  I love our family pictures, our nice dishes, our pots and pans. I miss my winter clothes!  I miss my family heirlooms.  I know this all sounds trivial but my point in all of that is to show us that we hold things dear to our hearts for different reasons. My possessions might not mean a thing to you; however, they are precious to me.  

           We are God’s possessions.  He holds each one of us dear.  We are precious in His sight.  The fact that God holds us dear should trump the opinions others have about us.  As citizens of heaven and members of God’s family we are precious to our Heavenly Father!!  We are loved, cherished, provided for, and protected by the greatest Father anyone could ever have.  

          We are citizens of the greatest Kingdom ever: The Kingdom of God. We are citizens of Heaven!!!  Let us walk as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own possession that we may show others the goodness of our KING!!!!!