We’re just waiting for the day that our Father, who is in heaven, will send Jesus back for us and take us to the place that is our … This is the citizenship, the home, and the community that is of ultimate importance, and with Christ as the cornerstone, it is gloriously unshakeable. Is it the Same as the Lamb’s Book of Life? They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. And our attitudes should reflect that truth. For our citizenship is in heaven. 20–21). She is passionate about sharing the truth and pointing others back to Jesus Christ through the written Word as the standard of authority for Christian living and instruction while being led by the Holy Spirit into maturity. Speaking of those who have had that spiritual rebirth, Philippians 3:20 says, “Our citizenship is in heaven. We have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ. As citizens of heaven, Christians have a higher obligation than to earthly civil rulers. Citizenship implies governance and responsibility. Visas won’t have to be applied for or passports renewed. As we pass through this life, we celebrate the life of (name of person), knowing that one day You shall transform their lowly body that it may be conformed to Your glorious body. Copyright 2011-2021 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, a future promise of our eternal security as citizens in the heavenly city. A Christian's citizenship is in heaven. Whilst we grieve for loved ones, we are assured that our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ. 18. Most every person is born a citizen of a political state or country where they have identity, rights, protections, and share in a certain culture, mores, and values. Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the 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. We do not store up treasure where moth and rust can destroy. Rather than having an expectation for the things of this world, we have an eager expectation for the return of our Savior. The believers in Philippi were not merely citizens of the city of Philippi and of the Roman Empire. What Does it Mean That the ‘Gift of God Is Eternal Life’? Philippians 3:20 (NRSA) But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. As citizens of heaven, Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven. but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s the word by which it is translated in the American Revised Version. We are to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). Most every person is born a citizen of a political state or country where they have identity, rights, protections, and share in a certain culture, mores, and values. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2021, Christianity.com. We are temporary residents, awaiting a heavenly city much like those described in the letter to the Hebrews. Our citizenship is in heaven. We have a King and a High Priest who intercedes on our behalf and who is our Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). Philippians 3:17-21 New King James Version (NKJV) Our Citizenship in Heaven. What does that mean? Colossians 1:12-13 As sojourners, we realize that this world is not our home. Our residence, our community, our form of government, which includes our rights, privileges and responsibilities, are all in heaven. The Greek word that is used here is politeuma, and the word politeuma – "For our politeuma is in heaven" [ Philippians 3:20] – the word can be translated "citizenship." Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13,16). Our conduct should be characteristic of our heavenly citizenship, as people worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Being a citizen of heaven leaves us as sojourners in this world. This identifies one with that particular community. Our text is the Epistle for today, from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We imitate the nature of Christ. We, as citizens of heaven, do what Colossians 3:1-2 tells us to do, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. This declaration of heavenly citizenship created a striking dichotomy between those who are to have an eternal perspective and those who have a worldly perspective. Citizens conduct themselves in accordance with the country to which they belong. What Does it Mean That Our Citizenship is in Heaven? What Is the Book of Life? Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In his letter to the saints at Philippi, the Apostle Paul reminds them of this certainty and promise, “But our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Philippians 3:20, NIV: "But our citizenship is in heaven.And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 3:20, ESV: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 3:20, KJV: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the … But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20 (ESV) Paul reminds us that upon the very moment of salvation, our residency changes from this dark and broken world to the heaven. Romans 6:22 says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. What Does it Mean to be Unequally Yoked in Marriage? Our citizenship is in heaven. People's Bible Notes for Philippians 3:20. What Does it Mean ‘Where Your Treasure Is There Your Heart Is Also’? According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, the Greek word for citizenship means “to behave as a citizen. What Happens after We Die According to the Bible? She is the author of NonProphet Woke: The Reformation of a Modern-Day Disciple. Jesus said His … Charles Spurgeon said, “If our citizenship be in heaven, then we are aliens here; we are strangers and foreigners, pilgrims and sojourners in the earth, as all our fathers were.”. This means to give our heart to heavenly things, not to the passing things of earth (Col. 3:2). In the New Testament, the state itself, community, commonwealth is used metaphorically of Christians in reference to their spiritual community and their status as citizens of heaven.” Merriam Webster, defines citizen as “an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman.” "Citizenship" indicates a fellowship or society all living under the same administration, but in this case, not living in the land of their citizenship. How can a Christian be an ambassador for Christ. Their mind is set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). Paul said of them, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. You can be born a citizen of the United States, but you must be born again to become a citizen of Heaven. A Christian's citizenship is in heaven. The text says, “Our citizenship is in heaven,” and I think we may read it, as though it said, “OUR COMMERCE IS IN HEAVEN.” We are doing business on earth, but still the bulk of our business is with heaven. (Psalm 119:43) What can we learn from the 3 characters in Acts 12:1-17, 19? Citizens adopt the culture and practices of the … As sojourners, we realize that this world is not our home. The context of this passage is important because prior to Paul’s revelation of this truth, he speaks of those who “walk as enemies of the cross.” These individuals were more concerned about temporal matters and personal pleasure than Christ. We trade for trinkets in this land, but our gold and silver are in heaven. Being a citizen of heaven leaves us as sojourners in this world. 3:20 Our conversation - The Greek word is of a very extenslve meaning: our citizenship, our thoughts, our affections, are already in heaven. This meant more than its being a subject city: Philippi was distinct from other cities in Macedonia in that it was made to be a model Roman city. Verse of the Day Isaiah 61:7. 20-21). We are to be holy and blameless before God. According to The MacArthur Study Bible notes, “Citizenship refers to a colony of foreigners…we belong to the kingdom under the rule of our heavenly King and obey heaven’s laws.”, When speaking of being citizens of heaven, Gregory Brown said, “People should be able to identify us as citizens of heaven because of the clothes (righteousness, patience, forgiveness, compassion, humility, and love) that we wear, the attitudes we display. But it is not a “natural born” citizenship. Our position in Christ should affect everything.”. Our Commerce Is in Heaven. As believers in Christ, we are justified before God. The reminder to each of us as believers in Christ of our heavenly citizenship should encourage us and challenge us daily to walk in such a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27). We mind the heavenly things. Essentially, living here on … Why would God snatch the truth from our mouths? At the same time, we have not yet received our glorified bodies, nor have we realized being seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/bestdesigns. We are citizens of heaven and waiting for our bodies to be like the Lord Jesus (vv. The eternal citizenship of believers is “citizenship in heaven.” This does not mean that the kingdom will take place in heaven. Heavenly Identity. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, To be “spiritually minded” simply means to look at earth from heaven’s point of view. All who have a living faith in Jesus Christ enjoy an eternal citizenship in heaven even if we do not presently experience the realities of this citizenship in full. She is a wife to Nicholas and a mother to Anabel and Ephraim. Verse 20 begins by asserting that we are now a colony of people whose real citizenship is in heaven. Paul understood what it meant to have his eyes set on eternity and to embrace his citizenship in heaven, and this was his urging to the brothers and sisters at Philippi. And this morning we’ll explore what that means–and what it doesn’t mean. All rights reserved. Our conversation is in heaven - Ἡμως - το πολιτευμα· Our city, or citizenship, or civil rights. In the New Testament, the state itself, community, commonwealth is used metaphorically of Christians in reference to their spiritual community and their status as citizens of heaven.” Merriam Webster, defines citizen as “an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman.”. Adam Clarke Commentary. We have been given everything — we are co-heirs, citizens of heaven with all the rights and blessings that come with our citizenry. A citizen is a person who legally belongs to a country and has the rights and protection of that country. But the kingdom which will come from heaven will take place on earth during the Millennium (Revelation 20), and on the New Eart… Over in the margin it says "commonwealth." We believe in the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ while understanding that while present in our mortal bodies, it has not come to fruition. But our citizenship is in heaven. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram. No, what really counts is that our citizenship is in heaven. Our Citizenship Is in Heaven Philippi was a colony of Rome—a part of the Roman commonwealth. I’ve preached around the world, including many places that don’t enjoy the freedom of religion that Americans take for granted. "Our citizenship", as in the Revised Version. 3:20). Writing to the church in Philippi, he says that for Christians, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. We are called to no less as citizens of heaven. The promise of our citizenship leaves us in a state of now but not yet. Any public measures, administration of the state, and the condition of life of the citizen. Title: �AX|8���Y^02 � Ü H`�"��?j����e���/�� � Author 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. The Bible speaks of those who believed by faith as this. This wonderful citizenship grants us the promise of eternal life and glorification through faith in Jesus Christ. Luke 16:31; What solemn lessons can we learn from the Parable of Dives (the rich man) and Lazarus? According to Ligonier Ministries, “All who have a living faith in Jesus Christ enjoy an eternal citizenship in heaven even if we do not presently experience the realities of this citizenship in full.”. We have such glorious promises both now and, in the future, to come as citizens of heaven and Christ Jesus as our King. It means that our King is in heaven and He will come to us from there. All these people were still living by faith when they died. The second coming of Jesus Christ will result in the glorification of physical bodies for those in Christ Jesus, and it will be by His power (Philippians 3:21). This contrasts those who mind the earthly things (vs 19). For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself, (Philippians 3:20… The word properly signifies the administration, government, or form of a republic or state; and is thus used by Demosthenes, page 107, 25, and 262, 27. That is our highest treasure, and no one can take it away from us. Summary: As followers of Jesus, our true citizenship is in heaven, ... Just because someone thinks he saw Jesus or an angel in a near-death experience doesn’t mean it’s true. As citizens of heaven, we are free from the wrath of God. Dawn Hill is a Christian blogger known as The Lovesick Scribe and the host of The Lovesick Scribe Podcast. Actually, the word means "commonwealth." 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in … Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus spent much of His earthly ministry explaining the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 4:17). 17. IV. Because of our profession of faith in Christ, our conduct should be different than those who do not know God, and our primary focus should be on eternal things rather than worldly or temporal passions. What Is the Meaning of Gehenna in the Bible? What Is Heaven Like According to the Bible? What does it mean that God redeems our pain and sorrows? We are free from the enslavement of sin. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” As citizens of heaven living on … Although Paul had obtained Roman citizenship through his family’s history, he came to have another kind of citizenship as well. We are a new creation, and the old has passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17). Additionally, we are told in the Bible that each person is also born into the kingdom of this world where Satan rules (2 Corinthians 4:4) and is therefore enslaved as a member of that culture, taking part in Satan's values and practices—namely rebelling against God (Romans 6:16; Genesis 3:1; 1 John 2:16). What does that mean? What does the Bible mean when it calls something sanctified? This is vitally important for each one of us to know. The original expression, πολιτευμα, rendered conversation, is a word of a very extensive meaning, implying our citizenship, our thoughts, our affections, are already in heaven; or we think, speak, and act, converse with our fellow-creatures, and conduct ourselves in all our intercourse with them, as citizens of the New Jerusalem, and as being only strangers and pilgrims upon earth. And that is the citizenship St. Paul talks about today when he says, “Our Citizenship Is in Heaven.” Yes, our citizenship is in heaven. Christian Truth. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). What does it mean for Christians to be in the world but not of the world? For instance, one of the most popular books on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble is a book titled 90 Minutes in Heaven, written by a Baptist pastor named Don Piper. The apostle Paul put it in terms of citizenship: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). The rights that go with being a citizen involve the final transformation of “our lowly body to be like [Jesus’] glorious body” (vv. Talking about our eternal identity and our eternal home isn’t only for the parents of Third Culture Kids. Our home is in heaven. Because if we set our attitudes on heavenly things, then we will not set our minds on earthly things (Philippians 3:19). Those are external matters that are temporary in nature. Can Loved Ones Communicate with Us After They’ve Passed? Ultimately, our citizenship in Heaven is all that counts for eternity. We do not set our hearts on the things of this world nor do we store up treasure where moth and rust can destroy. Paul prefaced this statement by exhorting the Philippian church to imitate him and to follow those who set the same example. 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