OUR HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP
Millions
of people worldwide want to become citizens of our great nation. Some of them
have risked their lives and the lives of their families to become Americans.
You no doubt remember the people from
I am
grateful to God almighty that I was born in the
But my
study today has nothing to do with citizenship in the
Before
we analyze this powerful text, we need to do a brief word study. The King James
Version of the New Testament uses the word "citizen" three times and
the expression "fellow citizens" one time. In the Parable of the
Prodigal Son, Jesus said: "When he (the prodigal son) had spent all, there
arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and
joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to
feed swine" (Lk. 15: 14-15). In another of Christ's parables, he spoke of
a certain nobleman. He says: "But his citizens hated him, and sent a
message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us"
(Lk. 19:14). Luke records Paul's identification of himself. "But Paul
said, I am a man who am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no
mean city" (Acts 21: 39). Paul uses the term, "fellow citizens,"
of the Christians at
Our
word "citizenship" is a translation of the Greek noun politeuma.
You do not have to be a Greek student to see the word
"politics" in this Greek word. The King James Version uses the word
"conversation" rather than the word citizenship (Phil. 3: 20). The
word means to accept the responsibilities of a citizen. The word appears only
in Philippians 3: 20. The verb form, politeuomai, appears only
two times in the New Testament. Paul told the Jewish council: "Men and
brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day"
(Acts 23: 1). The expression, "I have lived," means I have conducted
myself as a good citizen. Paul used the same verb in this verse: "Only let
your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ, that whether I come
and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the
gospel" (Phil. 1: 27). The English Standard Version renders the first part
of that verse: "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of
Christ."
How
does a person become a citizen of the
Millions
of Americans obtained American citizenship legally by the process of
naturalization. They applied for the rights to come to
How
does one become a citizen in the kingdom of heaven? We are not born physically
into the kingdom. Nicodemus, a very wise ruler among the Jews, approached Jesus
at night. He confessed that Jesus was a great teacher who came from God:
"for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with
him." Christ had the ability to know what Nicodemus had on his mind. He
said to the Jewish ruler: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." Christ's statement
puzzled Nicodemus. He asked our Lord: "How can a man be born when he is
old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"
Christ further informed Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except
a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
Have
you ever wondered why no gospel preacher in the book of Acts ever told anyone
to be born again or from above? Does that seem rather odd to you? When Saul of
Tarsus asked Christ what he had to do, would that not have been a wonderful
time for the Lord to have said: "You must be born again?" Instead,
Christ sent Ananias, a faithful gospel preacher, to tell Saul what he had to do
to be saved. The heaven-sent preacher told Saul: "Arise, and be baptized,
and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22: 16).
When Ananias told Saul to be baptized, was that the same message Christ gave
Nicodemus? When one confesses his belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God,
repents of his alien sins and is baptized into Christ, is he born again into
the
The
apostle Paul went into the Jewish synagogue at
Paul
encouraged the Philippians Christians: "Brethren, be followers together of
me, and mark them who walk so as you have us for an example" (Phil. 3:
17). Since Paul was a citizen in the kingdom of heaven, he was urging his
fellow citizens at
Tragically,
there were many people in the first century who did not fully accept the
revelation of God's will in the New Testament. Paul wrote: "For many walk,
of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are
enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Was Paul speaking only of
non-Christians or were there members of the church who were enemies of the
cross? We know there were some in the church who were seeking to add some parts
of the Old Testament to the New. We do not know if these were the people Paul
identified as "enemies of the cross of Christ." But we do know this:
Anyone who seeks to obey any of the precepts of the Mosaic covenant is in
danger of falling away from grace (Gal. 5:1-4). We also know there are many
religious leaders in our day who add some of the precepts and practices of the
old covenant to their worship and work. For example, using instrumental music
in the worship of the church is adding Old Testament practices to New Testament
worship. There is not a person on earth who can find authorization in the New
Testament for the use of instrumental music in New Testament worship.
When
Paul called some people "enemies of the cross of Christ," could he
have been speaking of immoral members of the church? I lean toward this
position because of what Paul wrote in the next verse. "Whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things" (Phil. 3: 19). The word "antinomian" is
often applied to such people. That word literally means "against
law." Our world is full of people like some of the Jews during the period
of the Judges. They paid no attention to the will of God. "But every man
did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6). Please understand
that I am not accusing all evolutionists of being immoral. But can an
evolutionist give a good reason why people may not do what is right in their
own eyes? Not all evolutionists are antinomians, but I can think of no reason
why they should not be.
What
will be the ultimate fate of "the enemies of the cross of Christ?" We
are not left to wonder. Their end will be destruction. Does that mean God will
punish those who are enemies of the cross? Many liberal theologians and
postmodern theologians deny that God will punish anyone. It ought to be obvious
that such people either ignore or deny what the scriptures teach about the
wrath of God. Have they read: "For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (literally,
hold down or suppress) the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1: 18)? The
word "wrath" appears thirty-six times in the New Testament. One more
example will have to suffice. "He who believes on the Son has everlasting
life: and he who believes not on the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of
God abides on him" (John 3: 36).
The god
of the enemies of the cross is their belly. Is Paul speaking primarily about
the sin of gluttony or is he speaking of making gods of all our appetites? Paul
employed similar language in his letter to the church in
Paul
informed the Roman Christians: "For the
In
contrast to the enemies of the cross whose god was their belly, "Our
conversation is in heaven; from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ" (Phil. 3: 20). The word "conversation" is from the Greek
politeuma and means citizenship. When Paul taught the Philippians
that Christians' citizenship is in heaven, was he downgrading the importance of
our citizenship in various countries? If you have read the life of Paul in the
book of Acts, you know he was grateful to be a Roman citizen. When Paul was on
trial in
There
is no doubt in my mind that Paul was grateful to be a Roman citizen. But he
enjoyed a greater citizenship-citizenship in heaven. Regardless of the value of
the citizenship you experience in this life, it pales into insignificance if
you do not have citizenship in heaven. As citizens of the heavenly kingdom,
"we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself' (Phil.
3:20-21). 1 Corinthians 15 is a wonderful commentary on these last two verses
of Philippians 3. Please listen. "For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immorality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up
in victory.... Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ" (1 Cor. 15:53-54, 57).
The King
James Version says that Christ will "change our vile body that it may be
fashioned like his glorious body." The word "vile" does not mean
that our physical bodies are in some way filthy or unspiritual, as some of the
early Gnostics believed. Most versions render the Greek
"humiliation." It simply says that our physical bodies are not suited
for the heavenly realm. Is that not what Paul meant when he told the
Corinthians: "Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the
If you
do not have the hope of receiving that heavenly body, will you not this very
day obey the Lord by confessing your faith in Christ, repenting of your sins
and being baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins?
Winford Claiborne
The International Gospel Hour
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