Our Citizenship Is In Heaven

This world is not our home; we're only pilgrims traveling toward our eternal home. We Christians are foreigners and strangers on earth; we're citizens of Heaven where Christ is. We're born again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. At that moment, we become citizens of a Heavenly kingdom because God "has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13) Citizenship carries with it privileges, honors, and responsibilities. We belong to Heaven. Our conduct must match our citizenship. We should therefore set our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2) and store up treasures in Heaven. The expectation of seeing our Savior, being like Him, and being with Him for eternity should incite us to live passionately & joyfully for Him and serve Him with zeal and gladness.

We are eagerly waiting for the day when we are free from the presence of sin and for what the Savior will do for our physical bodies when He returns. By His power, our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ will transform our mortal bodies (subject to sin, suffering, sickness, decay, and death) into glorified bodies that will last forever. These new bodies will resemble Christ's glorious resurrected body (neither limited by time or space nor restricted by physical substances) "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2) Death cannot terrify us when our hearts are filled with hope of Heaven.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

"The treasures we store up on earth will all stay behind when this life ends. But the treasures we store up in heaven we'll have for eternity (Matthew 6:19-21). When we seek to be Christ-like in thought, word, and deed, we will live like 'heavenly' people." (P R Van Gorder)

"Learn to look up toward Heaven! Think of its joys and its blessedness--until earth's trials shall melt away in the brightness, and its griefs and losses are forgotten in the hopes of eternal glory!" (J.R. Miller)

"Oh, you saints, lay aside all your despondencies and discontents, and comfort yourselves with the hopes of future eternal happiness! Shall the outward temple of our body be so splendid and magnificent, like Christ's glorious body, Philippians 3:21? Oh, then, how transcendently shining and beautiful shall the inward temple of our soul be! What angel can express this! But here I must draw a veil. We shall never fully understand heaven—until we come to heaven!" (Thomas Watson)

"Those who live the life of faith, and love their Savior, and strive to serve God--are different in their whole conduct from men of the world. It is plain that they are not of this world. Their life shows it. Their citizenship is in Heaven...Shall those who are to live forever with God--have so little fellowship with Him now? Shall those whose treasure is in Heaven, where no rust nor moth can corrupt--care so much for the perishing things of this world? Shall those for whom Jesus has gone to prepare a place--fret against the little hardships and discomforts along the way? Thus the Christian should often remind himself of the heavenly home to which he belongs. It would help him to be heavenly in heart and life." (Francis Bourdillon)

"He is coming! I shall know Him,
Jesus, my beloved Lord!
Changed forever to His likeness -
Oh, what joy this will afford!" (Dimmock)

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for my citizenship in Heaven! You made me on purpose for Your purpose. May my life be a humble instrument that serves and glorifies You! Please guide me and empower me to do Your will and Your work. Please keep worldliness and sin away from me. When I get discouraged, anxious, sad, or depressed, please remind me of how temporary this world and my situations are and help me focus on my eternal blessings in Christ and my Heavenly home. In Christ's Name, I pray. Amen.