Citizens of Heaven

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Citizens of heaven! Now that's a statement worth making!!
Think about it. We who are born again are green card carrying citizens in a strange land. We don't belong in this evil world. Our citizenship is registered in heaven where Christ lives.
Before we came to Jesus we were under the tyrannical regime of Satan as his slaves. Now we are liberated citizens of heaven because we have been adopted into the family of God. We are now free from bondage. Our service to God is a willing one that flows from a heart of love and gratitude. He is our Father!!!
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NLT
“In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:19‬ ‭NLT
Can I hear you shouting in absolute glee? You should! If you are saved you should recognize that you are a member of God's family. You are royalty!
“...for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy 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.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
We must behave like we are His children and that we are in a foreign land. We are His ambassadors. We cannot betray our Master and homeland. This world is not our home and we are only here for a short time. We must live in light of this fact. We must not live like we are home because we are on assignment. We must travel light and we must not make our current hotel room, or rented house, into our permanent residence. We must not get caught up in the glitz and glamor of this superficial and sensational society. Satan wants to attract us with his hyperbole and deceive us into thinking that this is home. IT IS NOT!! If this world is all there is, we are miserable creatures. No, God has redeemed us and reserved a place in eternity for us. We must keep our eyes on our homeland!!
“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭NLT‬‬
The "Good News" we are entrusted to carry to this world is freedom from sin in Jesus Christ the Savior! He is the One who has paid our debt, rescued us from death, and has promised us a home in the heaven that is yet to come.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.””
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
There, we will be translated into  new bodies that will never die!!
Our current dwelling is but a tent that is wearing out. One day soon we will move into our permanent dwelling that will never decay!!
“For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:53-58‬ ‭NLT‬‬
There, we will be at home!! There, we will work and enjoy the fruit of our labor. There, we will never know the sadness of sorrow. Satan and sin will be banished forever!!
We're not home yet children! Don't forget that!!

Curtis R. Norris