Citizens of Heaven
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
I had the privilege to speak in Crown College’s Chapel last week on the topic of abiding in Christ in the midst of the elections. I spoke from Philippians 3 to talk about what it means to be “citizens of Heaven” and how that dictates what it means for us to be citizens of this earth. I ended by pointing to a few Bible passages that help us understand what that means. As I considered what to write for this month’s newsletter article, considering it comes out just a few days before the elections, I thought it would be fitting to share those verses here as well. Watch the full chapel service here.
Romans 13:1-2, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
We are to respect the governing authorities, even when we don’t agree with them. (By the way, remember, these words were written by a Jewish man living under Roman occupation, with a whole lot of injustice going on). This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be politically active, speaking up against policies we don’t agree with, but we do so with respect, acting like citizens of heaven when we engage as citizens of earth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
We are called to pray for those in authority. Even when we don’t agree with them. Prayer is our most important weapon against injustice. It is our primary work. If we don’t like the way things are, the most important thing we can do is pray. That doesn’t mean we don’t do anything else, but prayer comes first. We should be praying for those in authority, praying for the elections, praying that we would know how God wants us to vote and praying for God’s will to be done here on earth as it is in Heaven.
2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The most important thing we can do to bring about the blessing and healing of our land is to humble ourselves before the Lord and genuinely and fervently pray and seek God’s face with repentance. If we really want to make a difference, that is where we start.
Jeremiah 29:7, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
God calls us to pray for peace and prosperity for the community around us, even if the governing authorities themselves are not following him and we don’t agree with their policies.
Psalm 146:3, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”
Our hope is not in any political candidate, party, world leader or form of government. Our trust is in the Lord.
John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Christ’s kingdom was not of this world. His people are citizens of heaven, part of the Kingdom of God, so we don’t fight in the same way. Our focus is not on earthly solutions to the problems of this world. Our trust is in God.
But, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be politically active or stand up for what we think is right.
Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow”.
Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Proverbs 31:8-9, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
These verses suggest political and social activism, but notice that the focus is not on ourselves and what we want, but on the needs of others. Speaking up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. We need to remember that we live in a sin-cursed, broken world that is full of injustice. And while we have our eyes focused heavenward, God calls us to live as citizens of heaven, here on earth, right now as we wait for him to return.
Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Part of what it means to be a citizen of heaven is eagerly waiting for our Savior and Lord. That idea of waiting suggests the recognition that he is coming again and will make all things right. No matter what we think about the current political candidates that are available to us this election year, none of them is our savior. So in the midst of this time let’s keep a proper perspective. And remember that the ways we take advantage of living in a democratic republic: how we stand up for those who have no voice, how we fight injustice, how we vote, who we vote for, even the way we try to influence others, should all be governed by the fact that we are first and foremost citizens of Heaven.
Check out Rob’s full teaching here.
Rob Mapstone
Director of Recruitment and Placement