By Kolobsek at freeimages.com
It is election time again which often creates a wave of interest in the political and moral direction of our nation. Our nation certainly seems to be declining morally and our political leaders are certainly contributing to this decline. Christians should vote and seek to elect officials who will respect God and His word.
Yet, we as Christians need a regular reminder that our true citizenship is with the Kingdom of Christ.
The theme of citizenship is used by the Apostle Paul to strike a cord with the Philippian brethren. Roman citizenship was a very real and vital part of their lives. They were granted the status of a Roman colony which meant they had the right to be governed by Roman law and were exempt from direct taxation. Octavian (Augustus) and Mark Antony had defeated the forces of Cassius and Brutus near Philippi. He gave the city a special title and sent retired veterans to live there. Deep Roman patriotism existed in the city. The Roman language, dress, customs, and ceremonies made up the culture of the city.
Thus when Paul writes to them he uses the term for citizenship on two occasions.
Phil. 1:27 – “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” – The term used to translate “manner of life” means “to live as a citizen.” the ESV Bible gives a footnote – “only behave as citizens worthy.” Paul was saying, just like you believe you must live worthy of your Roman citizenship with its duties and responsibilities, so you should to a higher degree in your service to Christ.
Phil. 3:20 – “But, our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here Paul uses the same root word he used in 1:27 and directly states that they now have a greater citizenship in heaven. They value their Roman citizenship and their freedman status, but as Christians they have a far greater loyalty and privilege of being citizens of heaven.
We should value our citizenship in the nation we reside. We certainly have many reasons to be grateful to be citizens of America, but we must always remember we are citizens of a far greater Kingdom. King Jesus demands our loyalty and allegiance above any earthly kingdom. This heavenly citizenship should shape how we live!
Be thankful for your heavenly citizenship today!
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Source – http://dkiel.com/GreeceTurkey/Philippi/Philippi.html
