Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
I have only visited a foreign country. For the few days that we were there, we were able to learn a few phrases that enabled us to catch a bus, find a bathroom, or buy some food. We felt at times a bit out of place and regularly had to try to find someone who understood and spoke English to help us out.
When you are in a foreign country, you know you are not a citizen there. It is not home.
For those that live for a longer period of time or make the commitment and move to a foreign country, eventually the language, the customs and the way of life become familiar. Perhaps at some point one applies to the country for citizenship to participate in all the legal benefits and responsibilities of being an official citizen of that country.
Paul uses this picture to describe the ultimate shift in our heart and mind as we “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.”
He wants to move our thinking from being a citizen of this world to a citizen of heaven. He wants the heart and mind and word of God to be the normal, not feel weird and out of place. He invites us into all the blessings and privileges of being a citizen of heaven and challenges us to let go of the appeal and trappings of this world.
Instead of chasing after with eagerness all the things this world has to offer, we eagerly await all the blessings that come from being gifted the status of citizen in heaven. Paul lists two key things we have to look forward to.
Seeing Jesus face to face.
The one we have read about, heard about and placed our trust in will finally be a reality that we can see with our own eyes. The one that we know in part will be known to us in full. It’s like 100x the excitement of meeting a celebrity you have admired but not met, is seeing Jesus the one we praise but have not met in person.
Our lowly bodies will be transformed like his glorious body.
What will this be like? We can compare notes when we get there. But we know that our earthly bodies are affected by sin and the consequences of it. We get sick. We have pain. We have suffering and eventually we die. We are bound by physical limitations and have to sleep, eat and exercise to maintain our bodies. Revelation 21:3-4 captures this reality:
3 And from the throne I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”
It’s no wonder Paul desires us to shift our citizenship from earth to heaven. The blessings are many and the full experience of the goal is glorious.
So forget what is behind and strain to what is ahead…the fullness of citizenship in heaven!
Apply: Be intentional today about embracing being a citizen of heaven. How does it change your interactions at work, with your family, or with your friends? What barriers get in the way of embracing your citizenship in heaven? Use the Word and the work of the Spirit to move your heart from attachment to earth to the anticipation of heaven!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of citizenship in heaven. Thank you for providing your Son to do all that was needed to secure our home in heaven. Keep my heart and mind always grounded in my citizenship in heaven! AMEN.