Citizens of Heaven
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” – Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV)
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” - 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NIV)
Life can be pretty hectic in today’s world. We all have plenty of things that keep our schedules packed, whether it be work, school, kids, sporting events, church services, house projects, cooking, cleaning, etc. That’s not even counting sleep! Not only are we incredibly busy, but there are so many things constantly seeking to grab our attention: politics, news broadcasts, T.V. shows/movies, social media, and more. To top everything off, our news feeds are inundated with “doom and gloom” broadcasts featuring alarming statistics and contentious debates about right and wrong. These are distressing times in which we live, and it can be difficult to consistently put our hope and trust in God Almighty.
In Mark 4:1-20, Jesus gives us a parable in which a farmer scattered seed in various places, yet only the seed that was sown on good soil grew up and produced a crop; the seed sown on the path, on the rocks, and in the thorns did not grow. He later explains that the seed represents the “word” - the gospel message that Jesus came to save - and the seed sown on the path, rocks, and thorns describes people who do not accept the word for various reasons. One example, however, stands out to me: the seed sown among the thorns.
“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” - Mark 4:18-19 (NIV)
In today’s world, we are flooded with responsibilities, and we hold the weight of so many expectations for how to live and be “successful.” So often, we put all of our focus on our next steps in life: graduating from school, getting married, having kids, getting a promotion, retirement, etc. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t focus on these things - I’m counting down the years to retirement, and I haven’t even hit 30 yet! - but the Bible reminds us that life is short:
“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” - James 4:14b (ESV)
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” - Psalm 144:4 (ESV)
The Bible also makes it clear that as believers in Christ, we do not belong to this world. We are but a “passing shadow” moving from this life to the next. Our citizenship is in heaven and we are called to live our lives in light of the fact that our home is in heaven with Jesus, who once prayed:
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” – John 17:15-18 (ESV)
Jesus spoke to the fact that He and His followers were “not of the world,” but that they had been set apart for God’s purposes. During Old Testament times, God made a covenant promise with Abraham and his descendants (Israel), setting them apart as His “treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 14:2). As believers in Christ today, we also have become set apart as God’s treasured possession thanks to what Jesus did for us on the cross! Check out the similarities in these two passages:
God’s Promise to Israel
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 14:2 (ESV)
God’s Promise to Us
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)
Just as Israel was set apart for God, you and I were also set apart when we accepted Christ as Savior. Once, we were not “a people,” but now we have been united under the banner of Jesus Christ. This world is not our home, but we have a home waiting for us in heaven (John 14:1-3). With that in mind, it is important to live daily with the expectation that we will one day see our Lord Jesus face to face. We are not only called to “declare the praises of Christ,” but we should also daily seek Him and live with a heavenly mindset:
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” – Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)
Another part of God’s covenant promise to Abraham was that his descendants would inherit the promised land. Although Abraham and a number of his descendants would never enter into the promised land during their lifetimes, I think we can all learn from them and the hope they had in one day receiving their eternal promised land in heaven:
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth…But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.” – Hebrews 11:13, 16 (ESV)
God is preparing a city for you, for me, and for all who put their hope in Jesus Christ. We do not have to worry about what will happen to us when we die, because Jesus has promised that we will be with Him for eternity! It is important to live with that mindset. I am not asking anyone to shirk all responsibilities or to give up on your goals in life. I simply want to remind you that life can often be like the thorns in Jesus’ parable, keeping us so worried and preoccupied that we forget why we are here. Just as Jesus said, we have been sent into the world for a purpose - to declare the praises of Christ (1 Peter 2:9), to live holy lives set apart for Christ (Romans 12:1-2, 13:14, 1 Peter 2:11), and to do good works (Titus 2:14). We are not given this life to sit on the sidelines - we are to live in the hope that Jesus has given us, keeping our eyes fixed on Him.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” - Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)