Philippians 3:20
Dive Deeper
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
Philippians 3:20
Behind the Scenes
The apostle Paul wrote the letter of Philippians to the church he founded in the Macedonian city of Philippi. Philippi was a city whose citizens found their identity and citizenship not from the land in which they lived, but instead, they found it in the land to which they belonged- Rome. And because it was a Roman colony, the citizens of Philippi were very proud of belonging to Rome. They would have found much of their identity wrapped up in the power, leadership, and culture of Rome, even though they did not live there.
The Philippian residence would have been led by Roman leaders, followed Roman laws, and paid Roman taxes. They would have been loyal to Roman conquests and fought in Roman wars. They would have looked to Rome to define what was acceptable, fashionable, and expected. Everything about their identity was affected and influenced by this city that was thousands of miles away. They belonged more to the place of their citizenship, a place many of them may never have even stepped foot in, than to the place they actually resided.
Knowing this, the apostle Paul draws a parallel that is really important for us all to understand. In the same way that the Philippians were citizens of a place they did not live, we too are citizens of heaven- a place we do not yet know or live in. In the same way that the Philippians were ruled and defined by the power, leadership, and culture of Rome, we as believers are to be ruled and defined by the power, leadership, and culture of heaven. And in the same way that the Philippians belonged more to Rome than to Philippi, the place in which they actually resided, we as believers are to belong more to heaven than to earth, the place in which we actually reside.
Make it Real
I don’t know about you, but just being real here, it has been really hard for me sometimes to fully own my citizenship in heaven. It’s hard to belong somewhere that I have never seen. It’s hard not to let the culture, influences, and power that surround me define who I am or where I belong. It’s hard to reject what I see for something that I don’t see.
There is something inside all of us that longs to belong. I truly believe that God made us that way on purpose so that we would seek to belong to Him. But let’s face it, finding our belonging in Him and heaven is hard sometimes. It’s way too easy for us to find our identity in the things we can see and touch and smell. It’s way too easy to look around at the world we see and identify with it more than we should.
But when we do, we find ourselves more lost than ever. See, belonging to this world is futile because it is wasting away. This world is corrupt and broken. So, when we choose to find our identity in it, we end up hurt by its corruption and brokenness. The world around us is subjective and ever changing because it is not built on the foundation of Jesus and His never changing truth. So, when we find our identity in it, we are constantly trying to keep up, change with the times, and redefine who we are based on what the world says is true. It’s exhausting!
But the good news is that we were purchased by the blood of Jesus, our Savior, our King. He has ransomed us from this world and transferred us from its citizenship into the citizenship of heaven. We no longer belong here. We belong to heaven. And now, our identity is fully defined by heaven. We no longer have to be defined by this world because we no longer belong to it.
And some day, our King Jesus will come to take us to our true home. He will wipe away every tear and we will no longer feel the effects of living like aliens in a place to which we do not belong. He will restore us to Himself and we will be with Him forever. Praise God!
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Pastor
End in Prayer
Hey Jesus,
Thank You that You have purchased me for heaven. Help me to remember that I belong to You and not to this world. Help me when the influences of this world feel more real to me than heaven. Show me that You see me and that You have called me Your own. Help me to be defined by You alone. God, I want to fully belong to You and be a true citizen of heaven. Please show me what that looks like.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen