Where is your citizenship?

Where do you consider home?

The Apostle Paul reminded Christ followers in Philippi:

Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20 (CSB)

Is that your focus?

If you are a Christ follower, your home is not in any particular country or nation. Your home is in Heaven with Christ. Your ultimate allegiance is not to a particular government but to Jesus. You are a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. That Kingdom and its King is your destination. As Christ followers, we are aliens in this world on a journey back home.

Do you see life this way, or are you focused on earthly things?

In his sermon entitled “A Name in Heaven,” Matthew Mead wrote,

If a man’s profession is ever so heavenly, but he is overtaken by earthly living, that man’s religion is vain. Never talk of a name in heaven, as long as your heart is buried in the earth.

Understanding our identity as Kingdom citizens and having a heavenly mindset are critical in the life of the Christ follower. We can so easily fall into the trap of considering earth our home and seeking to build a kingdom here. We can lose sight of the gospel as the only hope for mankind and place our hope in governments or political parties. Our allegiance to our nation can overshadow our commitment to Christ and to the advancement of His Kingdom. By focusing too much on our own culture or country, we can lose sight of our mission to reach people from every tribe, tongue, and nation with the gospel.

Kingdom citizens have a Kingdom focus. Kingdom citizens live their lives in the service of King Jesus, looking forward to the time that they will reign together with Him in His Kingdom (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:4-6).

So where is your citizenship?

I pray that you are a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven in the service of Jesus Christ.

If you have questions about what it means to be a Kingdom citizen, shoot me an email.

Blessings!

(If you want to read more from Tim McKnight, click here.)