CITIZENS OF HEAVEN
National citizenship in an ancient principle that has ruled the affairs of men, worldwide for literally thousands of years. Segmented pockets of humanity have, right or wrongly, boldly declared their independent values and differences that set them and their kinfolk apart from their fellow man, staked a claim to the territory that best defines the limits of those values and differences, planted a flag pole in the ground, and then defended it to the death, in many cases. Unfortunately, many of these nation states down through the centuries have been corrupt, inhumane, and brutally oppressive dictatorships, that forced their own citizens to seek asylum elsewhere, creating a moral crisis for neighboring lands who feel compelled to respond.
Surprisingly enough, even to the present day, this dilemma of citizenship remains one of, if not the most, hotly contested issues in the realm of modern discourse. In many nations, especially our own, the problem passionately divides us along predictably political lines, and the vitriolic rhetoric on both sides has reached levels of hostility not seen since the Civil War. Indeed, many feel currently, of which I am one, that the harsh and sometimes disturbing expressions of our convictions today, in regard to illegal immigration, race relations, refugee resettlement programs, and religious travel bans, are the embryonic stem cells that will eventually give birth to a second civil war, perhaps on a global scale this time. Jesus said, "....nation [ethnos] will rise against nation [ethnos]... (Mat 24:7), or ethnic group against ethnic group.
As Christians, we find ourselves in the difficult position of desiring to fulfill scriptural principles, by mercifully opening our arms to care for the needs of the ‘fatherless, strangers, and widows’ among us, who desperately need our help. However, we still need to have the biblical wisdom and foresight to protect our own citizens against; the infiltration of Islamic terrorism, widespread criminal and drug atrocities, and being taken advantage of by slothful charlatans who merely seek to exploit our historically kind-hearted approach to immigration.
Even the balanced approach to this subject, that I believe I’ve just expressed, will have some crying foul on the extreme sides of dispute, because it lacks the decisiveness that serves to further polarize the argument. Many people today, seem to be either so patriotically bound to preserving the sovereignty of the United States of America, that they are willing to marginalize innocent, impoverished people, who are deprived of basic needs; or they are so ideologically driven that they are in essence, advocating for the disillusionment of our sovereignty and eventually destruction, through the insolvency of our government systems.
Oh, that Christians could be so passionate about their citizenship in heaven - one that far exceeds the greatness of any here on earth, and welcomes all with open arms, satisfying every need abundantly, whose resources are infinite and inexhaustible. Oh, that believers in Christ would stop arguing about policies and start preaching the Good News of the everlasting kingdom of Jesus, who beckons us to enter into it freely. Seeing that the power of citizenship was such an incredibly innate part of who we are as human beings, the Apostle Paul used the concept brilliantly to convey the principle that truly, “…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ… (Php 3:20)”, and to flee from the enemies of the cross of Christ.
The Apostle John exhorted the followers of Christ not to, “…love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 Jn 2:15-17)” How foolish it is for us to cling so tightly to this citizenship that is passing away, while foolishly neglecting our citizenship in heaven that is eternal.
But like the citizens of long faded nations of old, we love our national citizenship, and we jealously cherish its values as our own, which is a noble and honorable characteristic. Does it eclipse our love for heaven’s homeland though? Charles Spurgeon observed: “How heartily the Germans sing of the dear old fatherland; but they cannot, with all their Germanic patriotism, they cannot beat the genial glow of the Briton’s heart, when he thinks of his fatherland too. The Scotchman, too, wherever he may be, remembers the land of ‘brown heath and shaggy wood.’ And the Irishman, too, let him be where he will, still thinks the ‘Emerald Isle’ the first gem of the sea. It is right that the patriot should love his country. Does not our love fervently flame towards heaven?”
How much do we love and cherish our citizenship in heaven? Does it inspire us to be better citizens here upon this earth or do we act more like the, “…enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things? (Php 3:18-19)”
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited: New King James Bible Version
