“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20 ESV1).
My family and I have spent the last nine months working to get our residence permits from the Republic of Moldova[2] so that we can stay here for an extended time to do the Lord’s work. Thanks to God, we finally received them (October, 2012). Though we are officially residents of Moldova, we are still citizens of the United States of America. While here in Moldova we regularly refer to Moldova as our home away from home away from home, with our Moldovan home being our home away from our American home away from our ultimate, heavenly home. This helps us to realize “this world is not [our] home, [we’re] just a passing through.”[3]

Until the world is no more, every person is a citizen of an earthly kingdom and a spiritual kingdom. While there are hundreds of earthly kingdoms, there are only two spiritual kingdoms—“the domain of darkness” and “the kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). A Christian, of course, is a citizen of the latter, the heavenly kingdom, as well as some earthly kingdom.

Take, for example, the Christians in Philippi. Not every person who lived in the Roman Empire was privileged with citizenship. Only certain people and certain cities were given the status of Roman citizenship or Roman colony, and Philippi was one of the privileged cities (see Acts 16:12, 21). As a matter of fact, Philippi was the only location to which Paul wrote that had such status. Hence, in Philippians 1:27 Paul instructed the Christians in Philippi, “Only behave as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ” (marginal reading). The Philippians knew what it meant to behave as citizens of the Roman Empire, but Paul emphasized the importance of behaving as those whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).

Becoming Citizens of Earthly Kingdoms and the Heavenly Kingdom
In many situations those born to citizens were or are automatically citizens. For example, Paul said he became a Roman citizen because he was born to a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28). In the United States the Fourteenth Amendment, sec. 1, states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This amendment gives the privileges and immunities of citizenship to all babies born in the United States even if the mother (and father) is not a citizen or is even in the United States illegally.

What a privilege to have been born into Roman citizenship or to be born into American citizenship! But how much greater is it to be born into the kingdom of God?! Jesus plainly taught, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God,” indeed, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5). When we study parallel passages, we learn that one becomes a citizen of, or enters the kingdom of God, the church of Christ, when he is born again by being washed in the regenerating waters of baptism (1 Cor. 6:9-11; 12:13; Eph. 5:25-26; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; in this last reference cp. (N)KJV).

In other situations, citizenship was or is purchased. For example, Claudius Lysias, the officer in charge of Paul in Acts 22-23, told Paul, “I bought this [Roman] citizenship for a large sum” (Acts 22:28). Some people are willing to pay whatever the price to become a citizen of a great country.

How much would need to be paid for one to become a citizen of the kingdom of God? Even if we owned the whole world, there is nothing we can pay to God that would result in Him granting us citizenship. However, those who are citizens of the kingdom of God have been “bought with a price,” though “not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Cor. 6:20 or 7:23; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; cp. Acts 20:28; 2 Pet. 2:1). God’s people are “a purchased people” (1 Pet. 2:9, KJV margin; cp. Titus 2:14; Rev. 5:9). “Citizens of Zion, rejoice!! Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done (Joel 2:23 NET).[4]

Citizenship Implies Rights and Responsibilities in Both Kingdoms
Citizenship of a great country is desirable because of the rights, privileges, and freedoms to be found in such a country. The God-given “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” in “one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” are privileges that represent the core of what is arguably the greatest nation to have ever existed—the United States of America. Roman citizenship also came with many desirable rights. One special privilege of citizenship is the protection afforded the citizen by the government. Paul mentioned his right as a Roman citizen to a fair trial and immunity from torture as a prisoner in Acts 16:35-39 and 22:23-29. One of the better known privileges of Roman citizenship mentioned by Paul was his right to appeal to Caesar, the appellatio or provocatio ad Caesarem, for a direct judgment by the emperor himself (Acts 25:11-12, with study note in the NET; cp. 26:32; 28:19).

Along with the rights come responsibilities to our earthly government. Jesus taught that we are to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Luke 20:25). Paul and Peter clearly taught that we are to obey our civil governments (Rom. 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-17). These points are being elaborated on in other articles in this special edition.

The rights and privileges available in God’s kingdom draw people to it. In God’s kingdom there is freedom, liberty, and salvation from the oppressor (John 8:31-32, 36; Rom. 6:17-18, 22; 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 2:4; 5:1, 13; James 1:25; 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:16)! In 1 Peter 1:3-9 Peter proclaimed that those born into the kingdom of God (see above) are born to a “living hope” of “the salvation of [our] souls” (cp. 2 Tim. 2:10). Those who have been transferred into Christ’s kingdom (Col. 1:13), that is, those who are in Christ, experience the forgiveness of sins, all spiritual blessings, no condemnation, and the hope of eternal life (Col. 1:14; Eph. 1:3; Rom. 8:1; 1 John 5:11).

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Luke 12:48 NET). Unfortunately many want the rights of citizenship in God’s kingdom without the responsibilities. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we must give everything in our lives to God. We must present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2). When writing to the Philippians (who were Roman citizens, see above), he said Christians are to live as faithful and fearless citizens of the kingdom of heaven (Phil. 1:27-28; 3:20). When writing to other Christians who were not Roman citizens, Paul emphasized the need to walk in a manner worthy of our calling from the Lord God (Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 2:6; 1 Thess. 2:12).

We Must Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God
While God commands that we be good citizens of our earthly kingdom, we must “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Peter and the Hebrew writer emphasized that Christians are exiles, strangers, sojourners, pilgrims, foreigners, and temporary residents on the earth who are looking and longing for our heavenly homeland (Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 1:1, 17; 2:11-12, cp. KJV, ESV, and NET). As foreigners living abroad, as it were, we must fearfully conduct ourselves as citizens of heaven and abstain from the worldly passions waging war against our souls.

In the fifth chapter of the Epistle to Diognetus, we find this beautiful description of Christians, who have their citizenship in heaven.

1. For the distinction between Christians and other men, is neither in country nor language nor customs. 2. For they do not dwell in cities in some place of their own, nor do they use any strange variety of dialect, nor practise an extraordinary kind of life. 3. This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the intellect or thought of busy men, nor are they the advocates of any human doctrine as some men are. 4. Yet while living in Greek and barbarian cities, according as each obtained his lot, and following the local customs, both in clothing and food and in the rest of life, they show forth the wonderful and confessedly strange character of the constitution of their own citizenship. 5. They dwell in their own fatherlands, but as if sojourners in them; they share all things as citizens, and suffer all things as strangers. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is a foreign country. 6. They marry as all men, they bear children, but they do not expose their offspring. 7. They offer free hospitality, but guard their purity. 8. Their lot is cast “in the flesh,” but they do not live “after the flesh.” 9. They pass their time upon the earth, but they have their citizenship in heaven. 10. They obey the appointed laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives. 11. They love all men and are persecuted by all men. 12. They are unknown and they are condemned. They are put to death and they gain life. 13. “They are poor and make many rich” they lack all things and have all things in abundance. 14. They are dishonoured, and are glorified in their dishonour, they are spoken evil of and are justified. 15. “They are abused and give blessing,” they are insulted and render honour. 16. When they do good they are buffeted as evil-doers, when they are buffeted they rejoice as men who receive life. 17. They are warred upon by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks, and those who hate them cannot state the cause of their enmity.[5]

Conclusion
As a citizen of your earthly country or kingdom, can you say as Paul did, “Brethren, I have conducted myself as a citizen with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1, NASU with margin)? If not, what changes do you need to make?

Are you a citizen of the kingdom of God or the devil’s domain of darkness? If you are not a citizen of the kingdom of God, why not? What changes do you need to make?

Citizens of Zion, let us continue our sojourning daily committing our lives in service to King Jesus, realizing “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

John R. Gentry has been preaching in the country of Moldova since January, 2012.

Notes
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright© 2001 [2011 text ed.] by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations designated (NET) are from The NET Bible®, copyright © 2005 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C., www.netbible.com. Scripture quoted by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations designated (NASU) are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (KJV) refers to the King James Version of the Bible. (NKJV) refers to The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2. Moldova is a small, second-world country (a country of the former Soviet Union) in Eastern Europe nestled between Romanian and Ukraine.
3. Writer unknown, “This World Is Not My Home”; apparently first published in Joyful Meeting in Glory, No. 1, Bertha Davis, ed. (Sterling, KY: Miller, 1919). This hymn is number 715 in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (Munfordville, KY: Sumphonia Productions, LLC, 2012).
4. We might also consider the idea of being granted the rights and privileges of citizenship after having once been shut out of a city or country. The Berlin Wall serves as an example of such a fortification in modern times. In Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul spoke of such a dividing wall that prevented Gentiles from being a part of God’s people and how Jesus “has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (cp. Col. 1:20-22).
5. Kirsopp Lake, trans., The Apostolic Fathers, Vol. 2 (London; New York: Heinemann; G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1917 [1912]), 359, 61.