Living As Citizens Of Heaven...Philippians 3:20!

Our text reads as follows: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." When apostle Paul wrote to the Christ followers at Philippi, he understood how important their principle of re-creating a home in a foreign land was for them! Philippi was a Roman colony, a part of the Roman commonwealth. Philippi was surrounded by territory subject to Rome but whose residents did not have Roman citizenship. In other words, Philippi was more than just a subject city. Those in Philippi had legal status as Roman citizens, so that the city was an extension of Roman life, Roman customs, Roman architecture, Roman law, and Roman dress. A Roman could enter Philippi and feel right at home, in the same way a Brittish citizen in the last century could've entered Hong Kong or New Zealand and feel right at home because those places were Brittish colonies! To these Christ followers who lived in a city that took pride in its Roman citizenship, Paul is saying, "You have a higher citizenship than that of Rome! You are citizens of heaven. The same way your Roman citizenship greatly affects your way of life, even more so your heavenly citizenship should affect how you live!" As Christ followers, we are never to forget that this world is not home! Just as being a citizen of Rome meant that you lived differently than those lacking such a privilege, so being a citizen of heaven means that you live distinctly, differently from those lacking such a privilege! What distinguishes the citizens of heaven? That's a very good question! Let me give you one distinguishing characteristic. Citizens of heaven eagerly wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!! The bodily return of Jesus Christ in power and glory is one of the most frequently emphasized truths in the New Testament! Just as the Lord promised that He came the first time to die for our sins and kept His word, so He has promised to return for those who are Christ followers! Praise God forevermore! The fact that the glorified, holy, Son of God could return at any moment is intended by God to be the most pressing motivation for holy living. It should make a difference in every Christ follower's values, actions, priorities, and goals. In other words, it distinguishes us as citizens of heaven! Your move. Be encouraged!