| “For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). |
| Probably most of those who are reading this have crossed an international border. If you live in Canada or the United States and wish to cross over the border between them, you may be asked, “Citizenship?” You will also have to show your passport to prove your citizenship. If you are traveling among the so-called Schengen group of countries in Europe, you may cross borders between them without showing your passport, once you have entered one of them. Still other countries require more than simply a passport; they require a special permit called a visa, which often must be obtained before you leave home. |
| Do we realize that the Bible tells us that we are also citizens of heaven? We may be citizens of different countries in this world, but if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are all heavenly citizens. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus to come and take us there, and He may come at any moment. |
| Some years ago, a woman came to our door with some literature, asking us if we would like to live on a beautiful earth where everything went well, where animals were never mean or savage, and where life was always peaceful. Since she had a Bible in her hand, I asked her to turn to today’s verse and read it. I told her that this was my future, and that I was not looking for a paradise on earth. She looked blank for a moment, then turned and walked away. I doubt that she even knew the Lord Jesus as her Savior. |
| If we are really citizens of heaven, it should make a big difference in our lives down here. We should be, as Peter says in his epistle, “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) in this world. A stranger is not at home, but a pilgrim is going home. When I visit India, I am a “stranger” there. It is not my home. When I leave there and head towards Canada, I could be called a “pilgrim” in Germany or other countries that I just pass through, because I am on my way home. Do our lives show that we are strangers and pilgrims? |
