Our Security Comes from being a Citizen of Heaven
I was sick. So sick that I went to the doctor.
He confirmed that it was strep throat. I had been trying to battle it on my own for a while, but those bacteria got the best of me. I remember him saying, “In my line of work, there are two types of people… those who get strep and those who don’t.”
I was too miserable and sick to make a witty, evangelistic response in the moment, but looking back, I could have said, “In my line of work, there are also two types of people… those who are enemies of the cross of Christ and those whose citizenship is in heaven.” (Maybe the Lord spared him from my ‘wittiness’ because I didn’t have Paul’s heart in that moment. Paul expressed this reality with tears.)
Paul describes the distinction this way: “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:18-21, NIV).
Let’s focus briefly on two points of application.
First, we can be confidently secure in a glorious future with Jesus in heaven. Security does not come from the things of this world.
A few weeks ago, I was feeling a bit anxious. Through Freedom in Christ, I’ve learned to ask the Lord to reveal to my mind the thoughts that are behind the feeling. He showed me that I was fearing the loss of worldly possessions. With the impact of the pandemic, the financial uncertainty of the future, questions over the election outcome and more, I was feeling anxious that I would not be able to continue providing for my family.
I had allowed my mind to get set on earthly things. While I need to be a good steward of the things God has entrusted to my care, I am not to set my hope in those things.
Our hope is in our Savior, Jesus, who Paul says has so much power that He is able to bring everything under his control. Ahhh… I can rest secure in that because He is trustworthy.
I surrendered those fears to the Lord and not only placed my trust in the Lord as Provider, but also was reminded by the Lord that this earth is not ultimately our home. Peace of mind returned as I chose to trust. Ultimately, no matter what happens here on earth, eternity is secure because of Christ.
But Paul does not stop with the assurance of eternal security in Christ. A second point of application that Paul makes is encouraging the Philippians (and us!) to continue growing in the exercise of our faith during our time on earth. The context of Philippians 3 is that Paul places no confidence in the flesh, but considers everything a loss compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ” (Phil. 3:8).
Paul encourages us to follow his example (Phil 3:17) in “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (we) press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called (us) heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)
According to this passage, there are two options. We can have our minds set on the temporary, passing, unfulfilling things of the earth. Or we can live in eager anticipation of meeting our Savior, Jesus.
After all, our citizenship—defined as our status, membership, and place of belonging— is in heaven with the all-powerful Lord! While that is not our current physical reality, it is our spiritual reality. And one day, He will “transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (verse 21)
Dear Saints, citizenship in heaven is both our present and future reality. Let us eagerly await the Lord Jesus’ return or our going to him. In that waiting, let us continue to learn and grow in our service to Him and the stewardship of what he has entrusted to us. As we do these things, we can then live as Paul exhorted us in Philippians 4:1.
“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!”