Verse of the Day 10/29

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 27-28, Titus 2

 

Good morning,

There has been a lot of talk in this political season about illegal aliens.  The discourse breaks down to what are the qualifications of citizenship and who can grant it.

For today's verse we'll go to Philippians 3 which speaks of a different kind of citizenship,where our hearts reside. 

Philippians 3:20 (Amplified Bible)  ⁰But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior,

The verse points out that as Christians, our citizenship, our homeland is in heaven.  Bible commentator Marcus Maxwell writes, "the word translated 'citizenship', or more often by the rare (in modern usage) 'commonwealth', is politeuma, and it doesn't actually mean quite the same thing as citizenship, although it includes that idea.  It means something like the rule, or government, which makes us what we are, even though it is not close at hand...  Christians are made what they are by the rule of heaven; they are part of the kingdom of God, and answerable first and foremost to Him."

 

Citizen doesn't have to do so much by where you live, its more about by whose and under whose authority do you live.  As Christians, we are aliens on earth because we live under the authority of Christ, not following the ways of the world.

 

When seeking citizenship, one is seeking first of all, to live under the rule and authority of the governing power.  For Christians it is God, desiring to follow Christ, letting Him rule in our hearts, and living according to His principles.

Its more about serving than being served.

Quite a contrast to the political discourse of the day.

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Philippians 3:17-21 (New Living Translation)

 ¹⁷ Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. ¹⁸ For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. ²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.