Verse of the Day 7/19

 

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,   New International Version (NIV)

 

There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about citizenship, mostly surrounding the crisis at our southern border.  People have been coming to the border from many countries, often coming a long way taking risks in the hope that when they arrive, they will be accepted and eventually become citizens.

Today's verse is a reminder for Christians, that while we are still here on earth, we have citizenship already in our future residence, heaven.  Instead of making a long arduous journey on our own, with risks and no certainty, we wait for our Savior, Jesus Christ to come and bring us home.

Vance Havner writes, "If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world".

I'm reminded of the song that many of us learned as children.  It was true when we sang it then and it is still true today.

This World Is Not My Home

This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Not only do we have citizenship and a future home in heaven, The Message (below) reminds us that we'll be made "beautiful and whole" with "everything as it should be."  Truly something to look forward to.

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Philippians 3:19-21The Message (MSG)

^17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

^20-21 But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.