Crossing the Border into Heaven || Philippians 3:20 || Manna for the Mind #69

Welcome to Day 69 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is Philippians 3:20. We will focus on sharing how we are a part of the heavenly city.

Philippians 3:20

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.

Citizens of a Roman colony were expected to showcase the interests of Rome and maintain the dignity of the city. In the same way, citizens of heaven ought to promote heaven’s interests on earth and lead lives worthy of heavenly citizenship. This was called into question about me when I was part of my sextortion incident. I was told that my actions didn’t represent the interest and value of the church and were not a proper representation of church leadership. I totally get that, and it makes 100% sense. However, the interest they saw in me when I told them what was happening was stuck there. They didn’t see the maturity that came from it. They didn’t see the strengths that grew out of the spot of weakness. They kept me in that box instead of seeing my interest in sharing God with those around me. It was different, difficult, and destructive. Still, it led me to where I am today and has helped me recognize a lot of God’s teaching and its impact on my life today.

What do you do with that information? Look at Ephesians 2:19-22. I’ll have a particular focus on verse 19.

Ephesians 2:19-22

19          So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

20          Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

21          We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

22          Through him you Gentiles are also being made of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

We sometimes call our church building “God’s house.” However, his house isn’t the building, but it’s us. It’s the group of us that are gathered together. Through the Holy Spirit, God lives in us and shows himself to a watching world through us. How you act as a Christian represents how others see who God is. What kind of image are you putting out? Going back to my situation, they saw the image of a porn user, pedophile, immature leader, and others, I’m sure. What did I see? Someone who is broken, struggling with a problem, needing guidance and reassurance, and in a weak and vulnerable position. Someone who learned his lesson found solace, mercy, and peace through my loving fire, and could continue sharing God’s love with the world. Not a love that was reflected by other Christians but a love that God showered me with. People need to see the reflection of the love that you received through him.

Think about what that means to you as you read the words in Hebrews 12:22-23.

Hebrews 12:22-23

22          No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.

23          You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.

As followers of Christ, we are citizens of the heaven Jerusalem right now. Because Christ rules our lives, the Holy Spirit continues to help and guide us. Because of that, we experience close fellowship with others. What does it mean to be a citizen of heaven? Well, what does it mean to be a good neighbor? What does it mean to love as you’ve been loved by Christ? What does it mean to forgive as you’ve been forgiven by God? What does it mean to give as God has given to you? I’ll close with that. It’s not a prayer, but these are prompts. Have this conversation with God? See what he reveals in your heart. Celebrate the positives and ask him to remove the things that aren’t from God. He will replace those thoughts, ideals, desires, and actions with ones that honor God and glorify him. Until next time, stay blessed.