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Citizens Of Heaven

"Indeed, our citizenship in heaven exists, from whence also a Savior, we await, the Lord Jesus Christ,"1

 This word for citizenship, "a state, commonwealth" it is derived from politeuomai, "I live the life of a citizen." This word for heaven, "the sky, the heaven" perhaps from the same as oros, "a mountain, hill." This citizenship is in the heavens where Jesus sits as King, and where the Kingdom of God exists, and His will is being done, "in heaven also upon earth."

"the kingdom of heaven, has drawn near."3 

The Kingdom is here! This word for "drawn near" eggízō, (from eggýs, "at hand, near, nigh") – properly, has drawn close (come near). This word is used fourteen times in the New Testament expressing "extreme closeness, immediate imminence – even a presence ('It is here')" The Kingdom of God has come, as Jesus said, "if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."4

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!"5  

Christ the King. The angel Gabriel foretold Jesus would be King. And this is what Jesus said to the people, "Has drawn near to you the kingdom of God."8 "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom..."6 The Kingdom has a message and those in its kingdom are called messengers of peace. The prayer Jesus taught was for the Kingdom to come as it is in heaven, "let come the kingdom of you, let be done the will of you, as in heaven also upon earth."7 We know this Kingdom is inside, we are the Church living stones. Jesus sent out the disciples to heal the sick and say to the people, that the Kingdom of God had drawn near.

"proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness."9

Ambassadors of a Kingdom. Paul writes, we are ambassadors, our citizenship exists in heaven. We have this inheritance in the Kingdom, being rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of the Son.9 It is a Kingdom unshakable.11 The Kingdom is eternal, and there our citizenship exists, until all is accomplished. "Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power."9 We are to endure to the end, "For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."10

"My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom..."8

Not An Earthly Kingdom. Paul wept for the Jews, as many sought an earthly kingdom, they "walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction,..."8a  Jesus said of them who sought him after he miraculously feeds them, they sought him because their "bellies were filled," thus "their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things."9 Such speaks of them seeking earthly things not a heavenly Kingdom.10 To become a citizen of heaven one must enter not by seeking earthly food, but Bread from heaven, "Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For God the Father has placed His seal of approval on Him."11

"Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life."12

Receive the King. These who receive the King become citizens of heaven. Jesus was in the beginning with God and was God, the Word of God, who created all things, who came from heaven in the fullness of the Father, of Grace and Truth. These who hear the Word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and believe in the Son, these receive the gift of righteousness and the Spirit of God as a pledge of their inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.14 These as, Paul writes are made alive in Christ and their spirit sits in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus, these have citizenship in heaven, and eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"I count all things loss because of the excelling knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost and esteem rubbish that Christ I might gain."15

To know Christ. In such a focus Christ is a solid foundation, I have this foundation in Him of grace and faith, "be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith."16 This is a gift of abundant grace and righteousness which I receive by faith in Christ.17 Paul writes to beware of those who find justification in the law, these of the "circumcision party," "Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!"18

"who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body."19

Being transformed. We are citizens of heaven who worship by the Spirit of God, having a circumcision not of flesh but of the heart who put no confidence in the flesh. We see this concept of spirit, soul, and body being conformed to the image of Christ. First, we are born of Spirit, Christ is formed in us, symmorphous, "conformed to," having the same essential inner nature.6 Second, we are being transformed, metamorphoó,  "changing form in keeping with inner reality" by the renewing of the mind by Word and Spirit. Lastly, when we receive a glorified body, we will be full, metaschématizó, "transfigure" properly, to change outward appearance after a change.

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, so that I may somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead"20

Power of Life. We were born of Spirit, circumcised of the heart, when we heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and believed in Christ, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit.21 Important in transformation is the teachings of baptism, as in this process of metamorphosis we are being conformed to Him in His death so that we may attain the resurrection of life. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been perfected, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."22

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus."23   

A heavenly calling. I am a citizen of heaven with a heavenly calling. There is another Greek word, plasma, "a thing formed or fashioned" from plassó, "I form, mould, as a potter his clay." It was prophesied that Jesus would come for such a purpose, as a refiners fire he is forming us. We know Adam was the first man,24 And he was formed in the image of God.25 "The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven."27 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but "just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man."

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."29

Lion and the Lamb

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