Philippians – Heavenly Citizenship
28/01/23 08:38
To live out our heavenly citizenship is to be brought down to earth and do all things without grumbling or disputing. Paul refers to citizenship twice in this letter, in 1:27 – as a verb, to be a citizen – and in 3:20. Especially from 3:20, ‘our citizenship is in heaven’, we understand this comprises our pilgrim status as Christians. ‘This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through’, sings Jim Reeves. But that is not what Paul means. What he means by heavenly citizenship is a status indeed, but as representing the highest authority in heaven, Christ, here on earth. Jesus is Lord. He has the name above all names. And the world needs to know that. The world needs to see the reality of it. So if we keep on grumbling and disputing, the world will not believe.
Two elements add to our living out our heavenly citizenship, joy and fearlessness, amidst opposition. Indeed, just passin’ through until we shake mother’s hand at heaven’s open door is a bit of a distorted picture of the Christian life. The Church is to proclaim here and now the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. Conflict (1:30) is inevitable. But to live is Christ, says Paul, to die is gain. What seems to be failure and defeat will turn out to be victory. The fellowship of Christ’s sufferings entails the fellowship of His resurrection power and will ultimately mean the resurrection in glory. Christ’s resurrection is a fait accompli. He reigns. He reigns with a power with which He can subject all things, even death.
Paul’s message probably lies somewhere in between pre-millennialism pessimism and post-millennialism optimism (he does not belong to either camp). His concern is the gospel and that is why his concern is the quality of spiritual life in the Church as well. A good presentation of the gospel will cause the Church to want to gain Christ at any cost. That will make the Church fearless in the midst of opposition, which will in turn advance the spreading of the gospel – a nuclear reaction. Paul may be bound with chains, the Word of God is not bound (2 Tim. 2:9); on the contrary. Paul is a realist. In Thessalonica the believers are accused of turning the world upside down; in Athens the harvest is only a handful of converts. The gospel spreads like wildfire, but a lot of shaking off of the dust on disciples’ feet must be done as well. The Kingdom of God is real. Jesus is on the throne. Paul’s urge is to live accordingly.
Two elements add to our living out our heavenly citizenship, joy and fearlessness, amidst opposition. Indeed, just passin’ through until we shake mother’s hand at heaven’s open door is a bit of a distorted picture of the Christian life. The Church is to proclaim here and now the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. Conflict (1:30) is inevitable. But to live is Christ, says Paul, to die is gain. What seems to be failure and defeat will turn out to be victory. The fellowship of Christ’s sufferings entails the fellowship of His resurrection power and will ultimately mean the resurrection in glory. Christ’s resurrection is a fait accompli. He reigns. He reigns with a power with which He can subject all things, even death.
Paul’s message probably lies somewhere in between pre-millennialism pessimism and post-millennialism optimism (he does not belong to either camp). His concern is the gospel and that is why his concern is the quality of spiritual life in the Church as well. A good presentation of the gospel will cause the Church to want to gain Christ at any cost. That will make the Church fearless in the midst of opposition, which will in turn advance the spreading of the gospel – a nuclear reaction. Paul may be bound with chains, the Word of God is not bound (2 Tim. 2:9); on the contrary. Paul is a realist. In Thessalonica the believers are accused of turning the world upside down; in Athens the harvest is only a handful of converts. The gospel spreads like wildfire, but a lot of shaking off of the dust on disciples’ feet must be done as well. The Kingdom of God is real. Jesus is on the throne. Paul’s urge is to live accordingly.
