Citizenship is the word that jumps out at me from today's passage, at the end of Philippians 3. Every dweller on this earth has some sort of citizenship, and in most cases, multiple citizenships. Here is an ordinary example.
A person is born somewhere on earth, in some country. In some cases, the birth automatically makes him/her a citizen of that country. Each sovereign country makes its own citizenship laws, but often being born in a country grants citizenship to the newborn, especially if one of the parents is also a citizen of that country. Being born into a human family gives a person a type of citizenship within that family.
As the person grows, they usually accumulate other types of citizenship...clubs, churches, service organizations, etc. In each case, citizenship confers certain rights but also carries responsibilities.
Citizens learn about their "group", to use a generic word, from its founding, guiding documents. It is those documents which describe the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and also which give the group the principles that allow it to function in a healthy manner. If the citizens follow the guiding documents, the organization is healthy (assuming the guiding documents are sound to begin with).
In the Christian church, for example, what is the most foundational "document"? The Bible, of course! It is full of God's precious promises, the benefits and rights of citizenship, membership in the Church Universal, the Body of Christ! Then, individual groups (in Southern Baptist parlance, we call them conventions, associations and churches) go beyond the Bible to establish governing documents, such as church constitutions and by-laws. These tools further define local rights and help to ensure the healthy functioning of the citizens. Properly crafted, when they are adhered to, order follows. When they are not, chaos and enmity ensue.
Paul saw great power in citizenship. He was a citizen of Rome, by birth. As such, he used his Roman citizenship effectively to open doors for the spread of the gospel, which other Jews could not. His Roman citizenship carried many excellent benefits. He also viewed citizenship as a great analogy for the Christian experience. Let's look at today's scripture:
10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not
that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been
perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also
laid hold of me. 13 Brothers
and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I
am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out
for the things that are ahead, 14 with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore
let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. If you
think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways. 16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who
will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his
glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all
things to himself.
Philippians 3:10-16, 20-21
(NET)
Despite all of Paul's confusing talk of "attaining", the key to this passage is verse 16. By Jesus Christ's virtue, by His finished work on our behalf, by our being born into God's family spiritually, having accepted Jesus Christ as Redeemer/Savior, we have already "attained perfection". That is, His perfection has been conferred upon us, as our heavenly citizenship. This "attaining" happened at the moment each of us made his or her own personal decision to accept and follow Jesus Christ.
Paul goes on to affirm the ultimate benefit of possessing heavenly citizenship: eventually, we will see Jesus, face-to-face. It will occur either at the time of our death or when Jesus returns to earth, whichever happens first. Other benefits of heavenly citizenship, as we live our earthly lives, are:
- knowing Him more and more (as I blogged about in the last post) (vs. 10)
- experiencing His resurrection power on a day-to-day basis (vs. 10)
- sharing in His sufferings (vs. 10)
- living out His calling on our life (vs. 12-14) "I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of me"
- humbly "running for the prize" (vs. 14)
Lord Jesus, Father God has put all things under your feet, and I am so grateful that you "subject all things" to Yourself. I pray for myself today, Lord, to learn You more, to love You more, to have my heart brought into greater alignment with Yours. I submit myself to Your calling on my life, even to share in Your sufferings, as my life is Yours. I gave it to You some 50 years ago. I ask that You keep me humble, Father. Only in humility can I truly, single-mindedly "run for the prize". Pride is a snare and a trap, which will trip up even the most dedicated and well-trained runners. Thank you for "laying hold of me"! Oh thank you, Lord Jesus! In Your blessed name, amen.
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