Posted on 11/11/2005 4:20:35 PM PST by sionnsar
From the Rev. William Klock of Christ Church REC in Oregon, we have the sermon Heavenly Colonists, which is based on Philippians 3:17-21. I'd say Rev. Klock does a remarkable contrast of where our citizenship is as opposed to the world in which we now sojourn:
What the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians he could just as well write to us today. What was true of them is also true of us. God has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light and he has separated us from the rest of humanity so that he can transplant us into the Kingdom of his Son. Through Christ we are his children. As children of God this earth is not our home. Our home is with our Father in heaven. Our home is where our Father is, but even right now, living on this earth, we are citizens of that city. We are no longer pilgrims and strangers, but citizens with the saints and of the household of God.Indeed, we are called to live with the assurance that comes from our citizenship in heaven, so to speak. As Rev. Klock writes elsewhere in this sermon, "He reminds us that we are not cut off from heaven and he encourages us with the reminder that we only need to hold out for a little bit longer with the assurance that he is coming soon to lead us triumphantly through the gates of the New Jerusalem saying, 'I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. (Revelation 3:11)' This is a fine sermon, well worth our time to read and contemplate.
Our citizenship is in heaven. We are an outpost, a colony, of heaven here on earth. We might live here, but we are at home in another city. We live for a short time in this world, but we belong to another country. Our sentiments are with our mother city ad we are only strangers here and natives of heaven. What Philippi was to Rome, this earth is to our heaven. We are a colony on the outskirts of Gods empire, surrounded by barbarians, but still Gods colony and constantly in his power.
We are called to walk in a way that is worthy of our calling! As citizens of heaven we cant be like the people that surround us here on earth. We are never to stoop to the things that the spiritual barbarians around us enjoy. There are a lot of things that this world considers completely normal, that it has no problems with, but that have no place in the lives of Christians. We must never forget our true citizenship and our ultimate destiny God has made us different by his grace and has set us apart from the World.
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