I remember the day I truly became aware of how proud I was to be an American citizen. I was blessed to attend Capernwray Bible School in England when I was about twenty. Some French kid was trying to tell me how Vietnam (the war) was all our (the United States') fault! "What!? It used to be called FRENCH Indochina! The French started the stupid thing and we had to bail you guys out again!" I couldn't believe that little knucklehead! But, at that moment I realized that being an American was something different than being anything else. Paul reminds us that as Christians, we are citizens of heaven, not this world.
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21
Our citizenship is in heaven. When you go to a foreign country they generally know you are not from there. Values are one of the components of culture. What do we value as Christians? We value our relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord.
The world looks to self gratification (see verse 19) and in that they put their hope. That is not what we as Christians do. We eagerly await a Savior from heaven. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is what we look to see transform us into the image of Christ and to one day transform us into our resurrected bodies.
Although I am an American and proud of it I am first and foremost, a Christian. I seek to be Christlike, to be transformed into his image. That is the end goal of what I seek. To be transformed into his image.
Father, help us to set our hearts upon being citizens of heaven. Help us to see all that you have for us. Praise be to you in us today!
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