TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20
Listen: Philippians 3
TODAY’S MESSAGE
It was a big deal to be a Roman citizen. It afforded you significant protections in the court system. It provided you some tax relief. It gave you a higher right to property. Being a citizen of Rome in the first century granted you favored status.
Citizenship is still important today. People from all over the world flock to the United States with the goal of becoming a citizen. When they are finally given the chance, they repeat an oath saying they will “absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty” of whom the applicant was before a subject or citizen. Why do people do this? Because the rights of being a citizen of the United States are significant. They are willing to give up what they had to get something even better.
Jesus offers us a new citizenship. It requires we renounce something, but also affords us significant rights. Instead of renouncing a country or sovereign, we must renounce the right of our culture to dictate our decisions. Watch this video clip below as Pastor Jeff Manion tells us we renounce our right to self-rule. Instead, we place our lives under Jesus’ direction. We give him our allegiance. Our new citizenship affords us great rights. Rights like a new life, a new family, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the promise of spending eternity with God.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Our allegiance demonstrates our citizenship. Consider where your allegiance lies. Do you find yourself more concerned about what the culture says is important or what Jesus says is important? Is it easy to ignore your conscience or are you sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit? Are you giving God a slice of your life or is he the pie tin? In your journal or on a piece of paper, write at the top “Citizen of God’s Kingdom.” Then list out what you think are the rights afforded to you and the duties God asks of you.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
