The Christian's Dual Citizenship: When the Ethics of Heaven and Earth Collide
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The first book of the Bible I had the privilege of preaching through was the joyful letter to the Philippians. I didn’t know it then, but this little letter written nearly 2,000 years ago would be branded into my heart forever. Besides the beautiful proclamations of Christ and his glory, the main idea that struck me was the reality of a Christian’s citizenship. Paul teaches the small church in Philippi that they are citizens of heaven (3:20). This was not some random thing for Paul to write but instead would have had deep meaning for the Philippians. In fact, it would have challenged something they held very dear: their Roman citizenship.
Some Christians can find themselves focusing more on their earthly citizenship than their heavenly citizenship.
The little colony of Philippi was proud—almost boastful—of their citizenship as a Roman colony. Octavian (later the emperor Augustus) won a decisive victory for Rome years earlier and made Philippi an official Roman colony, granting its residents Roman citizenship (Gordon Fee, NICNT: Philippians, p. 161). A major part of the population was composed of proud former soldiers who had served in the Roman military. Philippi was a people and place that reveled in patriotism.
As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I understand what it means to be a proud citizen who has served my country. Yet, as proud as I am, I am also concerned that some in churches in the United States can misunderstand their identity at times. Rather than focusing on being disciples of Christ and citizens of heaven, they may tend to opt in for the popular identity of being American citizens and patriots.
Rather than being formed by the King of heaven, it can be tempting to soak up hours of the Joe Rogan podcast or to become imitators of Jordan Peterson. Rather than living out the ethical qualities of the kingdom (Matt. 5-7), some adopt a worldly view of power. Rather than striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27), some are merely staunch advocates of Second Amendment rights, big beards, and craft beers. While I’m not opposed to any of these things, they should not determine our prime identity. We need to ask ourselves if we are at risk of abandoning the ethics of an eternal kingdom for the ethics of a worldly pseudo-masculinity.
Earthly kingdoms will crumble, but God’s kingdom is eternal.
As a Roman citizen, a Philippian church member was more than likely to look down upon non-Roman citizens. What was Paul’s way of confronting this issue of pride and boasting? It was to remind them of heaven’s High King who did not look down from heaven with boastful pride, but instead came to earth to be humbly born in human flesh. If that were not enough, his humility shined as he took on the form of a servant and died a death like a criminal (Phil. 2:6-8).
This humble king stooped so low for the good of his people that there is nothing left to boast in except him. And that is exactly what Paul is trying to do in his letter to the Philippians. It’s as though he is looking these patriotic veterans and Roman citizens in the eyes and pleading, “Don’t settle for an identity in a kingdom that will ultimately crumble. Don’t let the overly prideful cultural gurus disciple you; better to be discipled by heaven’s King!”
Those who embrace Christ’s identity live in the light of eternity even here and now. Any follower of Jesus who was also a Roman citizen would have been tempted to judge things by what their eyes could see. Christians were not treated as well as Roman citizens. Rome’s empire was vast, while Christianity was small and humble. So Paul takes their eyes and moves them on to the reality of the heavenly kingdom. In Philippians 3:20-21 he writes,
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
The cross and resurrection of Jesus give his followers a new identity that is at odds with the beliefs of the world.
Christians live in light of a different kind of power than the world does.
Nevertheless, until Christ comes again, Christians live as citizens in this world and citizens of heaven. We are dual citizens who have the duty to love God and our neighbor in our earthly countries with a different kind of power than the world has. Where Rome demanded allegiance through aggression and superiority, followers of Jesus depend on a power that comes from the Sovereign King himself. This power is made known in our weakness because it makes much of his strength (2 Cor. 12:9).
There is an incredible power that bursts forth from the Spirit-filled follower of Jesus and it gives us and others a taste of the ethics of the new heavens and new earth. These ethics have sprouted in the followers of Jesus, and they bear the fruit of the Spirit by God’s grace as revealed in Galatians 5:22: “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Can we learn some things from today’s popular podcast hosts? Of course. Yet, we must be cautious to where their ethics collide and contrast with the ethics of heaven. Will we be a proud and arrogant people, vying for power and control, or will we be a humble and wise people, shaped by imitating the High King of Heaven?
This article was originally published on December 26, 2020.
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Recommended:
Revelation: Worthy is the Lamb! (Teleios Academy) by Wes Van Fleet
Note:
[1] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996), 577-578.
