Being a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
Citizenship is the state of being a member of a particular country and having rights because of it:
When I think of being a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven I am reminded of Paul and the Roman soldier who arrested him, Paul asked the question in Acts 22:24 “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?” and in verse 28 the Roman soldier indicated “I bought my citizenship for a great price.”Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”
In this it is clear that the understanding of those days where that citizenship is based on birthright and becoming a citizen through a prize paid. But in both cases the citizenship is equal. Likewise when I consider[WEB] Ephesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,”. This fellow citizenship was brought about through a very dear and expensive prize, the Blood of Christ, making us equal partaker in the promise of God as in Ephesians 2:12.
Children is born into a family.
Based on Jesus explanation to Nicodemus in John 3, we need to be born again from above, indicating that our citizenship is not only bought by a prize but secured through rebirth, a rebirth from our Father from above. This rebirth does not only secure our citizenship, but also makes us children and as children part of God’s own household. [WEB] John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Paul explained the mentioned in Romans 8:14-17 indicating that we who are born again is born of the Spirit of the Living God and therefore we are also led by the Spirit of the Living God. By indicating that the Spirit of God testify that we are children of God, that the witnessing of the Spirit of God from within is a sure indication that we are children of God. God called us unto Himself through His Son Jesus Christ to be children, part of His Household and consequently citizens of Heaven. We however was made by God with the ability to choose, called free will. God gave us these positions, based on the gift of His Son Jesus Christ and the prize He paid for our freedom, but we have to receive this gift out of our own free will.
When we receive God’s love gift in Christ Jesus, we are brought through the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus however commanded us, “if you love Me, obey Me”. We however cannot obey if we are not born from above, for in Act 1:8 Jesus said unto His disciples wait unto you receive power from above, meaning that in the flesh we will stumble, but as children of God we are empower by His Spirit to guide us to walk in Spirit and in Truth. It is what Jesus said to the Samaritan women at the well, God is seeking those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
Jesus explained in John 17:1-3 that by the authority of God He gave us eternal life, and that life is to know God and to know His Son. This knowledge is the fulfillment of God’s promise in [WEB] Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. To know God and His Son Jesus Christ based on a personal relationship. John explained it in 1 John 1:1-3 with the focus on fellowship with God and with His Son Jesus Christ as citizen of Heaven and as children that is part of God’s household
In considering [WEB] Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.” we should understand that the Kingdom of Heaven belong to ones like these. We are called children of God because we approached God and His Kingdom as children or in a childlike faith, trusting God to be our Father just as it is written in [WEB] Mark 10:15 Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.” As children we must believe that through the work of the cross of our Lord and Savior we became children and as children we can have the boldness to come before the throne of grace as we believe and trust that the promise is for us. A son can enter his father house without announcement and can partake in everything because he know without any doubt that he is part of the household. We as children received this privallige through the blood of Christ to come boldly before the Father. The mentioned is made possible through the forgiveness of sin, based on the blood of the Lamb of God.
When I was a child, I remember that in primary school we used to boast about our earthly fathers because we where proud of them, but as we crow we became more focus on our own abilities. As children and representative of God and His Kingdom we should once more boast of God and His abilities to do the impossible. [WEB] 1 Corinthians 1:31 that, according as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.” Jer.9:24
What is the meaning of being a citizen
To be citizens of Heaven means that we are under a new government guided by God’s rules and promises, as indicated within God’s Word and not by the world and it rules. Paul explained in Ephesians 6:20 that he is an ambassador for God’s Kingdom, and so are we, for as citizens of the Kingdom of God we are representatives for God’s Kingdom. As a representatives we must live our lives as a witness of Jesus Christ in this world, for Jesus said we are in this world but we are not part of this world. Therefore God said that He will establish a new Covenant with us where He will write His commandments on the tables of our hearts so that we will walk in obedience. Jesus came to bring the mentioned in fulfillment, for it is through the complete work on the cross that Jesus through the Spirit of the Living God live within us as the Word that became flesh.
As mentioned, that our citizen ship is brought at a prize, the blood of Jesus Christ. This citizenship even though bought, give us all the benefits of one who was born a citizen. In Ephesians 2, Paul explained that through Christ we became part of the commonwealth of Isreal, meaning that we share in the benefits of Israel. In psalm 103:1-5 we are reminded of some of the benefits we received.
For me, the most important part is that in Christ every promise of God is yes and amen for each one of us who trust in the complete work of the cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as the Son of the one and onlt Living God.