Citizens of Heaven — Scripture Reflection #049
Philippians 1:27 (New Living Translation)
27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ…
Part of our job, here on earth, is to prepare for eternity with God. This means living like we are already citizens of heaven, despite us not being there yet. When we live according to God’s standards and the mandates of heaven while we are still on earth, we will be well prepared for our lives in heaven. We will fit right in.
In the book of Matthew, we can find an example of a man who did not live as a citizen of heaven while he was on earth, and he was kicked out of the celebration. In the parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22, we find a man who managed to make it into the wedding hall, only to be wearing the wrong attire. When confronted, the man was speechless and was kicked out of the wedding. In other words, he did not prepare for the wedding by the way he lived and was removed.
The Bible is also filled with examples and role models we can follow who did live like citizens of heaven. Men and women of faith like the apostle Paul, his co-workers Priscilla and Aquila, the disciples, and, of course, Jesus, all lived like citizens of heaven during their time on earth. We would be wise to follow their examples and prepare for the celebrations in heaven accordingly.
