“…our citizenship is in heaven”
Philippians 3:20
Main Readings: Hebrews 11:1-16 & Philippians 3:10 – Philippians 4:3
Related Readings: Matthew 6:19-34
So, I work in a warehouse. Keeping the stock record accurate falls on me. But recently, I noticed my boss had made several stock errors. This was serious. I needed to challenge it. It was so important. And then… I was called to a meeting. The business is relocating. My job is ending. After many years, my life in that place has an end date. I’m being called away.
Those stock errors? - I sat down and laughed! Before? So important. Now? Unimportant. Barely mattered. Cos I was being called elsewhere. Knowing that transformed my view.
That’s what Paul wants for us, as believers in Jesus. In verse 20, he says, ‘our citizenship is in heaven.’ Yes, this earth – all the brokenness that surrounds today - is not as important as we often think. Cos we’re being called away.
Cos Paul knows the Christian life’s not easy. This chapter contains tough stuff. Paul’s said – verse 8 - ‘For (Christ’s) sake, I have lost all things.’ And he’s suffering for Christ. He’s talked about the believer’s need to press on and how it involves ‘straining.’ And then he’s given believers encouragement to press on. Why’s he done that? Cos of reality! Cos discouragement is like fruit-flavoured vapes - readily available from multiple outlets! Whereas encouragement – that’s like rationed!
Life’s hard! We’re often found struggling! Life here can be that. So much so, that believers can be found asking, ‘Lord, is this it?’ Do you have days like that? ‘Is this it?’ Well, God’s word has the answer. And that answer is, ‘No!’ This isn’t it. This has an end date. You’re being called away. And that prospect of a that tomorrow is meant to encourage us to ‘press on’ today.
Today. The present. And notice the tense of verse 20? That’s present tense. It doesn’t say ‘our citizenship’s gunna be in heaven.’ It says, ‘it is’. Like, now! ‘Our citizenship is in…’ It’s so weird! We might ask, ‘have our NIV Bible translators have made a mistake.’ Well, I looked at over 60 English Bible translations of this verse… biblegateway.com – it’s awesome! Wanna know how many of those 60-plus translations have our heavenly citizenship in the here and now? Every. Single. One. This is no mistake. Make no mistake!
We might use that expression, ‘my citizenship is in…’ Let’s say that life circumstances mean we’re called to live and work in another place for a while. So, I go to a distant place like Australia. But I know where I’m really from. I don’t want to lose that as part of my identity. So, I hold on tight to my British citizenship. And my passport. But someone sees me living and working there and says, ‘G’day! So, you’re an Aussie now… cobber?’ I’d say, ‘No. My citizenship is in Britain. That’s where I’m from. That’s where I hope to return.’
And we might think, ‘but wait on – I’m a Christian. Yes I get heaven is my destination. But I was definitely born here on earth.’ Maybe. But maybe not. If you’re a Christian - you’ve been born again of God’s Spirit. And your new birth in Christ Jesus? That wasn’t from here (earth). Or from here (our decision). But from there. Your life has been re-made. And it’s being re-shaped. From there.
We see this ‘there’, in the rest of verse 20 into 21. Because, ‘our citizenship is in heaven… we (should) eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ’. He has ‘power… to bring everything under his control.’ He has ‘power’ that ‘will transform.’
Can that prospect – Can that Christ – which is from there, help the way we think about stuff here? And so, transform us now? Can we hold on tight to our hope from there. And so, hold more loosely what so often grips our living here.
Our citizenship is in heaven. Verse 20 seems like the pivot. It’s central to what comes before and after. Everything that Paul’s saying revolves around this present truth. So, let’s look.
We finished at verse 16 last time. That’s about holding on to our progress in the Christ-life – ‘Let us live up to’ what we’ve already got. ‘Let us live up to…’ 5 words. That are translated from a single New Testament Greek word. Which means literally to march in step like soldiers do. So, the Christian life has a rhythm for us to move to – like a heaven heartbeat. ‘Let us’ keep to that rhythm. Easy! Amen… Except it isn’t. How’re we gunna do it.
And so, Paul gives us advice in verse 17. I find this so helpful. ‘Join together…’ Those two words point us to church life. Cos, what is Church? Just people – who’ve been joined together by a shared interest in Christ. Who join together for prayer and praise and fellowship. And church life together can help us keep to Christ’s heaven-rhythm.
Paul says how. ‘Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.’ Paul’s not trying to big himself up. He’s not saying, ‘Look at me. Cos, I’m amazing.’ Elsewhere Paul says, ‘by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect’ (1 Corinthians 15 10). He knows that his life highlights the effect of God’s grace. And pointing out that effect is meant to be helpful. He isn’t bigging himself up. He wants others to grow. And grow in that same grace of Christ.
And Paul isn’t alone. There are others ‘who live as we do.’ There will be others in church life that can be an example for our life. Paul knows that – by God’s free giving – he and others had grown in that mindset of heaven focus. And so for those that struggled with that, this example could give them focus. Don’t ignore good role models. Paul says, have us as a model.
And we might think, ‘What just copy? Is that allowed? Surely that’s just imitating? That ain’t real. We’ve got God’s word. We need to follow its instructions, word for word. Not copy other people. That doesn’t count.’
But I ask you… a while back, my garage door mechanism broke. I found some instructions online. But I didn’t quite understand them. I read them and went ‘bleuuuh!’ Then, I went on YouTube. And found some guy who had read the instructions and got them. And he showed me his example of putting those into practice. And I copied what he did. And the door works!
So would you say that I fixed that door? I think you would. You wouldn’t say, but you copied someone else, so it doesn’t count. Cos, it just does.
So, with the Christian – heaven-minded - life here. Don’t find this natural, or easy. Perhaps try imitating someone who does it more natural. Actually, this can be useful in many areas of Christian life. I’ve had this. Where I haven’t known quite how to do something – how to allow the Bible’s principles to shape what I do in a situation. And I’ve asked a fellow believer with more experience. And they’ve said, ‘This is what I do. Copy this if you want.’ And I did. Did it count? Did it count to God? His word seems to be telling us that it does count. And that’s what counts.
We have good examples to follow. But some examples are not meant to be followed. That’s what Paul’s talking about in verses 18-19. Actually, he’s not just talking about it. He’s crying about it. ‘I tell you again… with tears.’ Who’s he on about. These are not people detached from church life. These are people who claim to be Christ’s. They claim that he’s died for their sin. But they don’t want to give their sin up. ‘Their god is their stomach.’ They’ve still got an appetite like they always had. ‘Their glory is in their shame.’ What was shameful before, they still glory in here and now!
Paul calls them ‘enemies of the cross of Christ.’ What does he mean? Well, it’s like they’re happy to claim Christ’s cross of suffering for their sins. But they aren’t prepared to take up their cross and follow him. As this chapter has already shown, suffering for Christ is part and parcel of the Christian life. But these’ve opened their front door and – ‘no thanks mate’ - returned that parcel. Why’ve they got it so wrong? ‘Their mind is set on earthly things.’ They’re not focussed on there (heaven). Cos they love – a bit too much - what’s here (earth).
They want Christ’s heavenly benefits later. But they don’t really want him – and his heaven-minded influence - now. They just want the same as they always did. Not what pleases him. But what pleases them. ‘Their god is their stomach.’ What they want… is almost raised to divine – God-like – authority in their living.
Examples to avoid. This chapter is book-ended with examples to avoid. Christians watch out for both. Don’t follow these – at the end of this chapter – who aren’t really wanting to give up their sin. But don’t follow those either – from the start of this chapter – those who aren’t willing to give up their own self-righteousness. To truly grasp the God of heaven - and his Christ-righteousness. Freely available to all who give up their own.
‘But our citizenship is in heaven.’ And verse 20 moves into verse 21. And encourages us again with the prospect of heaven. We’re being called away. Can our minds start to make that move now. Moving towards Christ. Who will return. And that appears to be the end of Paul’s argument. Cos the chapter ends. But Paul’s argument doesn’t end there. It continues straight into chapter 4.
Verse 1 starts with ‘Therefore.’ Paul is pointing back to what he’s just said. ‘Therefore’ – as a result, because of that, for that reason. Given the reality of Christ’s return from there, you can do this here – ‘stand firm in the Lord in this way.’
It was Valentine’s Day last week. Some people use that day to celebrate romance and love. To write words of affection to their significant other. Or others! It probably wasn’t 14thFebruary when Paul wrote this. But what words of affection? Paul deeply loved these believers. These others were significant to him. ‘My brothers and sisters’ – In God’s family. With me! ‘You whom I love!’ ‘And long for!’ He calls them ‘dear.’ Precious to the Saviour – and so precious to the saved. ‘Dear friends.’ And then in the verse middle, he calls them, ‘my joy and crown.’
We may think of a crown as something a king or queen might wear. But this isn’t that. The word in the original Greek means something that is twined. This crown that Paul’s talking about is wreathed from plant material. The believers at Philippi would’ve understood Paul’s meaning – their culture was influenced by Rome. This wreath-type crown was something Roman’s gave to winners. The best athlete had a wreath put on their head that marked them out as successful.
And that‘s what Paul’s saying. How was his success – in his life for Christ – gunna be measured? In people. They were his crown. People. Saved. And helped to grow in faith. And continue the Christian journey. His success would be measured by them - pressing on. And pressing on all the way home!
After an Olympic event - how do we know who the winning athlete is? Cos they’re the one standing on the podium, crowned with the medal, their face full of joy. And they’re singing. Singing the anthem of their home! Similar to Paul. He’d gone through suffering – training – endurance. But his crown was people. And their changed – and changing - lives filled him with joy. And there he is in these verses. Singing to them – the anthem – of their shared heavenly home!
And he now uses his love for - and close connection to - these people to deal with a problem. In verse 2, we meet two women – Euodia and Syntyche. Paul pleads with them. To be of the same mind. Cos they aren’t. That much is obvious. They used to be. But not now. Verse 3 says ‘they have contended at my side.’ They used to work together with me. But now they can’t. What’s gone on? Do we know what it is? Not exactly. But we know what it isn’t.
Cos that’s covered in chapter 3. There Paul dealt with serious error that’d entered church life. People who burdened believers with their own religious standard, and moral conviction. Or people who despised the cross part of the Christ-life. And just wanted earthly ease. Paul’s words about those types show us clearly. There were some types Paul wouldn’t be united with in church life. There are times when separation is right. But this isn’t one of them. So, this issue must be something else.
It appears to be more relational. They’ve just stopped getting on. It can happen. How broken are we?! What’s the solution? Paul says, verse 2, ‘I plead with (you)… be of the same mind in the Lord.’ The same mind. Same as before. Yes, it’s that heaven-mind that can heal this earthly relational split.
It may need the input of others, and Paul calls for help in verse 3 – ‘help these women.’ Help them work it out. And work together again. And Paul reminds them why. Cos their names are written in heaven’s great book! - ‘whose names are in the book of life.’
How do you know where you were born? Cos, your birth certificate confirms it. Mine says ‘Eastbourne.’ So, I know. And I know that somewhere in Eastbourne Town Hall there’s a book with my name. And the names of everyone else born in that place. But Paul wants these people to know - that heaven has a record too. A record of all new births.
This ‘book of life’ is a feature of the book of Revelation. In Revelation 3 5, Jesus speaks of it. He says, ‘I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.’ It takes us to that final heavenly judgement time. It sets the scene. Jesus has now returned, and his people are now with him. True believers in Christ here. Now with him there.
Jesus will hold that record of those names. And as they pass by. Jesus will acknowledge them before his Father and his angels. It’s as if he’ll point to them and say, ‘Born in heaven. Welcome back. Welcome home.’
That there is relevant to here. And it’s relevant to these two women here in Philippi. When heaven happens, they’ll be spending forever… in peace. And Paul is saying, ‘therefore’ – let peace start now!
When Jesus returns, we will be forever citizens of heaven. Because. We were before. Because. We are now. Verses 20-21 of chapter 3 are the pivot point of Paul’s heavenly argument. Jesus will return. In power. And great glory. He has ‘power that enables him to bring everything under his control.’ Imagine that. We live in a world that seems out of control. Our own earthly lives often seem little better. But Jesus will return with better. That’s meant to help us live now. Tomorrow’s light to brighten today’s dimness.
Why’s he coming back? Cos of why he came. Cos of God’s great love. Cos we so desperately needed him to. He came to die on the cross. To remove - from us – the penalty due to our sin. He’s alive again. And he’s coming back. To remove us from the presence of sin forever. Brothers and sisters – what a prospect!
Power that enables him to bring everything under his control? So why isn’t it yet? Perhaps because his power is currently just dealing with what most interests him – people. Those he died for. Those born (again) - not of natural descent, nor of human decision… but born of heaven’s God (as John 1 13).
Through the work of God’s Spirit that power is at work now. That work - and these words in Philippians - are meant to be pushed together to push our transformation. Our minds reshaped. A little more able to perhaps deal with the stresses of today. Those today’s when we ask, ‘is this it?’ Perhaps we’ll then be able to find the right answer. No. This life’s short-lived. Heaven’s forever. We’re being called away. Home. To Him. ‘Who loved us and gave himself for us’ (Ephesians 2 5).