Do You Know Who You Are?

We find such hope in knowing that we have freedom, power, and provision in the fact that we belong to another kingdom, The Kingdom of God.

When I ask the question, “Who are you?” what are some thoughts that first come to mind? You might think of being a woman, a wife, a sister, a daughter, or an American. You might think of being a teacher, a doctor, an accountant, or a public relations manager. 

But today, I want to focus on who you are in Christ. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, if you have placed your faith in Him, then the identity explained in Philippians 3:20 applies to you. This fantastic verse says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV)

Let’s let that sink in for just a minute. I am a citizen of Heaven. This comes with many implications. This citizenship was an expensive identity that was purchased for me. I was once far away from the Lord, but He paid for me to be welcomed into His kingdom. 

In Ephesians 2:12-13, the Apostle Paul writes, “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (NIV) Not only was my foreign citizenship purchased at a great price, but also this citizenship should mean that I am very different from others. First of all, my conduct should match my country of belonging. Have you ever traveled to a foreign country? It doesn’t take long for the locals to realize that you are a citizen of a different place because you act differently and speak differently than the others around you. In the same way, people around you and me should notice that we are different by the way we speak and act.

Not only is my citizenship valuable and makes me different than others, I also get several very important benefits from being a citizen of Heaven.

Not only is my citizenship valuable and makes me different than others, I also get several very important benefits from being a citizen of Heaven. The first benefit is freedom. In the same way that I have freedom because I am an American, I also have obtained spiritual freedom because I have become a citizen of Heaven. Romans 6:6 declares, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (NIV) Thank the Lord that I am no longer a slave to sin but I am free to walk with Jesus. 

A second benefit of my heavenly citizenship is that I have access to all of the promises of God. Paul comforts me so much when he writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”(NIV) In my personal morning devotions, I read through a daily Bible that includes a daily passage from the Old Testament. I draw such strength and comfort when I read through Isaiah and Psalms and claim the promises that are mine because I am a child of God, a citizen of Heaven. 

Just think of the power in these words, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” (Psalm 23: 1, NIV). Or how about in Isaiah 43:2 when the Lord tells me  “When you go through the fire When you pass through the waters,  I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,  they will not sweep over you.” (NIV)

Third, as a citizen of heaven, I have the power and provision to live in godliness here on Earth. This is truly a big one! In 2 Peter 1:3, Peter explains, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (NIV) Did you catch the word “everything?” We have everything we need for life because we are part of the Kingdom of God. What a relief that I do not need to harness my own power but I can instead rely on the power of God to accomplish His will in my life. This truly blows my mind. 

Join me today in being grateful that we are foreigners in this broken, hard, cold world. We find such hope in knowing that we have freedom, power, and provision in the fact that we belong to another kingdom, The Kingdom of God. 

Finally, today, join me in meditating on these words of Jesus, “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world….But now my kingdom is from another place.’” (John 18:36, NIV)