The Christian is an individual with a dual citizenship. He or she is a citizen of his or her country and an heavenly citizen by virtue of being born (again) of God. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour” (Phil. 3:20 NLT).
As Christians still treading this earth, we should always remember who we are and where we are going. We are like buyers and sellers that have gone to the market to buy or sell, at the end of the day we must return home. Like the song writer said, “this world is not my home, I’m just passing through.”
Many Christians today live as if all there is, is this world! They seem to forget that our heavenly citizenship is that which is eternal, while our earthly citizenship is temporal. We are admonished in the scriptures to keep before us always the hope and thought of Christ‘s Second coming. Of course, God wants us to be heavenly minded and still take care of our earthly responsibilities.
Christ tells us to occupy till He comes. Paul encouraged the Thessalonian believers to get busy, not to be idle, to work with their own hands so that they can provide for their families, pay their bills and not be dependent on others, and able to give to those in need (1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6 – 13). As a matter of fact, he tells them that “he that refuses to work should not eat” (2 Thess. 3:10)
Surely, I come quickly.
So we should get a good education, train our children, work, take care of our homes, families, etc. Nevertheless, as we face daily the realities of this present life we should live our lives in such a way that when Christ comes anytime we will not be left behind. Verse 21 of that same chapter also tells us that when Christ comes, “He will take this weak, mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power that He will use to conquer everything, everywhere” NLT.
What glorious hope, what comforting words, what a glorious inheritance is ours as believers in Christ! To those Christians who are weak in their mortal bodies as a result of one infirmity or the other, those whose bodies are plagued with deformities and pains etc., when Christ comes, those weak and deformed bodies will be changed into glorious bodies like His. There shall be no more pain, no more deformity, but perfect wholeness and soundness of body will be ours.
Dear fellow citizen of heaven, are you eagerly looking forward to the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour? Are you expecting His soon return? If you are, then live your life like someone who is truly expecting Him. Ensure you walk with Him in unbroken communion on a daily basis. The Holy Spirit of God will be your strength.
“… and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time” (Heb. 9:28).
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
(Edmond Mote).