“Citizenship” = the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen.
Those that belong to a country are at home in that country. This scripture is going to challenge you on what country you belong to. Eph_2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”
There are so many places to be from in this world, presently there are 196 countries you can be from in this world. And I am so glad and blessed to be from the Country of the United States of America. It is a 1-55 chance that you were born in America, “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” We are a land of wealth; this is the main reason that so many people want to be American Citizens. 80% of the world’s population live on $10.00 or less a day. In America if you live in a 4-person family home and make less than $70.00 a day ($25,500 annually) you are below the poverty line. Most people who come to America and get a minimum wage job have increased their income by at least 600%.
But when it comes to spiritual countries there are only two you can be from; the “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of this world.” One rests on the riches of heaven, and one rests on the riches of the world that is soon to perish. At this present time, you are a citizen of one or the other. As wonderful as it is to be a U.S. citizen and it is good to be thankful for a free country. But to be set free by the King of heaven, Jesus Christ, is the greatest blessing of all! With this freedom you can live anywhere in the world and be at peace in Christ.
As we celebrate living in our great country today, I would be negligent to you if I did not ask you spiritually where is your “citizenship?” If you do not feel at home with the people of God, it is a sign that you are not a fellow citizen, but you can be and we all started out as “aliens and strangers!” On this Patriotic Sunday, I implore you to come to Jesus and through faith in Him be a citizen of the Kingdom of God! Pastor Mark