Our Citizenship
Brian Horvath
Lutheran North
Theology Department Chair/Teacher
Something happened in Washington DC. If you don’t know, protestors stormed the US Capital. Not a pretty image at all.
But I assure you, today’s chapel is not only an indictment against yesterday’s lawlessness.
It’s an indictment against yesterday and the lawlessness of the summer as well.
It’s an indictment against the lawlessness of the last year, the last three years, the last six years, the last eight years, the last decade, the last two decades and so forth
It’s not an indictment only against republicans, or democrats, or libertarians.
It’s an indictment against lawlessness. Corruption is found in every political party, republican, democrat, or libertarian. If those terms need to be explained to you, I’ll be happy to assist.
That’s not an insult to anyone, it’s a sincere offer.
Lawlessness is found in every party and every person. It’s in every president…and when I say every President, I mean, every President.
To deny this is to deny reality.
To think that corruption is limited to one party or only one group of people is naïve.
To think that corruption is limited to America, and only America is also naïve.
The world is in fact, corrupt.
Why is the world corrupt? Because, WE are corrupt.
There are some that disagree with that. Some people think we are born good, decent people.
Of course, if we are going to say that people are born good, we need a basis for THAT which is good.
Right seniors?
If you are saying there is good, you are saying there is bad. If there is good and bad, there is some moral basis from which we are making this claim in the first place.
Does a moral standard exist? Absolutely.
But it’s not really the entire focus of my chapel.
To deny morality, or a moral basis is, well, also naïve.
Back to my original point: there are some people who think we are born good.
But if we are born good, whatever that means, then why do we lie, cheat, steal, slander others, riot, loot, assault others with our actions and words, murder, lust, covet, cut corners, and the list goes on.
Some may argue that it’s only a few people who are “bad.”
But in reality, every one of us in this room has lied, cheated, slandered others somehow, lusted, cut corners, blamed others, stolen something, etc.
Every…Single…Person.
You see, while we point the fingers at yesterday’s protesters or the protesters from the summer for their lawlessness………. our own lawlessness gets lost.
Every….Single…Person.
You have broken the law. We have all broken the law. I have broken the law.
I find it interesting That in reality, it is only humans that have this MORAL LAW.
There is no injustice in the forest.
There is no protesting in the jungle.
There is no consent in the ocean.
There is no justice system, no courtroom in the desert.
There is no lying, cheating, stealing, protesting, beauty, truth, honor, courage anywhere else BUT IN HUMANITY.
Only humans have this conscience. Only humans know and create beauty. Only humans have truth, honor, courage, justice, sexual purity, laughter, joy, and the list goes on.
Why is that? Why are humans unique? I’ll tell you why:
Because this is not your home.
This. Is. Not. Your. Home.
Let me rephrase it into terms that may be more relevant or relatable:
Your CITIZENSHIP is NOT on EARTH.
America, or Spain, or China, or Korea, or wherever, is NOT your HOME.
EARTH, this physical existence you reside in now, is NOT your home.
You are not merely an evolved animal as some would have you believe.
No, humanity was made in the Image of God.
Humanity was made complete, and complete in God’s image. And, it was Good.
Why was it good? Because God Himself is GOOD.
God’s Holiness is our MORAL BASIS.
Humanity was made to experience pure joy, happiness, love, kindness, respect, honor, beauty, sexual purity, as a reflection of God’s own Nature.
Perhaps now we see why people act the way that they do.
Romans 1:21-25 says it this way: Tell me if this doesn’t sound like the world today:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.”
Humanity destroyed that which was good and made it evil.
Humanity ultimately thought that they could it better than God.
Humanity chose their earthly citizenship above their heavenly citizenship.
Earthly pleasures were more enjoyable than Heavenly Joy.
Humanity made their earthly citizenship, and all of its distortions, priority, and their heavenly citizenship, secondary.
Why is the world the way it is today? It’s not because of one man or one woman, it’s because all of humanity has fallen short of the Glory of God.
We have distorted God’s intentions.
And this fallen nature shows itself in hatred, disrespect, dishonor, corruption, lying, cheating, stealing, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and the list of course…………………………………goes on.
Well that’s not encouraging is it….
So …..where we do go from here?
Well, we must remember that THIS is NOT our HOME. We remember we were made for MORE than what this world has to offer. And this world only has limited offerings.
So if this isn’t our home, that means, heaven is our home.
…..if Heaven is our HOME and were made for MORE than earth…how do we get to Our Actual Home?
Certainly, our own goodness won’t work….
No, we had that discussion, didn’t we? No one is good.
No….one. In Philippians 3:18-19, Paul writes these words:
“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things”
No doubt looking at the world, it is evident that our thoughts, actions, and desires are of the flesh.
We are focused more on our earthly citizenship. And as such, because of our sin…
Our eyes are not fixed on our heavenly citizenship-nor are our thoughts, actions or desires.
Thus, Paul writes this….because we are fallen, sinful, earthly centered individuals….we eagerly await a SAVIOR….A savior who will bring everything on THIS EARTH under HIS control
And a Savior who will TRANSFORM OUR unholy bodies, into His GLORY
Paul continues in Philippians 3:20-21 and writes:
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
Notice, not only does Paul focus on Christ being our needed savior and redemption, Paul but He also reminds us that
our citizenship is in HEAVEN, NOT on earth. We are not necessarily citizens of America, but rather, God’s KINGDOM. And being citizens of God’s KINGDOM means that our HEAVENLY Citizenship takes priority over our earthly citizenship.
We see all sorts of people sacrificing their eternal citizenship in hopes of fulfilling whatever they lack.
But as Christians, we aren’t interested in making America, Spain, China, Korea, Brazil, or wherever our ETERNAL Home. Please, I beg of you……………no
THIS is not our HOME.
Listen to these words from Hebrews 13:12-13:
“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
Notice at least two significant points:
Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make people HOLY through HIS blood
Here, on earth, is not an enduring city. It is a fallen and failing city. The city WE are looking for…………….is a heavenly city.
We have to address again why Jesus suffered and died anyway. As we already mentioned…NO ONE is good. We are all lawless, fallen, individuals…..if we aren’t good, we need a GOOD SAVIOR.
Jesus, the Savior, ……….it is HE who fulfills the LAW perfectly. We can’t do it…the only who can………….is God.
So Christ steps in, and he Lives the Good, Holy, Law Abiding Citizen LIFE that WE cannot.
He does it on our behalf
More so………not only does he Live a Perfect, Law Abiding Citizen, Law fulfilling LIFE……….but
He also PAYS OUR SINFUL DEBT.
Crazy, isn’t it?
We aren’t Good: HE IS.
We deserve death…..but instead, HE DIES FOR US.
CHRIST not only fulfills the LAW that we cannot match up to, but he TAKES the consequences for our lawlessness, for our sin.
This, This is the Good NEWS.
It is HIS DEATH and HIS sacrifice which secures our HEAVENLY Citizenship by paying our taxes….if you will………..our debt….
It’s a heavenly citizenship in a heavenly city where we reside. And while we live in a highly politicized country and world….and we often talk about citizenship, Christians must focus FIRST on our HEAVENLY Citizenship.
Christians must prioritize that we are fallen individuals who live in a fallen city.
Christians must remember that this is NOT our HOME, but instead
Our Home is with Christ.
This perspective influences HOW do this earthly residence.
It doesn’t mean that what is going in on the world isn’t worth our time or isn’t important.
And it doesn’t mean engaging in important political conversations shouldn’t happen. They most certainly should.
But it does mean that our heavenly citizenship is more important than our political affiliation or political positions.
It means that our heavenly citizenship is more important than satisfying our earthly passions and desires.
Our heavenly Citizenship bought and paid for by Christ must become our priority.
But, I’ll let you in on a little secret….
The City we look forward to is COMING. They KINGDOM Come is the prayer….
BUT, Christ’s Salvation is guaranteed and promised to us NOW. You have salvation in Christ now….even though, you live here on earth.
And God provides us ways that we can taste our heavenly citizenship now even if we aren’t currently in our Heavenly Kingdom
We can partake of the gifts of the Kingdom of God, now.
How is that? A few different ways…in the OT for example, children were brought into the family of God, the Kingdom of God if you will, through circumcision.
In the New Testament, we see that Baptism unites us in Christ’s death and His resurrection.
God brings HIS Kingdom of Salvation to us through His Water, through His forgiveness of Sins. We see it in Ezekiel and we see it in Romans and elsewhere.
He Brings us HIS Heavenly Kingdom through the reading and preaching of The WORD.
For it is through His Living Word that we Hear the Gospel of Christ: That though fallen earthly sinners, Christ has restored and redeemed us, giving us the promise of our HEAVENLY Citizenship.
While we reside as aliens on earth, mere pilgrims passing through this life onto our eternal life, we do so in the knowledge of the Gospel
Do so loving others as Christ has loved us.
If this is not our home…if heaven is our eternal home, we ought to share this message with others.
Christians ought to share the Gospel of Christ, the Good News of Christ with other citizens.
How do we do this? For starters, we share the law…we gently let others know that humanity has failed miserably. Captain Obvious.
We gently let others know Christ is the solution to our sinful problem.
We tell others that Christ is the Law Fulfilling, Debt Paying Savior.
And while we interact with others, whether republicans, democrats, libertarians, people from other cultures or continents, or other religions, ….
while we live as aliens on this earth, we do so…according to Paul from Colossians 3:12-17:
“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentlness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Amen.