Are you a citizen of heaven? Does your life reflect your citizenship?
Philippians 1:27 — “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.”
1. From Earthly Passports to a Heavenly Identity
I am originally from India and held an Indian passport as proof of my identity. As a citizen of India, I lived my life abiding by the laws of India. I could travel freely anywhere within India and live in absolute freedom in any city in India. Additionally, there are certain behaviors that are specific to the Indian culture and there are certain ways of doing things in India which may be unique just to India.
But then, I migrated to New Zealand, and I willfully applied for a new citizenship in this new country. I was granted one and I obtained a New Zealand passport and am now a citizen of New Zealand. India does not allow for dual citizenship. Therefore, I had to make a choice to surrender my Indian citizenship in favor of my new citizenship in New Zealand. I now live abiding by the laws of New Zealand, and I am not subject to the laws of India. I can no longer live or travel freely anywhere in India without a valid visa. Additionally, there are certain ways of doing things in New Zealand which are unique to New Zealand and quite foreign to me. But I have adopted the new values with time.
That passport exchange is a faint picture of a far greater change: moving from earth-bound citizenship to becoming a citizen of heaven in Christ.
What Does It Mean To Be A Citizen Of Heaven?
My dear brothers and sisters, no matter which country we live in, we “were” once citizens of this world. We lived by this world’s standards. We tried our best to keep up with the societal values and gain acceptance and recognition in this world. But then, we turned our lives over to Jesus Christ when we came to know the truth. We were born again, and God in His grace transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of light. We were given a new identity in Christ, and we are now called the citizens of heaven.
God’s Kingdom: Heaven has a different set of rules. If we claim to be citizens of heaven, we ought to abide by the laws of heaven. God’s kingdom does not allow for dual citizenship. We cannot be a citizen of this world and a citizen of heaven at the same time. We must make a choice to give up one identity in favor of the other. We must make a deliberate choice to resist the values of this world and adopt the values of heaven if we are to identify as citizens of heaven.
As citizens of this world, we learned to be self-confident and proud of ourselves. We were taught to believe in ourselves. We were taught that we could do anything we put our mind to.
As a citizen of heaven, we are called to be God confident and humble. We are instructed that we can do nothing apart from Christ.
As citizens of this world, we learned to be selfish and greedy to get rich. We were taught to hoard, save up, and refrain from giving away or wasting what we worked for.
As a citizen of heaven, we are called to be generous and compassionate towards the less fortunate. We are instructed to give generously, and that God would provide for all our needs according to His riches in glory.
As citizens of this world, we learned to pursue pleasures that make us feel good. We were taught to indulge in pleasurable activities to be happy.
As a citizen of heaven, we are called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily and follow Christ. We are instructed to put to death the lusts of our flesh.
As citizens of this world, we learned to be revengeful. We were taught to not let anyone take advantage of us and to avenge every injustice done to us.
As a citizen of heaven, we are called to forgive. We are instructed to turn the other cheek when someone slaps us on one.
As citizens of this world, we are taught that seeing is believing.
As a citizen of heaven, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight.
I am sure you get the point. Heaven has a different set of rules, which often are quite the opposite to the world’s standards. We were once citizens of this world. We now identify as citizens of heaven. And Gods Kingdom does not allow dual citizenship. Have you made your choice yet? Have you surrendered one in favor of the other?
I encourage you to surrender this world’s citizenship in favor of heaven’s. Being a citizen of heaven is far more blessed than any perks this world can offer. Let us put in every effort to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.
Practical Steps To Live As A Citizen Of Heaven
- Renew your mindset daily
Ask: “Does this thought line up with heaven’s values?” - Filter decisions through Scripture
Let God’s Word overrule cultural trends. - Choose heavenly loyalties
When values clash, side with Christ every time. - Practice kingdom habits
Give generously, forgive quickly, serve humbly, trust fully.
Have You Exchanged Passports Yet?
We were citizens of this world, chasing its applause. In Christ we become citizens of heaven — and heaven offers no temporary visas. Have you surrendered your worldly passport and accepted heaven’s?
Being a citizen of heaven far outweighs every earthly perk.
Let’s conduct ourselves “in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ,” proudly displaying our heavenly citizenship in everything we do.
Check out a devotion on the Fear of The Lord. It may help you further to practically live as a citizen of heaven.