CITIZENS OF HEAVEN (4 OF 4)
Scripture: Philippians 3:17-21
This content is part of a series.
Citizens of Heaven (4 of 4)
Series: Philippians Chapter 3
Stephen Whitney
Philippians 3:17-21
One of the terms used often during the 1992 Summer Olympics
by television commentators were the words: Dual citizenship.
One athlete with dual citizenship was a swimmer named Martin
Zubero. He was born in the United States, where he lived nearly all of his life. He attended the University of Florida and trained
for competition in the United States.
However, he was swimming for the country of Spain because
his father was a citizen of Spain and at the Olympics he chose to represent his father's country, to which he felt a greater allegiance.
Christians also have dual citizenship. We are citizens of the country in which we live, but we are also citizens of heaven.
A.W. Tozer graphically described the dilemma we face as Christians in his book titled, The Root Of Righteousness.
''A real Christian is an odd number anywhere. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day
to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so that he can live, forsakes in order
to have and gives away so he can keep.''
Believers live on earth, but their home is in heaven. This causes us conflict because our hearts are pulled in two different directions.
The hymn writer described our conflict this way:
This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heavens open door,
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
The question we have to ask is what does God want us to do
while we live on the earth before we go to heaven?
LEAVING AN EXAMPLE :17
Paul gives believers one positive thing they can do whi ...
Series: Philippians Chapter 3
Stephen Whitney
Philippians 3:17-21
One of the terms used often during the 1992 Summer Olympics
by television commentators were the words: Dual citizenship.
One athlete with dual citizenship was a swimmer named Martin
Zubero. He was born in the United States, where he lived nearly all of his life. He attended the University of Florida and trained
for competition in the United States.
However, he was swimming for the country of Spain because
his father was a citizen of Spain and at the Olympics he chose to represent his father's country, to which he felt a greater allegiance.
Christians also have dual citizenship. We are citizens of the country in which we live, but we are also citizens of heaven.
A.W. Tozer graphically described the dilemma we face as Christians in his book titled, The Root Of Righteousness.
''A real Christian is an odd number anywhere. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day
to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so that he can live, forsakes in order
to have and gives away so he can keep.''
Believers live on earth, but their home is in heaven. This causes us conflict because our hearts are pulled in two different directions.
The hymn writer described our conflict this way:
This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heavens open door,
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
The question we have to ask is what does God want us to do
while we live on the earth before we go to heaven?
LEAVING AN EXAMPLE :17
Paul gives believers one positive thing they can do whi ...
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