On Being Aliens and Strangers

I am currently leading a small group for the One Month to Live (OMTL) program at our church. When we met last Wednesday evening to discuss the week's lesson, one of the series of questions that was posed was as follows:

Read Philippians 3:20 and I Peter 2:11. Discuss what these passages say about the true home of all believers. Why are words like "citizenship," "aliens." and "strangers" used? What implications does this have on how we spend our lives here on this earth? In light of our heavenly citizenship, how are we to conduct ourselves as residents on this earth?

In my attempt to make the question relevant, I used an illustration that got us off track, and I was ultimately dissatisfied with how I handled the discussion. Therefore, I would like to clarify myself here rather than spend additional time on the topic next week. I think the discussion can be of benefit to those of you who are not in my OMTL group, as well.

The fundamental principle for Bible study is for scripture to interpret scripture. Using this principle, another verse that must be included in this discussion is Ephesians 2:19:
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

In this context and in the passages mentioned above, an alien is someone who lives in a place without the rights of citizenship. Practically speaking, what does this mean? If you or I went to say, Paris, and we got into legal troubles there, where would we turn? We would call or go to the American Embassy, the place where our government can provide representation for us in a foreign land.

Likewise, as aliens on earth and citizens of heaven. whom do we ultimately call on for help, and from where are we ultimately governed? God, and heaven! We don't have to rely merely on mortal men to meet our needs. Psalm 33:20 says, "Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield."

Unfortunately, most of us live our daily lives as if our citizenship is right here on earth. We strive and worry and plan and maneuver and manipulate. Citizens of heaven bring their cases before the Lord and have Him mediate and operate on their behalf. In fact, I John 2:1 tells us that Jesus Christ is our advocate. It's as if we had our own personal legal counsel seated at the right hand of God!

Having confidence in our citizenship and understanding who we are in Christ and that His Spirit dwells in us sets us free to live on this earth in a way that only citizens of God's kingdom can live. We can love those who don't love us. We can forgive because we are forgiven. We are able to keep no record of wrongs. We can treat people the way we want to be treated rather than as they treat us. We can repay evil with good. Christians who really live in accordance with the teachings of Christ will stand out and be different and demonstrate that their citizenship is indeed in heaven.