Citizens of Heaven

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 3:18-21

If you have ever filled out an application for a passport or travel visa, you know that there is a great deal of information needed to validate the truth that you are a citizen.  Name, birthdate, social security number, address, phone number, eye and hair color, height, weight, parents’ name and maiden name - all facts that link you directly and unmistakably to your citizenship in the country.

Paul reminds us of our citizenship as Christians - a citizenship which is in heaven!  In his letter to the Philippians, Paul is clear - citizens of heaven are citizens because of the cross!  Citizens of the world are enemies of the cross.  The people at Philippi knew what Paul was getting at.  Philippi was a Roman colony but it was on the edge of Asia Minor and Greece - a long way from Rome - the spoke Latin, dressed in Roman garb, and attended theater just like in Rome.

In the same way that Roman citizenship requires a certain “way of life” - likewise, being a citizen of heaven requires a different way of life.  Enemies of the cross also have a certain behavior - their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. 

When we continue to live in the hurt of the past without forgiveness, we are an enemy of the cross; when we spend more time speaking words of gossip rather than God’s Word, we are an enemy of the cross; when we fail to see one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are an enemy of the cross; when we set goals for the future according to earthly standards, we are an enemy of the cross; when we struggle between what is ours and what is God’s, we are an enemy of the cross.  It led Paul to tears and Jesus to lament, where does it lead you?

Also, the minds of citizens of the world are on earthly things.  They simply cannot see beyond the health they have or don’t have, the money they have or don’t have, the job security or power, the recreation toys, the pension plan and the new car.  As long as there are amply blessings, God is good; but if there is struggle, then God’s goodness is measured against what can be achieved in the here and now.

But thanks be to God: for we have this promise - when we grieve and repent of our sins, Christ replaces our grief with His peace and forgiveness.  He restores and reconciles.  He makes new.  He gives us understanding that our citizenship in heaven has far more blessings than the temporary and fleeting ones of this world.

Proudly bear the cross of Christ and use it to free your life from the shackles of sin and death so that your body will be filled with praise and thanksgiving for the body you have is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  With the cross of Christ before you this Lenten season – may your soul sing out in eternal joy, “Heaven is my Home!”

I’m but a stranger here, Heav’n is my home;

Earth is a desert drear, Heav’n is my home.

Danger and sorrow stand  Round me on ev’ry hand;

Heav’n is my fatherland, Heav’n is my home.

LSB #748

 

You are Loved!

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10

Valentines Day can be a big deal - not only for the sale of cards, flowers, and candy - but most importantly to share just the right words with those we love and care for.  When I think about the right words for Valentines Day, I immediately think of one of my favorite parts of the upcoming holiday – the little candy hearts with words on them!  I wonder what the little candy hearts would say if they contained a message from God.  Based on God’s Word it would be safe to say that the message from God would read something like, “You are loved”.

God’s Word is very clear about His love for us!  God’s love for us is perfect.  God love for us is unconditional.  His perfect and unconditional love for us is shown most clearly through Jesus Christ.  Out of love for us, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior from sin, death, and the devil.  Jesus shed His blood in order to set us free from the condemnation that our sin deserves.  His death and resurrection have won for us forgiveness, life, and eternal salvation.

As repentant sinners, Christ’s blood has paid for every hate and murder and every harsh word, every affair and divorce and every look that was a little too long, every perjury, and every promise we have ever broken and every gossip we have ever spoken.  Though our hearts are corrupt with daily sin - God doesn’t tolerate these hearts, He gave His Son to die for them.  God declares them righteous, clean, new hearts solely on the account of Jesus Christ.

God’s valentine to you is: “You are loved!”  Carry that message in your heart each and every day, and rejoice in the forgiveness, life, and salvation that is yours because of God’s love for you shown in Jesus Christ!

 

Overcoming Evil with Good

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

I came across a story this week of a man who was a big gardener.  His new neighbor saw him digging a hole in his back yard.  “That’s a pretty deep hole”, the neighbor said, “What are you going to put in it?”  “I am replanting some of my corn,” was the quick response.  “But you surely don’t need such a deep hole to plant a few seeds of corn,” the neighbor replied.  “I surely do,” replied the gardener, “The seeds are all inside one of your chickens.”

Sometimes we go to great lengths to get revenge!  It just comes so natural to us – when someone hurts us in any way, we want to get back at them.  We want to “get even” and settle the score with our enemies and rivals.  The fact that vengeance is so intertwined into our sinful flesh makes the words of Romans 12:21 seem strange to us.

God does not want us to seek revenge on those who hurt us but to “overcome evil with good”.  How do we do that though?  The Lord gives us numerous examples in Scripture of how to overcome evil with good, but none of them seems to be more shocking to us than the Lord’s Words in this Sunday’s Gospel lesson from Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Pray for those who persecute us?  Absolutely, that’s what Jesus instructs us to do.  We have to admit though, we don’t always do this perfectly.  But thanks be to God – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has done this perfectly for us – on the cross!  Jesus Himself prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”  What great love Jesus showed for us and all people as He did not seek revenge on those who were crucifying Him, but instead bore the full weight of our sins and died the death we deserve in order to give us forgiveness and eternal life!

May our Lord’s love not only be our example – but our refuge for forgiveness where the evil of our sin is overcome by God’s perfect goodness!

 

Nothing

For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

There is a story about a former NBA basketball player Rodney Hundley.  Hundley roomed for a while with Elgin Baylor, one of the greatest scorers in the history on the NBA.  One night, Baylor set a league record by scoring seventy-one points in a game.  In that same game Hundley scored 2 points.  As they got into a taxi for a ride back to their hotel after the game, Hundley put an arm around Elgin and noted triumphantly, “What a night we had, buddy!  73 points between us!”

The way a lot of people see salvation is similar to that story.  The fact that we have nothing to give God but our sin is thinking that is contrary to what most people in the world think.  They’ll claim that God certainly has done most of the work – but we still contribute a little bit to our salvation, at least 2 points worth.  But the fact remains – we have nothing and we contribute nothing to our salvation.  It is a wonderful gift of God given only through His love and grace. 

The same is true for each and every one of us.  God has given us all that we need – and more.  God promises to give us what we need for this body and life – but He has also given us so much more.  This world of sin and everything that goes with it will fade away.  But because of God’s love and His desire to give us everything – He gave us eternal life through our Lord and Savior.

We take comfort in what God has done for us out of His perfect love.  We also take comfort in the fact that we do not have to earn God’s love – for while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!  God’s perfect love was shown most clearly in this: God gave us His Son, the Lamb of God, to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  He did this because without the cross of Christ, we would have nothing to put our hope in.

Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to the cross I cling.

Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.

LSB 761