Resident Aliens

Resident Aliens

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Resident Aliens----------------------- Date: 03/30/1999
Keywords: "alien" "citizen" "heaven"

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Passage: Philippians 3:20-4:1*

20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

21. who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

Questions

1. Knowing that the Internet is international, these verses raise an interesting question. There might be individuals from a dozen different countries reading these words. What is your nationality?

2. Your nationality defines (usually) your citizenship. Are you a citizen of the nation in which you are living? If not, that makes you a "resident alien" of the country in which you are living.

3. By what laws must a resident alien abide?

4. To which country does a resident alien give primary allegiance?

5. According to these verses, of what "country" is a Christian a citizen?

Practical help

If you are a Christian, you are a citizen of heaven! (If you’re not a Christian and want to find out how to become one, click here). When you placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, your citizenship was transferred from earth to heaven. Now, while you must still obey the laws of the country in which you live, your primary allegiance has shifted to the country where your King lives - heaven!

Next time you are tempted to surf to a porn web site or to click on a sexually explicit graphic, remember who you are. You are a card-carrying citizen of heaven. Terrestrial citizens may dabble in the porn trade. Celestial citizens have pledged allegiance to a flag with a cross on it. You are ultimately not an American or Scandinavian or Australian. You are a Heavenian. And, you are looking forward to a day when you will bow before your true King. So, even though it is a challenge to do so, you stand firm in the Lord this day and walk away from porn.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLEŽ, Š Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."