Heavenly Citizenship through Christ

Live a life knowing that your true identity is in Christ and your citizenship is heavenly.

                                                                                               -Jenno Marco Misa

The world says: "Be perfect, and we will listen to what you speak, then we will obey you."

Jesus says: "I have perfected you, therefore, speak, and heaven will listen and obey you."

     There are many people today who are 'qualifying' us based on our highest educational attainment, social status, number of cars and possessions we have, or by the title that's attached to our name. The way they regard us depends on 'what we have, who we are, and what we have done".

     But the problem about this is not all of us have these things altogether in the society we are living and interacting with. In fact, there might not be one who has these things altogether.

     If you have attained degrees or masters, it's easy for people around you to give their attention and listen to what you say. If you have finished your doctoral, the more they will listen to you and will even drop everything just to hear what you whisper. If you are a CEO, then multitude will follow after you and do whatever you ask them to do without even asking why.

     In a world corrupted with self-effort and abusive power, it's a question how one man can influence people and be a catalyst of change, especially if he is just a 'somebody'. Without any title attached to his name, it's a big question how this task will be accomplished.

     I am so glad that Jesus has redeemed us and has set us apart. In other words, He has sanctified us and made us holy. And that means, we need not conform on how the world operates just so we can get to where we are supposed to be.

     The Bible puts it this way in John 15:19 " If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.".

     Furthermore, the Holy Spirit expounds in the book of Romans (Romans 12:2) "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

     Our Pastor , Joseph Prince, summarizes these two verses this way : "We are in this world, but not of this world".

    When Jesus was on earth, He took on the profession as a carpenter. He obviously did not have any Degree or Masters, but when He spoke or address the crowd, people's attention were always turned to Him (Matthew 15:20, Mark 7:14, Luke 5:1). He didn't have any doctoral level of education, but when He spoke, the dead came back to life (Luke 8:40-56, John 11:38-44) . And lastly, He wasn't a CEO, yet multitudes followed Him (Matthew 8:1, Mark 5:24, Luke 14:25). He has full authority and dominion over everything, may it be a storm, hunger and lack, or even death.

     The truth is, Jesus is above any educational degree or any CEO that has lived or will ever live. Well you may say 'Of course because He is God". Yes that's true. But He is also 100 percent Man. And the good news today is this: God has put 'you' in 'Him' the moment you make Jesus both your Lord and Savior.

     That is why we can have the same authority and dominion that Jesus exercised over all the things that He encountered. We can have that Christ-conscious boldness to distinguish ourselves from the world. And lastly, we don't need to worry if the world is going 'crazy' knowing that we are not 'of the world'.

     In the world today, they will ask you to be perfect first, before they will listen to what you say,then obey you.

    On the other hand, Jesus says to you:" I have washed you and made you perfect, therefore, speak in my name (to your enemies, circumstances, problems, or mountains) and heaven will listen to you, and obey you.

     The world focuses on who you are, what you have, and what you have done. On the other hand, God's focus is on who Jesus is, what He has, and what He has done. God looks at Jesus, and blesses you.

     The world says unless you toil, labor hard, and rest less, you wont make your life prosperous. On the other hand, God leads you beside still waters and lay you down in green pastures where you wont lack nor want. He also makes your cup run over . Isn't that 'Restful Increase'?

     The world says, "Unless I see it, I wont believe it". God says that when you ask, believe that you already have what you have prayed for, then you will have it.

     The busy world teaches you that you need many things. Jesus says to you 'One thing is needful".

     There are a lot more 'benefits' and blessings that were blood-bought for us, but not to the people of the world. But all these goodness are made possible, not because we have done good, or have prayed long enough, but because 2,000 years ago, Jesus fulfilled the law, personally nailed it to the cross, and brought in the New Covenant-the covenant of grace, which is solely based on what He has done.

     Now that we are under grace, God has put us in Christ. As He is, so are we in this world. It takes the Holy Spirit to understand the righteousness that God has imputed on us. This irrevocable and irreversible righteousness empowers us to reign in life knowing that the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives inside us. Through Christ, we now have our eternally valid Heavenly citizenship.