Study 10
BELIEVERS ARE NOW CITIZENS OF HEAVEN
Before we begin our study, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Lord God, I come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for saving me and making me into a new person. Thank You for extending Your Grace and Mercy to me. Lord I ask that as I read Your Word, please enable me to better understand this tremendous blessing that You have given me.
Thank You Almighty God, Thank You.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter is to help us better understand and appreciate the new position or status we, as born again believers in Jesus Christ, now have with respect to God and this world's system. Specifically, what we will find is that in Christ Jesus the born again believer has been chosen by God to be a citizen of Heaven and a member of His household. To see this we will,
1. Review the position or status of the unbeliever (both Jew and Gentile).
2. Explore some of the incredible blessings bestowed upon the born again believers.
3. Discover that the true born again believers are now citizens of Heaven.
Let us begin this study by exploring the,
POSITION OF THE NON-BELIEVER
For our study of the position of the non believer, that is those who are not yet born again, we must be careful to recognize that there are two periods of time to be considered: (1) the time before Jesus' death and resurrection and (2) the time after Jesus' death and resurrection.
THE TIME PRIOR TO JESUS' DEATH AND RESURRECTION
As glorious as all the Old Testament blessings that were extended to Israel, it was only those who had true faith in God that were saved. Even though Jesus had not yet come to make atonement for their sins and redeem them, those who had true faith in God were declared righteous and held in God's favor. To see this, let us read what the Holy Spirit said about Abraham in,
Romans 4:3
"[3] … "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.""
In addition to being declared righteous, the spirits of those who died with true faith in God went to a place called Paradise. It was here that these saints waited for the appointed time of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to come and bring them to Heaven.
To see this we begin by noting that according to the Bible the place where the departed spirits went was called Sheol (the place of the dead). This place was divided into two partitions. These partitions were separated by a great chasm or gulf. Those who died with true faith in God, such as Abraham and the beggar Lazarus went to the place called Paradise. This is the place Jesus referred to when He said to the criminal on the cross that today he (the criminal) would be with Him (Jesus) in Paradise. This is recorded in,
Luke 23:43
[43] And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Those who died without true faith in God, such as the rich man, wound up in Hades or hell. This is revealed to us through Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:19-31
""[19] There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. [20] At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores [21] and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. [23] In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. [24] So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' [25] "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' [27] "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, [28] for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' [29] "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' [30] "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' [31] "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'""
Let us notice the following verses,
26 … No one was able to cross over the chasm between Paradise and Hades.
29 … The rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to his family so he could warn them of their destination.
31 … Abraham told the rich man if they would not read or listen to the Bible, at this time it was only the Old Testament, they would not listen to or be convinced by Lazarus.
As noted earlier, Paradise was where those who died with true faith in God waited for the Messiah. It is noted that when Jesus, who was and is the Messiah, died and was buried He went into Paradise and brought up all those who were waiting for Him to Heaven. To confirm this let us read the following,
Ephesians 4:8
"[8] This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.""
To have a clearer understanding of the above Scripture, it is beneficial for us to see what the Greek words suggest as they are used in this passage. To do this, let us read the following explanation from Vine's "Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words"1:
"The quotation is from Psalm 68:18 and probably is a forceful expression for Christ's victory, through His Death, over the hostile powers of darkness. An alternative suggestion is that at His Ascension Christ transferred the redeemed Old Testament saints from Sheol to His own presence in glory."
Let us now move on to,
THE TIME AFTER JESUS' DEATH AND RESURRECTION
For this period of time in human history, which includes today, the New Testament of the Bible teaches us that prior to being born again, whether we are Gentile or Jew, we were spiritually dead and under God’s wrath. To see this let us consider the following,
Ephesians 2:1-3
"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … We were spiritually dead in our transgressions and sins.
2 … Prior to our new birth we followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, who is Satan.
3 … Consequently, all those who were not yet born again (both Jew and Gentile) were objects of wrath.
As if the above state or position was not bad enough, those of us who are Gentiles, that is not Jewish, were in even worse shape. To see this let us read from,
Ephesians 2:11-12
"[11] Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- [12] remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world."
Let us notice in particular the following verse,
12 … It is noted that during the days of the Old Testament Israel was God’s chosen nation. It was to them that the promise and hope of the Messiah was given. This is revealed to us in,
Romans 9:1-5
"[1] I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- [2] I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [3] For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, [4] the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. [5] Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen."
To further illustrate this point let us review the time when a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to deliver her daughter from demon possession. To do this we go to,
Matthew 15:21-28
"[21] Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. [22] A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." [23] Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." [24] He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." [25] The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. [26] He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." [27] "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." [28] Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour."
Let us notice the following verses,
22-23 … A Canaanite woman, who was not Jewish, came to Jesus for help. In addition, because of her annoying persistence the disciples wanted Jesus to send her away.
24 … Notice, Jesus did not send her away. Instead He told His disciples He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel.
25 … In spite of what Jesus said to His disciples and also that the disciples wanted her to be sent away, the woman still came and fell upon Jesus’ feet begging for mercy.
26 … When Jesus referred to the Gentiles as little dogs, He was NOT equating them to animals. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words2 the word dog or puppy was used by the Jewish people as a term for the gentiles. It meant that the gentiles were ceremonially unclean. Therefore, the gentiles were not permitted to experience the privileges of the Jew. For example they were not to enter into the Temple and participate in the Temple services.
27 … The woman agreed with Jesus statement about giving the children’s bread to an outsider. However, she asked for a crumb of His mercy.
28 … Because of her faith in Jesus and out of God’s mercy and grace He healed her daughter.
As we reflect upon the positions of both the Jew non-believer and Gentile non-believer, two points must be made: (1) unless a person, either Jew or Gentile is born again they will not enter into the Kingdom of God and (2) in the Old Testament days the Israelite had favor with God in that to them God extended His promises, covenants and the hope of the Messiah. In other words, they, the Israelites, were God's chosen people. However, as illustrated by Jesus extending His Grace and Mercy to the Canaanite woman, He has also extended His Grace and Mercy to all peoples. This is revealed to us by reading,
John 1:11-12
"[11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--"
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … As Jesus said to His disciples and the Canaanite woman He was sent to the house of Israel. However, they as a nation did not receive Him.
12 … Yet, whoever (Jew and/or Gentile) did and does receive Him, to them was/is given the right to become a child of God.
To amplify upon this a bit more let us read from,
Galatians 3:26-28
"[26] You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Thus, as we read the Bible we find that for the true born again believer in Jesus Christ, and especially for those who are not Jewish, the Old Testament positions and relationships are dramatically changed. To appreciate this let us explore,
SOME OF THE BLESSINGS BESTOWED UPON THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER
As we examine some of the blessings of the born again believer in Jesus Christ what we will find is that:
1. Through Jesus Christ God has created and is creating a new person. This group of people is called the church or body of Christ.
2. Each and every born again believer in Jesus Christ is a temple of God the Holy Spirit.
3. Since God the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within each and every born again believer they are the children of God.
4. The born again believers are sealed as God's chosen people and are now waiting for their inheritance in His Kingdom.
With the above outline in mind we begin by recalling that,
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS A NEW CREATION
For us to better appreciate this we must realize that the born again believer is no longer spiritually dead. Their previous condition has changed; they have been made alive in Christ Jesus. This truth is described for us in,
Ephesians 2:4-10
"[4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
For this study, let us notice the following verses,
5 … We are no longer spiritually dead but are alive with Christ. By God’s grace we now have God the Holy Spirit living within us!
6 …We are now spiritually seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realms. Notice, this is not future but present tense. As we will see later this means we are now citizens of Heaven!
8-9 … It is by His Grace, which is unmerited favor, we have been saved. It was nothing we earned; it is God's free gift to you and me.
In other words, as we discovered in Studies 7 and 8 God has transformed us into a new creature or new person. To refresh our memory this let us read from,
2 Corinthians 5:17
“[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
In addition to being a new creation, the Bible also teaches us that,
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS A TEMPLE OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
To see this, let us read the question Paul asked the believers in the church in Corinth. He did this to remind them that God the Holy Spirit lives within them. Paul’s question is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 3:16
"[16] Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
Let us pause for a moment and consider what we just read. Specifically, prior to our new birth we were spiritually dead and destined for Hades. But now, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are not only spiritually alive and transformed into a new person but are also a sacred temple for God the Holy Spirit. Can we ever thank God enough for such a blessing and privilege?
But there is more, for the Bible also teaches us that since the Holy Spirit, that is the divine nature, dwells within us, then,
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS A CHILD OF GOD
To strengthen our faith and belief that you and I as a born again believer are children of God, let us first read what the Holy Spirit wrote, through the Apostle John, in,
1 John 3:1a
"[1a] How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! …"
In addition to what is written in the Bible, we also find that the Holy Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit that we, you and I, the born again believer, are God's children. To confirm this truth we go to,
Romans 8:16
"[16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
As a child of God, the Bible teaches us that,
BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS ARE SEALED AS GOD'S POSSESSION AND HAVE AN INHERITANCE IN GOD’S KINGDOM
This is clearly taught to us by reading from,
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
"[21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
To gain a bit more insight into this glorious blessing let us read from,
Ephesians 1:13-14
"[13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."
Let us notice the following verses,
13 … When we became a born again believer in Jesus Christ, God placed His mark of ownership within us. This mark is the promised Holy Spirit.
14 … He, the Holy Spirit, came as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance in God’s Kingdom.
Let us expand upon this a bit by reading what Jesus told His disciples when He was preparing them for His return to Heaven.
John 14:1-3
""[1] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Just think, Jesus Christ Himself is preparing a place for you and me! When it is ready and the time is right, He will come back and bring us to live with Him for the rest of eternity. Let us summarize this discussion of our inheritance by reading from,
1 Peter 1:3-5
"[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Because of God’s great mercy, He has given us a new birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
4 … In other words, we have been born into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade away. This inheritance is in Heaven and is being kept by God for you!
5 … It is through our faith in God that He shields and protects us until the appointed time arrives for you and I to receive our inheritance.
In other words,
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
As we reflect upon all the incredible blessings God has bestowed upon us and our new position (relationship) with Him, we come to realize that our position or standing here upon earth has also changed. In fact, as a child of God, with an inheritance in Heaven, we find we no longer belong to the kingdoms and governments of this world. However, we are residents here upon earth and when it does not conflict with God’s will we are in subjection to their authority. But our true citizenship is now in Heaven. Thus, we find ourselves in a similar position that Jesus was in. He too was a resident here upon earth and under subjection to its rulers and authorities and yet clearly His citizenship was in Heaven. In fact, this is exactly what Jesus said to Pontus Pilate.
John 18:36
"[18] Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.""
For us to more clearly understand that the kingdom we now belong to is not of this world, let us begin by reading from,
Colossians 1:13-14
"[13] … he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
To receive a clearer understanding of these verses, let us read them as translated in the “New King James” version of the Bible:
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins.”
We know this means we are no longer under the authority of the evil one. However, how does this relate to the earthly kingdoms and governments? To see this relationship let us read what the Apostle John wrote concerning who was granted temporary control of this world's system in,
1 John 5:19
"[19] We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."
Thus, as children of God we find we are now pilgrims, strangers or aliens who are foreigners in this world. To see this, let us notice how the Holy Spirit, through Peter, addressed God’s children or God’s elect in,
1 Peter 1:1-2
"[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, [2] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance."
To bring this truth closer to home, please replace the names of the cities identified in verse 1 with the names of the cities in your neighborhood.
So there is no mistake about the fact we are now foreigners in this world’s system, let us read the following exhortation to abstain from sinful desires,
1 Peter 2:11-12
"[11] Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. [12] Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … We are addressed as aliens and strangers in the world.
12 … We are instructed to live good lives among the non believers. We do this not to earn praises from others but we do this so that God, our Father, would receive honor and praise.
Now that we are strangers and aliens to this world, we are no longer strangers or aliens to God’s Household. To see this, let us read from,
Ephesians 2:19
"[19] Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,”
Notice, as a child of God we are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. In other words, we belong to the family of God. This means that people such as Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Apostles are our spiritual relatives!
Consequently, we find that our citizenship is now in Heaven! This is clearly stated in,
Philippians 3:20-21
"[20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
SUMMARY
In reflecting upon all that we have covered in this study we come to realize that as a result of faith in Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us, our position with respect to this world's system and God's Household has undergone an incredible and glorious change.
CONCLUSION
Let us conclude this study by reading the following words of praise from,
Psalm 145:1-3
[1] I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
[2] Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
[3] Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
Blessed be the Lord forever!
AMEN and AMEN
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