Fellow Citizens With God's People

Eph 2:19; Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God's own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God's [own] household. AMP

We usually don't think much about our own citizenship. When the time comes to cross the border into another country, however, citizenship becomes very important. On those occasions, the country we call our own will determine which rights and privileges we can enjoy.

Citizenship is also important in the Christian life. Those of us who are a part of the church have had our citizenship transferred into Christ's kingdom. As far as our relationship with God was concerned, we were outsiders prior to our trusting in Christ. So much so, in fact, that the Greek term used by Paul to describe our former state is one that means "to be estranged" or "to be alienated." In other passages, Paul uses even stronger language and says that we were God's "enemies" (Rom 5:10).

Those to whom the book of Ephesians was originally written were doubly excluded, since their status as Gentiles also disqualified them from citizenship in Israel. Because they were "foreigners" to God's people, they were unable to lay claim to the promises related to God's covenants. Paul summarizes their condition by saying that they were "without hope and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12).

Fortunately, something happened to change this. Those who were once far away from God were brought near by Jesus Christ. His death was the means God used to close the gap for those who had been alienated. It did this by removing the barrier that had separated them from God and from the rest of His people. This barrier was "the law with its commandments and regulations" (Eph 2:15).

In these passages, Paul expresses a tension that springs from two seemingly contradictory aspects of God's character. On one hand, they point to the reality of God's wrath against those who have broken His law. Their sin had alienated them from God and made them His enemies: "God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day" (Ps 7:11). Those who are separated from Christ are separated from God and subject to His wrath. They are "condemned already" (John 3:18).

Despite this, God desires to reclaim those who are alienated from Him. While it is true that He cannot deny His own righteousness or change His standard without denying Himself, it is also true that He takes "no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezek 33:11). Through the Cross, God was able to be true to both aspects of His nature without contradicting either. Because Christ fulfilled the law in every point, God did not need to lower His standard. Through His death, Christ became the object of divine wrath, suffering the penalty for those who had violated the law. In a single stroke, God's love and justice were combined to meet our need:

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:3-4)

Christ's death was equally important for the Israelites who would believe in Him. The same commandments and regulations that had separated Jews from Gentiles inevitably condemned the Jews who attempted to keep them. Since these laws were designed to reflect God's own righteousness, perfect obedience was the only standard that was acceptable to Him. This meant that even those who had been given God's law as part of their national legacy had been unable to keep it (Gal 6:13). The whole purpose of the law, then, was to show the Gentiles their need for Christ and to lead Israel to Him. The death of Jesus effectively removed the barrier that had separated both the Jews and the Gentiles from God and created an entirely new people known as the church. As a result, both Jews and Gentiles can be citizens of Christ's kingdom by faith.

What benefits do we receive because our citizenship now lies with Christ and His kingdom? One of the most important is the right to be a resident. As citizens of Christ's kingdom, we have a home with Him. He has promised that He will come one day to claim us as His own, so that we may be where He is (John 14:3; 17:24). But from God's perspective, we are already seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6).

As citizens of Christ's kingdom, we also have a right to be protected by His power. The Bible tells us that through faith in Christ, we are "shielded by God's power" (1 Peter 1:5). Because we are the recipients of God's grace, we are protected from judgment and our salvation is assured. We are also protected from the power of Satan, as Christ has equipped us with the full armor of God, including the shield of faith "with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Eph 6:16). Our hearts and minds are protected by the peace of God, as we share our concerns with Him in prayer (Phil 4:6).

The rights of citizenship, however, also bring with them responsibility. As citizens of Christ's kingdom, we are obligated to set our minds on the things that pertain to it. We are to set our hearts on things above (Col 3:2). This means that we must put the interests of Christ's kingdom above all other interests, even our own. If we do so, God says He will see to it that our other concerns are met (Matt 6:33).

Ordinarily citizenship brings with it certain rights. Citizenship in Christ's kingdom, however, may actually require that we set aside our rights for the sake of God's purposes. An American missionary couple who had just begun their term in Austria learned this lesson while waiting for a train. Seeing what they thought was a short cut, they ran across several tracks and arrived at the platform ahead of the rest of the waiting crowd, all of whom had taken the long way around. Once the missionaries were seated on the train, their host gently reproved them. "I know you didn't mean to," he explained, "but by cutting across the tracks, you offended everyone else who was waiting for the train. We just don't do that here."

Living in another culture is one of the best ways to discover the characteristics of one's own. Our experiences make us keenly aware of differences in core values and customs. This should also be true of those who belong to the kingdom of God. Each new day should make us more aware that our true citizenship lies with Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

Father, thank You for bridging the gap between Your justice and Your compassion with the blood of Christ. Make me more aware of where my true citizenship lies, as I set my heart upon things above this day. Amen.

Thanks to John Koessler for allowing us to publish his material.www.johnkosessler.com

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John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077