IDENTITY IN CHRIST: Citizens of Heaven
Your identity is what makes you YOU! And something that affects that a lot is where your home is. In this episode, Anna introduces the concept of Christians being citizens of Heaven, with temporary bodies like tents, temporary dwellings, made to be used for just a short time.
Think about it… What country are you from? Do you have a passport - which country is that from?
This makes a big difference to who you are!
I am Australian. This means I am different to those from other countries. I celebrate Christmas in the summer. I speak English and also use different words like thongs for flip flops, I call trousers pants, I call a sweater a jumper, I say biscuit instead of cookie.
What Do You Think?
Guess where I am:
I can smell amazing food and they are using chop sticks. Most people I see have dark brown hair and brown eyes. If I want to see something amazing in this country I will go and see a really long wall made from rocks. Which country am I in?
I am in a city with a lot of old buildings, bridges, a lot of art and a lot of cafes. The bakery here are amazing - yummy croissants and baguettes! If I look up I can see and really tall tower made from steel. Which country am I in?
I am in the desert, there is bright red dust everywhere and small green grasses and bushes. It is really hot. I can see a kangaroo and a huge red rock emerging out of the dust with nothing else in sight. Which country am I in?
God has made us Humans. We are all people. We are all citizens of Earth. As Christians, our passports should actually say we are citizens of Heaven, not citizens of Australia.
Bible Time!
Philippians 3:20 “But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.”
We are not our bodies. God gave each of us bodies to use and to look after. These will decay and break.
When we get to Heaven we will have eternal bodies that will never break.
Are you a citizen of Earth? Yes.
If you believe in Jesus you are a citizen of Heaven as well!
This means that you are not the same as everyone else here on earth.
Your identity is DIFFERENT.
Story Time!
Today’s story is about camping.
I love camping. I have a portable camper trailer. I can set it up and pack it up quickly, so I can move about and explore a lot of places.
In 2018 I went on a big holiday and drove around Australia with my family. We would camp in a few different places each week. It meant that we got to explore a lot of things we wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.
After about 14 weeks, my family were starting to miss home. They wanted something that was more permanent. Less living out of bags and in the bush. They got sick of it. We came home after spending 16 weeks away.
Camping are fun for holidays but not for always.
If you lived in a tent forever, would get sick of it?
Camping is a temporary home.
Here’s a picture of my camper trailer at Steep Point, the most westerly point of the Australian mainland.
Another Bible Verse!
2 Corinthians 5:1 ”Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked.”
Have you been camping for too long before and you just want to get home? Did you get sick of sleeping on an uncomfortable camping bed and being constantly eaten by bugs and always a little bit dirty?
How did you feel when you finally got home?
Getting to heaven will be like that - you will be home after being on earth for so long and you will finally be in the place where you can relax.
Discussion Questions:
Are you a citizen of Heaven, or of earth? Chat about what it means for how you live your life.
Do you feel sad or excited when you think about your body being like a temporary tent?
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