Philippians 3:20-21 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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.”

Do you notice something about these people who are following Paul’s godly example? It is not their behavior, their lifestyle, he emphasizes. It is their faith. It is their fate.

He starts with our identity: “But our citizenship is in heaven.” How is that even possible? We haven’t lived one second in heaven our entire lives. I have known a number of people who came to the U.S. from other countries and became naturalized American citizens. They all moved here first. It’s not even possible to become a U.S. citizen without first becoming a legal resident. Then there are classes to attend, and tests to pass, and oaths to take. It is a lot of work.

Our citizenship in heaven was no work at all. It was purely a gift, a matter of God’s grace. Instead of starting by moving us there, the Lord moved himself here and became a citizen of our world. He passed every test of goodness and love with his perfect life. He removed every obstacle to our heavenly citizenship by taking our sins with him to the cross and disposing of them all there. He claimed us at our baptisms, sent his Spirit into our hearts and sealed us as his very own. In his word he still promises on oath that we are his, and he is ours by faith. We may live in the United States of America. Someday we may move to some other state, or even another country. But our citizenship is in heaven.

That citizenship is first of all a privilege to enjoy. We should take a moment just to appreciate the love of God in making us so. Then let’s understand that citizenship implies certain responsibilities. It is followed by a certain way of life. Heavenly citizenship means living and acting like the angels, and the believers of the past who now worship God around his throne. It is a holy life. It is a loving life. It is a godly life, following the godly example Paul wants us to follow.

Not because we have paid our way, but because we have received God’s gift, those who embrace this faith and godly life end in glory. There our Lord Jesus “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Almost every day I hear or read some new story about how this world is going to end in catastrophe. One week it is the super volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park. If it blows, they say, it could plunge the world into a deep freeze that would destroy the human race. The next week it is new worries about another super disease like COVID. Then there are fears of a collision with a rogue asteroid. Climate change, nuclear war–it’s not just religious fanatics who go around saying “the end is near.”

The people of our world dream of getting on a space ship and escaping before the world comes to an end. Science fiction moviesallow them to explore the fantasy. We have Paul’s promise here that the Lord has already arranged our escape. Jesus is returning with his angels to rescue us, transform us, and take us home.

Then our lowly bodies will be like his glorious body. The details for this change we will have to wait to see. Will we be able to appear in a place and disappear at will, as Jesus did after he rose from the dead? We will be able to float like he did at his ascension? The last detailed description we have of him in the Bible goes like this: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining it all its brilliance.”

However the details come together, our story ends in glory. Until then we follow the godly examples of those who believed his promises and lived like citizens of another world, a heavenly one.