Loyal Citizens of Heaven

Phil 3:17-21

 

1. America is the nation of immigrants, but the life of first generation immigrants is not easy. We are torn apart between two countries. Especially to apply American citizenship is a painful decision, because it is changing one’s national loyalty. In the Confucian society, the prime value is national loyalty and filial piety. Therefore, to change family name or citizenship is the most shameful behavior.

2. However, the earthly states are constantly changing according to the political hegemony and trend, and therefore national loyalty is quite relative to national position at a time. And sooner or later, they fall and disappear. Moreover, earthly states control only the externals not the internals such as mind and spirit. In the spiritual realm, there are two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, or the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. The Gospel of Christ is the invitation to join the Kingdom of God and Light, to change our spiritual citizenship.

3. Today is Education Sunday. The purpose of Christian education whatever form it takes is to raise and strengthen the loyal citizens of Heaven. Every states has education department, and it sets the primary purpose of education as raising good citizens of the country. The success or failure of Christian education is measured by the results whether it produced the loyal citizens of Heaven or not, whether it is Sunday school, Korean Language school, adult educational programs, or home education, because “our citizenship is in heaven.”(20a) Even if the students finished all the curriculums, if it failed to make a loyal citizen of the Kingdom of God, it is a definite failure. In the last 25 years, we maintained education programs but no serious evaluation. Now is the time to evaluate and revise our education programs.

4. Paul gives us four criteria to measure the success of Christian education in his description of its failure (19). First, it is the course of life. When a baby is born, he or she is open to set any course of life among many. In the process of growth and education, his or her course of life is gradually limited and set. Then, his or her life generally follows the course. Therefore, education is very important and decisive for one’s life pattern. Paul asked to follow the Christian model of life pattern: “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”(17) On the other hand, what is the life pattern of the worldly citizens? Paul says that “their destiny is destruction.”(19a) If you imitate the life pattern of darkness and follow the sweet decoy of Satan, its final destination is self-destruction. There are two kinds of decoy: one is the fleshly desires, and the other is secular religion of prosperity and miracles. Your soul is destroyed little by little. Jesus said that I am the Way. Our life course should be to Jesus Christ, to follow His life and teaching.

5. Second, it is the goal of life. What is the life goal of worldly citizens? Paul says that “their god is their stomach.”(19b) A god is the object of worship. When they are asked why they work, they answer like this: “I work to eat and live.” Satisfying stomach and physical desires is their primary reason to work and live. We need survival and satisfaction, but it should not be our primary goal of life. God gave us calling to achieve before we depart this world for heaven. When we lose the calling of God, our real god becomes our stomach that is the symbolic expression of the object to satisfy. Whether it is delicious food, pleasant drink, beautiful clothes, huge house, expensive car, yacht, game, sport, hobby, travel, entertainment, reading, music, or anything else, if it is your primary satisfaction of life individually or collectively, it is your real god. Is it your primary goal of life to satisfy God or your flesh? When do you feel happy? Paul said that “As I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.”(18) If you worship God and you call yourself Christian, but if your primary goal of life and your children’s education is not to please God, in fact, you “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

6. Third, it is the pride of life. What do you think your glory and proud achievement? For worldly and sinful people, “their glory is in their shame.”(19c) They do not distinguish between the glorious and the shameful. If not properly educated, your children will be proud of their sinful behaviors and techniques like cheating, deceiving, harming, ignoring, gossiping, speeding, drinking, smoking, drugging or some shameful immoral acts and even crimes. When they become adults, such shameful behaviors become more bold, clever and harmful. You heard the news of so shameful acts by people of high achievement and position.

7. Finally, it is the mentality and orientation of life. Paul says that “their mind is on earthly things.”(4d) There are two kinds of people: one thinks that this earthly life is all, and the other thinks that it is only a beginning and preparation of eternal life. If this life is all, of course, our minds and hope should be limited to this earthly life and things. The citizens of heaven lives eternal life in Christ, and therefore they understand the events and moments of this present life from the perspective of eternal and heavenly life. Therefore, “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.”(20b-21) We care our resurrected body more than our present body. We care soul more than body. Then, whatever we do in everyday life, we live before God, toward God, and with God. We always think about the mind of God whether He would like this or not, and we always think about our report when we see Him. We are all educated but also we are educators in church and home. Let us raise the loyal citizens of heaven in your family and our church. But first of all, to be a good educator of the Kingdom, let us clearly distinguish the course, goal, pride and orientation of our life from those of the worldly citizens and become truly loyal to the kingdom of heaven! Amen.