Brothers and Sisters,
Our New Testament reading from this coming Sunday, from Philippians 3:14-21, is near and dear to my heart. This passage stands as a firm reminder of who we are in Christ and what our ultimate hope is. In verses 20 and 21, we read: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Who are we? Paul is telling us that, even as we pass our days on earth, we’re citizens of another and better country. We’re citizens of heaven. That’s our home. That’s where we belong. That’s where we’re heading. We are citizens of that perfect kingdom, so we belong to the Lord. Citizenship in heaven in heaven means that the king is going to come back for us, just as he promised. Citizenship in heaven even means that the Lord will raise us from the grave.
Notice how the text describes the reality of the resurrection. The Lord is going to transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Jesus has all authority, all power, and, if that’s the case, it means that he is absolutely able to raise us from death.
We are citizens of heaven. We belong to the King. We have eternal life. Thanks be to God.
In Christ,
Fr. Caleb