Paul finalizes his thoughts in chapter three with a description of the person who has their focus set upon Christ.

Take a look for yourself in Philippians 3:20-21:

Paul gives a description of the one who is an enemy of the cross in the previous verses. In this passage, he gives a series of contrasting statements, showing how one who is heaven focused differs from such an enemy as he described.

This passage brings a lot of encouragement to the reader. Looking at the previous sections of this letter, one could easily get discouraged. Paul stated that everything he had achieved was rubbish, and so it is with our accomplishments. Paul described the enemy of the cross, and gave a pretty dismal picture. What hope is there for us? What can we look to?

Paul gives us that hope in these two verses. In spite of all that he has described that is negative, the final word on the matter is very positive. In giving us this hope, he shows in three distinct ways how the believer is different from the world.

First, the worldly person has their mind set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. We have a home above, but for a time, we are colonists here on earth. In the Roman Empire of Paul’s day, to be a Roman meant that you spread the culture of Rome everywhere you went, and the Philippian believers would have understood this well. That is exactly the purpose we have as believers. We are to spread the culture of heaven, spread the Good News, everywhere we go.

Second, the worldly minded person’s god is their stomach. But our bodies will be transformed to one such as that of Jesus, incorruptible and eternal. Christ will create us anew and we will no longer be limited by the frailties of the flesh.

Third, the worldly minded person glories in his shame. But we will share in the glory of Christ, being made like him, and being with him forever.

Paul gives us much to look forward to! Our hope is set heavenward, and it is secured! He has established that we will become like him, and our earthly bodies will be no more. That is a good thing, since we are subject to disease, to age, to allergies, to cancers, to decay, and to death.

But because of our citizenship in heaven, we have the hope of being made new, and receiving bodies that are glorious, and powerful, and honorable, and spiritual, and immortal! And most importantly, they will be like that of Christ himself!

Such things should not be a surprise to us. Such things are in perfect harmony with the power that Christ tapped into in leaving the grave and death behind, the power that he used in defeating sin and conquering triumphantly for eternity!

What better way than to start the New Year, than with such a hope?

Question: Do you take your citizenship in heaven for granted? What can you do to be reminded of the significance of that citizenship regularly? You can leave a comment by clicking here.