Being Good Citizens of Heaven

BY PR EVANGELINE CHEONG

During the National Day season, we will hear Kit Chan sing about Singapore as “Home truly,” but as God’s people we are constantly singing instead that “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through!” That “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20).

Some have taken this to mean that this world is all bad and we are just biding our time to go to heaven. Others have taken to withdrawing from society or think it’s not necessary for us to be involved in the community that we live in or be bothered about politics as these things are “of this world” and pour our energies into church activities instead as they are of “eternal value.” In our desire for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16) we can live in such a heavenly minded way that we are of no earthly good. 

Yet, unsurprisingly, being good citizens of heaven would ultimately help us live out as good citizens in our dual citizenship. As we seek to live out our lives in Christ, as we obey God’s laws while here on earth, we need to realise it pleases God when we as His people obey the laws of the land (Romans 13), pray for rulers and kings placed over us (1 Tim 2:2) and love our neighbour as ourselves (Matt 22:39).

As we gaze into God’s eternal perfect laws, it gives us Christians the insight into the evils, injustice, inequality, racism and discrimination in our communities. We are called by our loving God to be his agents of love and mercy, to speak up and work for those who need to know of a God who loves and cares for all His creation, including the underprivileged, marginalised, unborn and dying.

In order to pray wisely and effectively for the leaders of the lands, we need to know what is going on in the world, not to withdraw from it.

As we see sin in our lives and others, we see the mercy and need of every human for Christ, it naturally excludes for us the temptation to attack the humans who are still held captive by the evil one, but instead to offer the good news of salvation in Christ and plead with gentleness and respect and share the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15).

This National Day, let us stand with our Singapore that as good citizens of heaven we can bring to our communities the love and hope given by Christ.

“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,            

intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -

2 for kings and all those in authority, 

that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 

3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 

4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 

6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time”

1 TIMOTHY 2: 1-6 (NIV)