Q4. Christian Citizenship

[RD35]

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship?

 

 

Recognizing and affirming our citizenship and allegiance is vital to our discipleship so that the world does not attract us or distract us from our goal of pursuing Christ. 

 

The New Testament reminds us that our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God; here on earth we are to consider ourselves exiles and aliens in a foreign land.

Heaven should be our focus, not the illusory and transitory world in which we live. And from heaven, Christ shall return, resurrect those who have died and transform the bodies of those Christians still living into Christ-like resurrection bodies.

 

A church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship is in the danger of destruction.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nikka]

To make disciples and followers of Christ, it is important to keep on confirming we are citizens of His Kingdom. People need to see our allegiance and trust in Jesus, it's the only way to reach people for Christ and discipleship.

We keep our eyes on Jesus (Peter did when he walked on the water Matt.14:27-30) to make sure Satan has no entry into our mind and take us off course.

I believe the church pulpit is not a place for politics. We need to be proud of the country we live in, but our ultimate citizenship is Heaven. Let's focus on that and if we don't, we risk to have to close the door of our churches.

[Rose22]

To be a true Disciple of Christ we must be aware of our allegiance and citizenship because it makes us realise that by dying to self We fully live in Christ. We set our eyes and hearts on heavenly realms as opposed to earthly things. We desire to please only God and not self. We are saved from debauchery and death by sin.

I think if the Church would ever preach politics instead of Gods word it would simply fall into destruction.

[joey felipe]

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship?

 

Answer: Because it will show and prove that you are a genuine Christian and that the people you disciple with will not question your faith and by Gods grace they will do the same.

 

How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19?

 

Answer: We must realized the suffering of Jesus Christ in the cross and that worldly things are nothing.

 

What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship?

 

Answer: It will make the brethren confused and may mix-up the two issue making them to loose focus on Jesus Christ and instead on worldly things.

[joey felipe]

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship?

 

Answer: It is vital because it will show and prove that you are a genuine follower of Christ and that the people you disciple will not doubt and question your faith and they will also do the same.

 

How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19?

 

Answer: Because in this verse we realized the suffering of Jesus Christ in the cross. 

 

What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship?

 

Answer: It will make the brethren confused and might mix up the two issue making them loose their focus on Jesus Christ.

[Stanley Tavaziva]

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship?

 

 

These verses give the reasons for the exhortations, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Believers should be able to determine truth from error. Paul was so concerned about the Philippians' spiritual welfare that he warned them often and wept as he did so.

 

As enemies of God  false teachers were destined for destruction. Those Paul warned against those who perhaps trusted in their own attainments and not in the sufficiency of Christ alone. All who do so are not children of God, so they await for destruction.

 

 

Further descriptions of these false teachers follow. First, their god is their stomach. They had in mind only their own physical desires and unrestrained.

 

Second, their glory is in their shame. Instead of giving glory to God these teachers heaped praise on themselves. Ironically they prided themselves in the things they should have been ashamed of.

 

Third, their mind is on earthly things. It is certainly not wrong for God's people to care about their earthly affairs. But those Paul warned against here were depending on earthly things to gain merit with God. The apostle frequently alerted the people of God against such a lifestyle. 

 

 

The people of Philippians were living there as colonists while their citizenship was in Rome. Similarly Christians, while living on earth, have their citizenship elsewhere - in heaven this was contrast with those whose minds are exclusively on earthly things. As believers we look with keen anticipation for his Savior's return from heaven. 

 

 

[Karen11]

On 4/22/2005 at 1:56 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship?

So that we don't forget who we belong to.

We are in this world not of it.

Always seek God's will, not man's.

 

[Krissi]

We do not live in a time of patriotic fervour, but I can imagine how it would feel to be at Dunkirk … or even at home during a war with your life contingent on the coordinated, patriotic fighting of your countrymen. Perhaps earthly citizenship would seem more important, then.

The closest thing I have seen that mimes patriotic fervour today is the jingoistic championing of sports teams. I happen to live in a place where grown men put sports-teams flags behind their cars and trucks as well as paint huge symbols on them. On the days when a game is played, they all wear the jerseys of their team … ALL DAY … as if they, themselves were playing. I think this is excessive, but I know that many of them are Christians. Their citizenship is in heaven, not for their team, yet they toe that line a bit too closely … or so it seems.

Personally, I’ve gone the opposite direction. My feelings toward the leadership of my own country borders on disgust – I do not respect them or think they are competent. In a very real sense, consequently, my citizenship is in heaven. As I watch my country decline and fall, I am comforted by knowing I’m a part of a greater collectivity, that of heaven. When the political class is an “enemy of the cross” my obedience and allegiance to Him and the awareness that my citizenship in heaven grows every stronger.