Bible League: Living His Word Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. — Philippians 1:27 NLT I am originally from India and once held an Indian passport as proof of my identity. As a citizen of India, I lived my life abiding by the laws of India. I could travel freely anywhere within India and live in absolute freedom in any city in India. Additionally, I understand certain behaviors that are specific to the Indian culture and certain ways of doing things in India which may be unique just to India. But then, I emigrated to New Zealand, and I willfully applied for a new citizenship in this new country. I was granted one, and I obtained a New Zealand passport and am now a citizen of New Zealand. India does not allow for dual citizenship; therefore, I had to make a choice to surrender my Indian citizenship in favor of my new citizenship in New Zealand. I now live abiding by the laws of New Zealand, and I am not subject to the laws of India. I can no longer live or travel freely anywhere in India without a valid visa. Additionally, there are certain ways of doing things in New Zealand which are unique to New Zealand and quite foreign to me. But I have adopted the new values with time. My dear brothers and sisters, no matter which country we live in, we "were" once citizens of this world—we lived by this world's standards and tried our best to keep up with the societal values to gain acceptance and recognition in this world. But then, we turned our lives over to Jesus Christ when we came to know the truth. We were born again, and God in His grace transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of light. We were given a new identity in Christ, and we are now called the citizens of heaven. God's kingdom has a different set of rules. If we claim to be citizens of heaven, we ought to abide by the laws of heaven. God's kingdom does not allow for dual citizenship. We cannot be a citizen of this world and a citizen of heaven at the same time. We must make a choice to give up one identity in favor of the other. We must make a deliberate choice to resist the values of this world and adopt the values of heaven if we are to identify as citizens of heaven. As citizens of this world, we learned to be selfish and greedy to get rich. We were taught to hoard, save up, and refrain from giving away or wasting what we worked for. As a citizen of heaven, we are called to be generous and compassionate towards the less fortunate. We are instructed to give generously, and that God would provide for all our needs according to His riches in glory. As citizens of this world, we learned to be revengeful. We were taught to not let anyone take advantage of us and to avenge every injustice done to us. As a citizen of heaven, we are called to forgive. We are instructed to turn the other cheek when someone slaps us on one. As citizens of this world, we are taught that seeing is believing. As a citizen of heaven, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. Have you made your choice yet? Have you surrendered one citizenship in favor of the other? I encourage you to surrender this world's citizenship in favor of heaven's. Being a citizen of heaven is far more blessed than any perks this world can offer. Let us put in every effort to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. By Santosh Chandran, Bible League International staff, New Zealand Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Samuel 1, 2, 3 2 Samuel 1 -- David Informed, Mourns for Saul and Jonathan NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Samuel 2 -- David Made King over Judah; Ish-Bosheth Rules over Israel NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Samuel 3 -- House of David Strengthened; Joab murders Abner NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 18:1-17 Luke 18 -- Parables of the Persistent Widow, Pharisee and Tax Collector; The Rich Young Ruler; The Healing of a Blind Beggar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Direct your children onto the right path,and when they are older, they will not leave it. Insight Many parents want to make all the choices for their child, but this hurts him or her in the long run. When parents teach a child how to make decisions, they don't have to watch every step he or she takes. They know their children will remain on the right path because they have made the choice themselves. Challenge Train your children to choose the right way. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Job 19:25 I know that my Redeemer liveth.The marrow of Job's comfort lies in that little word "My"--"My Redeemer," and in the fact that the Redeemer lives. Oh! to get hold of a living Christ. We must get a property in him before we can enjoy him. What is gold in the mine to me? Men are beggars in Peru, and beg their bread in California. It is gold in my purse which will satisfy my necessities, by purchasing the bread I need. So a Redeemer who does not redeem me, an avenger who will never stand up for my blood, of what avail were such? Rest not content until by faith you can say "Yes, I cast myself upon my living Lord; and he is mine." It may be you hold him with a feeble hand; you half think it presumption to say, "He lives as my Redeemer;" yet, remember if you have but faith as a grain of mustard seed, that little faith entitles you to say it. But there is also another word here, expressive of Job's strong confidence, "I know." To say, "I hope so, I trust so" is comfortable; and there are thousands in the fold of Jesus who hardly ever get much further. But to reach the essence of consolation you must say, "I know." Ifs, buts, and perhapses, are sure murderers of peace and comfort. Doubts are dreary things in times of sorrow. Like wasps they sting the soul! If I have any suspicion that Christ is not mine, then there is vinegar mingled with the gall of death; but if I know that Jesus lives for me, then darkness is not dark: even the night is light about me. Surely if Job, in those ages before the coming and advent of Christ, could say, "I know," we should not speak less positively. God forbid that our positiveness should be presumption. Let us see that our evidences are right, lest we build upon an ungrounded hope; and then let us not be satisfied with the mere foundation, for it is from the upper rooms that we get the widest prospect. A living Redeemer, truly mine, is joy unspeakable. Daily Light on the Daily Path Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.Job 23:11 "My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside. Psalm 37:28 For the LORD loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. Psalm 121:7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. Hebrews 10:38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. John 2:19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; Matthew 24:13 "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Revelation 3:11 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:5 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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