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Tuesday Devotion: Citizen or Foreigner (Ephesians 2:11-22)

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Tuesday Devotion: Citizen or Foreigner (Ephesians 2:11-22)

"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints.." (v.19) 

Ephesians tells us we are citizens of God's Kingdom and that we are not strangers and foreigners. These are opposing identity. Believers in Ephesus struggled with their identity. They claimed to be citizens yet tried to earned citizenship by living the law, e.g., circumcision. A confusing bunch of citizens. Or are they strangers and foreigners?

What about you?  For now,  let just do 2 checklists:

1. He is your Savior? You know Jesus and thay He has died for you and given you salvation? 

2. He is your King? This means trust and obey His word. Trust and obey even when I don't feel like it or don't understand fully. Trust and obey even when the Scripture is not convenient to me and my situation.  Trust and obey even when you think it is unfair or very uncomfortable. 

What are those moments you don't want to trust and obey? That distinguish between citizens and foreigners in God's Kingdom. Jesus made the line very clear, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..." (Matt. 6:33).

The first is about Jesus' finished work to give us complete forgiveness and salvation.  The second is about we belonging to the King, Christ's Lordship.

Prayer 

Dear King Jesus, thank you that you made me citizen of your Kingdom. Help me live as faithful citizen to you, trusting and obeying. Amen

You live as one? 

Believers in Christ are citizens of God's Kingdom because Christ has made it a reality through his death and resurrection.  

Question. Are you citizen of the Kingdom of heaven?

Citizens of every nation live with a certain culture,  values,  beliefs,  practices, laws, rights, protection and so forth. 

God's Kingdom is not different. We have the Word of God to tell us who our King is and how good He is to us. Amazingly  how we are to live and shine His Kingdom.

Do you know them? More importantly,  do you live by them?

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