Kingdom Citizens

Kingdom Citizens- Week 2 of Philippians

Philippians 1:27–30 ESV

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Paul shifts from focusing on giving an update on his life and how he has been laboring for the sake of the gospel, to what he desires for the Philippian Church and his wish for them to stand firm in the gospel.

1. Paradox of Being a Dual Citizen

Last week we talked about how ultimately we, as Christians, are citizens of God’s kingdom and because of that it should affect every aspect of our life here on earth. Yet, we know that we have to figure out a way to function here on earth and part of that is being citizens of a city, county, state, & country. I love the words of Welsh pastor Martin Loyd Jones on this subject.

Kingdom Citizen…Paradox of Being dual Citizen

There are Christians who say that you should not vote in parliamentary elections, and that you should not take any interest in this world’s affairs at all. But that is not true to scriptural teaching for the Christian is still a citizen of this world and belongs to the secular realm. He knows that this is God’s world, and that God has a purpose for him in it. He knows that he is a citizen of the country to which he belongs, and he is aware that he has his responsibilities. Indeed, because he is a Christian, he should be a better citizen than anyone else in the land. But he does not stop at that, he knows that he is also a citizen of another kingdom, a kingdom that cannot be seen, a kingdom that is not of this world.

God’s Ultimate Purpose, 75

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

v. 27 we see Paul use the phrase “worthy of the gospel”…the Greek can also be translated as “only behave as citizens worthy (of the gospel of Christ). This then is a play on words that Paul uses later in Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” This contrasts the identity that the Philippian church members would have had as their identity as Roman citizens held a lot of pride.

You see being a Philippian also meant being a Roman, and with that came a certain amount of pride. It’s not hard to imagine that being a part of arguably the greatest earthly empire in history. The power, wealth, & culture of the empire have influenced society for generations and imagine being apart of this as a citizen, no less in the Mediterranean part which was the area that had the most influence and lasted the longest under Roman rule.

Paul seems to be reminding his hearers that their allegiance is ultimately to Christ and not Caesar. Paul would understand this very well as he was a Roman citizen. Acts 16:37 “But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.””

& Acts 22:25 “But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”” & Acts 22:28 “The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.””

Remember that Paul is from Tarsus and it is very likely that his father or grandfather was a Roman citizen and passed it down to Paul who passionately lived out being a Pharisee before coming to Christ. It seems as Paul lived out both being a Christian and Roman after being a follower of Christ. He would have primarily viewed himself as a citizen of God’s kingdom while also being a Roman citizen having obeyed their laws.

Yet, Paul knew that after he turned to Christ that his preeminent loyalty was to his kingdom (heavenly) citizenship and not his Roman (earthly) citizenship.

As your pastor I want to make sure you hear me articulate my feelings on this well. I think a Christian should be engaged in local, state, & national politics. We should use our biblical worldview to vote for candidates & policies and even run for office, if we feel led, with the view of “advocating for wisdom, justice, and righteousness for the sake of the common good” as Andrew Walker notes in his excellent book What do I say when…? A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens.

The key is to guarding ourselves from placing too much value in politics and looking for salvation through elected officials & policies instead of putting our trust in God.

A great example in scripture his found in Jeremiah where the nation of Israel is in exile. We see that God informs Jeremiah to communicate to the Israel who is in exile to seek welfare for the city, which means to be good citizens, even of this foreign ruled land.

Jeremiah 29:7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

When thinking about engaging in the political sphere we must keep in balance where our true citizenship lies. I love how JD Greear summed this up:

“As much as I love my country, recent political events have made me realize more than ever that my true citizenship isn’t here. It’s in heaven. That’s a citizenship I share with millions around the world—believers in Nigeria and China and Afghanistan—that can never be threatened by what happens in the U.S.

We believers are citizens of a kingdom that can never be shaken and whose glories will never fade, and we serve a King who can never be corrupted. That reality doesn’t make me one ounce less passionate about seeing change in my earthly country, but it does keep me from despair. I long for my homeland to come to God, to experience the blessings that come from walking with him. I want America to acknowledge the supremacy and worthiness of Jesus.

As a private citizen, I’m very politically active. But I know that salvation doesn’t come riding in Air Force One. It came from a baby born in a manger. His symbol was not a donkey or an elephant, but a lamb—and our hope is not found in the Stars and Stripes of our flag but in the scars and stripes of our Savior.

May God give us believers the grace to love the gospel and the church more than we love our political positions, cherishing this message and this people as the last and best hope on earth. We must, now and always, be more Christian than American.”

-JD Greear

As believers we are constantly fighting to die to self.

Paul adresses this in Galatians:

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

and then we have the famous words of Jesus:

Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

I love the simple words of Vance Havner that puts it in a simple way for us to remember:

If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.

Havner, Vance

So the action point here is to remember were we find our hope in. My goal is to never chase after preaching on topics, instead letting God’s word guide us. In God’s providence we see Paul address the issue of “politics” if you will, in this passage. The overwhelming emphasis is that as Christians we have responsibility to be good citizens, this includes political engagement, yet the caveat is that ultimately we are kingdom citizens and our confidence is not on earthly leaders…but a righteous God who promises that one day he will send his son again to be the ultimate ruler of this earth and make all things right.

So as we close in on this election what my heart yearns for as your pastor is that your ultimate hope, or another way of thinking about it your kingdom citizenship, is what you will hold closest to you and that is only found in trusting Jesus…and the reason why is our next point…

2. Confidence the Gospel will Prevail!

One of the fascinating aspects of the book of Philippians is how Paul uses a “Bookend Effect” to start and close his letter. There are great parallels in the phrasing of words. Here are some examples from today’s text. The ESV Expositors Commentary summarized it this way by using a table to show the parallels:

TABLE 2.4: Parallels in Philippians 1:27–2:4 and 3:15–4:3

1:27–2:4 & 3:15–4:3

“Only behave as citizens worthy of the gospel” (1:27 ESV mg.)

“our citizenship is in heaven” (3:20)

“I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit” (1:27)

“stand firm thus in the Lord” (4:1)

“striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27)

“labored side by side with me in the gospel” (4:3)

“This is a clear sign to them of their destruction” (1:28)

“Their end is destruction” (3:19)

“but of your salvation, and that from God” (1:28)

“from it [heaven] we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (3:20–21)

-from the ESV Expositors Commentary

We’ve talked a lot today about behaving as citizens worthy of the gospel that view our citizenship primarily as citizens of heaven.

The next three phrases in the parallel emphasize that Paul has complete confidence that the Gospel will prevail! When you combine the phrases from Chapter 1 with chapter 3 & 4 I love how it gives the full picture of what Paul wants the Philippian church to understand:

“Standing firm in one spirit and thus in the Lord”

“Striving side by side for the gospel, you will have labored side by side with me in the gospel”

“But of your salvation, and that from God…from heaven we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body”

Remember Paul in last week’s passage expressed his desire to see the Philippians again, though he wrestled with the fact that death would allow him to be in the presence of Jesus. Well in today’s verses Paul is saying regardless of if he’s ever able to leave prison he wants the church to stand firm.

He encourages them to do this side-by-side and without fear, knowing that their opponents will be destroyed and they will be saved. The reality is it might not be on this side of heaven, but the victory belongs to the Lord and their salvation is secure.

It’s really a clever use of imagery as the Philippian Church, since it was a Roman city, they would have been very familiar with how the Roman soldiers marched forward in lock-step for the advancement of their empire.

In this we see Paul once again highlighting the power of the gospel. It is through the unity in the gospel, working side by side, that the Philippians can have confidence….they are on the winning side. Through Christ’s death & resurrection we know he has defeated death and in doing so has shown he has dominion over all, including those who persecute those who proclaim the gospel. In essence it’s a promise from God that he will be with us…

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.””

Romans 8:39 “nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paule echoes: Exodus 14:13 “And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.”

The idea is that just as God saved his covenant people, Israel, and destroyed their enemies, he will also fight against the enemies of the Philippians as well, however with a slight twist.

“The comparison actually reveals a reversal. The old covenant people of God were saved from death but were later destroyed for their unbelief and disobedience in the wilderness. The new covenant people of God experience salvation on the other side of death and remain faithful in the face of persecution as those faithful unto death. They are not afraid of their persecutors because at death they will depart and be with Christ, while Christ will fully destroy their opponents (cf. Phil. 3:19).”

-ESV Expositors Commentary

To close out this section Paul emphasizes two gifts that God has given the Philippian church.

The first is the gift of faith. This is an amazing gift that allows us to receive the free gift of salvation. Jesus going to the cross for our sins, dying a brutal death, being buried for 3 days in the grave, only to defeat death through his resurrection and then offering us this free gift of faith if only we repent of our sins and turn to him is the best gift we can ever receive. We are reminded of this in Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The second gift to the Philippian church sounds a bit odd to us and is probably not something any of us would ever ask for. God gives the Philippian church the gift of persecution. I love how one commentary capture it:

“Persecution is also a gracious gift of God. The pleasure of God in persecution is a startling concept, but a biblical one. Verse 30 shows that God has written a story of persecution for his people. The Philippian church was born in the throes of persecution, and now the story of persecution is shared by Paul and the Philippians.”

In western culture this is a bit shocking to us, but I would suggest to you if you traveled to visit our Christian brothers and sisters in places like Nigeria, Iran, Afghanistan, or China to name a few they would be shocked to hear that persecution is not a part of our faith.

“When persecutors try everything in their power to kill faith, but faith refuses to die, resurrection power is on display. Opponents should fear, because they are actually fighting God, and they will lose. God’s power preserves our faith. He who began the good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Christ (Phil. 1:6), and nothing in all creation will be able to separate believers from his almighty grip of grace.”

-Benjamin Merkle & Jason Meyer, ESV Expository Commentary

Sometimes I wonder if we’ve made following Christ too simple of a commitment in the American church. It’s almost like we’ve forgot to emphasize that following Christ comes at a cost. Last week we talked a lot about the gospel and we should remind ourselves often of those key components. “First the bad news: God is your Judge, and you have sinned against him. And then the gospel: but Jesus has died so that sinners may be forgiven of their sins if they will repent and believe in him.”

We have to keep that balance of salvation being for all of mankind and that it’s a free gift from God, but that following Jesus comes at a cost.

Christian salvation has been very costly because it cost God his Son. Therefore one does not truly enter the process of salvation unless one recognizes the incalculable cost and accepts the implications of that cost in one’s life.

Gerald L. Borchert

&

Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have.

Billy Graham

Let’s make sure we are living out a life worthy of the gospel as Paul puts it, which I think he would argue should include expecting persecution. We should be thankful for these two gifts faith & persecution because faith is freely given and we don’t earn it, and because persecution is an identifier that we truly are followers of Christ.

Closing:

We must remember that we are citizens of God’s kingdom. It’s where our true allegiance lies. Though God has seen it fit for us to live where we do and its important that we engage with local, state, & national politics…we should always seek for our communities & nation to be governed in a way that cares for the Imago Dei (people created in God’s image). We ultimately acknowledge our identity as believers is in Christ.

“For those with eyes of faith, we see humanity’s true political hope each Sunday morning as we sing, read Scripture, and listen to the preaching of God’s Word with those who have traded in their worldly ambitions for a cross. Each member comes on equal footing, confessing their sin and proclaiming their need of a Savior. In Christ’s kingdom, the noble and powerful are humbled because Christ died for their sins. In Christ’s kingdom, the weakest and least powerful are welcomed and affirmed because Christ died for their sins and has seated them with him in glory. Our citizenship isn’t rooted in anything in us; it’s purely by the grace of God who forgave our sins and transferred us from Satan’s kingdom to his own.”

-By Sam Emadi

We must remember that the gift of faith and the free gift of salvation that comes with it is always paired with persecution. I love how William Plumer, who interestingly enough was an American lawyer, baptist lay preacher, and politician from New Hampshire, who was Federalist in the United States Senate and was the seventh governor of New Hampshire, stated the role of persecution in the world.

Persecution is no novelty … the offence of the cross will never cease till all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

William S. Plumer

Colossians 1:13–14 ESV

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So today as we leave lets remember to go and and live as kingdom citizens, with our faith firmly focused on Heaven influencing how we approach everything in this world….remember we know that this life is temporary and we should as believers expect difficulties to come our way…yet we know that Jesus has the ultimate victory….let’s pray