Citizenship [Hebrews 11:13-16] Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand, A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give us your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. A woman named Emma Lazarus wrote this prose in 1883 as part of a project to raise funds to build the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. This immense statue and this poem inscribed on its base have come to symbolize America's mission as a refuge for immigrants. Citizenship in this country is highly prized throughout the world - we live in the "land of opportunity". As much as we value our citizenship here, however, there is a much higher citizenship to which we must strive - our citizenship in heaven. 1.) Natural citizens It is possible to be a natural citizen by birth. Indeed, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were "born" or created natural citizens. Young children as well are born natural citizens, without sin. However, there comes a point in our lives that we become aware of our sin, and that sin invalidates our citizenship in heaven. [Romans 3:23] We become strangers, foreigners, aliens to the heavenly country, and citizens of this world. 2.) We Have a Need As foreigners, we have a need for citizenship - [Ephesians 2:11-12], [Hebrews 11:13-16]. We are strangers and pilgrims here, and as we live in this world, it becomes clear that we need a citizenship in a more perfect place. In this great chapter of faith, the Hebrew writer pauses to reiterate that these great people of faith had one thing in common - they new that they were strangers on this earth, and they had a need for citizenship in heaven. 3.) Citizenship is not Automatic As many immigrants to Ellis Island found out, citizenship in the United States is not automatic. There are certain requirements of knowledge and committment for naturalization. Certain things we are required to know [Romans 10:10-17] Through this knowledge, we develop faith and an understanding of what we must do. 4.) Must take Oath of Allegiance The most visible requirement of citizenship is the picture we are all familiar with - people from all nations standing before a judge and reciting the "Oath of Allegiance": "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovreignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;..." There are strong parallels here as well - Peter told the crowds on the day of Pentecost to "repent" [Acts 2:38] - this "repentance" is the same as "renouncing" our allegiance to our old citizenship - the citizenship of this world. Furthermore, we are called to confess before men - [Romans 10:8-10] - This is how we express our "true faith and allegiance". 5.) We Must Take the Exam However, it is not just words we must say. There are things that applicants for American citizenship must do as well - we have to take the exam. The exam shows that we have really learned what is necessary and that we are prepared for new responsibility. Do you ever have that dream where you are back in school, and you show up late to the final? But the worst part of the dream is that you had been skipping that class all semester, so you weren't prepared for it anyway? I believe that our parallel here is our baptism into Christ. It is something that we must do - we not only say that we believe in Jesus, but we are willing to submit to the ritual of baptism to show, to demonstrate what we have learned about God's will for us and what we are willing to do - [1Pet 3:21]. 6.) There is a Price The filing fee for an application for US citizenship as of January 15, 1999 is $225. For an immigrant to this country this can be a daunting fee - it may requre some time to work to earn this money. Not so with heavenly citizenship - we could work our entire lives and the sum total of what we accomplish couldn't even begin to purchase this heavenly naturalization. Our money can't redeem us from our sins! Jesus tells us that it is no profit to a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul [Matthew 16:26]. You cannot exchange worldly wealth and possessions for your citizenship in heaven. Perhaps that is why Jesus says in [Matthew 19:23-24] and other places in the gospels that it is so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven - a rich person gets used to simply buying what they want. That is where the grandest story of the ages enters the picture. [Romans 5:6-11] Christ has paid our price in full! All we must do is accept this gift on his terms. 7.) No Longer Strangers and Foreigners By accepting this gift of salvation, we are no longer strangers and foreigners. [Eph 2:19-22]. As Christians, our real citizenship is now in heaven [Philippians 3:20] and instead of being citizens of this world we are strangers here, awaiting the glorious view of our heavenly country. Conclusion If you are a citizen of this world, you had better consider your position, [1 John 2:15-17]. By pledging allegiance to the things of this material life, you are doomed to be a foreigner, an alien, a stranger to the heavenly kingdom when your "country", this earth, is destroyed, and the Book of Life is opened and that roll call is read. While you have the opportunity, believe in Christ, renounce your earthly citizenship by repenting of your sins, stand and confess your allegiance to Christ, and take that final exam by being buried in the waters of baptism to become a citizen of God's kingdom. Lloyd Shelby (C) 1999 Lloyd Shelby. 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