Let’s take a look at Paul’s thoughts from Philippians 3:20-21 where he reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven and we are looking for the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN – 3:20a:

    The pronoun “our” is emphasized. Paul wants to remind us that we do not belong to this world. We have a higher calling, a more important nation to be concerned about.

    The word “citizenship” is found only here. It means “commonwealth” or “state.” The word often referred to a colony of foreigners or relocated veterans which was to secure the conquered country by spreading abroad its customs, culture, law, and so forth (Hawthorne, 170).

    Each local assembly of believers is a colony of heaven, enjoying full membership in the heavenly city. This “heavenly city” is called “Jerusalem from above” in Gal. 4:26.

FROM WHICH WE EAGERLY AWAIT – 3:20b:

    At a wedding, the groom eagerly awaits to see his bride coming down the aisle. Why doesn’t God tell us when He is coming? Because he wants us to: #1) trust His word; #2) Be ready all the time for Jesus to return.

    Consider the people in the Bible who also had to wait:

1. Noah had to wait for the rains to begin.
2. Abraham had to wait for the promise of the son. Hebrews 6:15
3. Jacob had to wait for the fulfillment of the promise.
4. Joseph had to wait to see when God would help him understand his circumstances.
5. Moses had to wait forty years to enter the promised land.
6. Israel had to wait 70 years in Babylonian captivity.
7. The Jews had to wait 400 years until the coming of Christ.
8. The apostles had to wait 50 days until the coming of the Holy Spirit

Waiting challenges us to grow, to mature. It tests our faith and our perseverance. Luke 18:8 is the question which has echoed through the corridors of time for the last 2,000 years: “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Are you anxiously awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ? Does it reflect in your daily lifestyle? 

What do you do when you are waiting at the doctor’s office? Here are some answers I received once when I asked that question: Read, play games, wonder why people are there, play with kids, talk to people, prepare a Wednesday night Bible lesson, read the Bible, visit with friends, word puzzles, count things in the waiting room. In Romania, when I paid our bills, I would spend a lot of time standing in line. So, I always had a Reader’s Digest magazine with me. The articles were short and shallow and easy to read while I  stood in line.

Paul Holland