Citizenship.

Remember hearing: “When you’re in Rome, live like a Roman.” Everyone does. That saying about Citizenship is as old as I know.

It is probably even more well known than todays scripture, even though I’m confident a majority of Christians know this verse very well too.

This verse is ‘talked’ about so often from church pulpits, in Christian small groups, and between the friends of believers all the time.

But…

Is it really ‘WALKED’ as much as it is ‘TALKED’?

Corporately, I’d say…NO.

The church, as a whole, lives like their citizenship is on the earth.

It has as exactly as much divorce, and pornography use, as the world does.
Alcoholism, drug addiction, other harmful and self abusive behaviors, as well as self righteous, selfish and condemning attitudes are just as rampant in the church, as it is in the world too.

Not like a citizen in heaven.

So, the objective onlooker to the essence of the global church overall, may not see a difference in the people within it, from all the good people of the world, who just happen to live their lives without God.

Why is that?

Because too many Christians in the world, live LIKE the world.

They want to be good global citizens like the rest of the people around them.

Why?
Original Sin.

☆ For all that is in the world—
• The desires of the flesh
• The desires of the eyes &
• The pride in possessions
—is not from the Father
But is from the WORLD.
• 1 John 2:16

Like Adam and Eve, we struggle with the same core issues that they faced.

– The enemy says sweet lies to us,
– The flesh is corrupted within us
– The world’s culture pulls at us

Pride, ego, greed and fear can blind us and lead us into temptation where we can find ourselves making unwise choices, leading to sin.

THAT IS DANGEROUS!

☆ Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
• 1 John 2:15

– Fear of being different
– Fear of not being accepted
– Fear of not having or being ‘current’
These are just some of the reasons that the Christian will find themselves following the world, more than they follow God.

So, even though sin is
• Trying to pull is into the culture all around us,
• Trying to control from the flesh within us, &
• Trying to make us believe Satan’s lies from beneath us;

We don’t have to buy into it…period

Because even though you may be IN this world, if you are a ‘Practicing Christian’, you are not a global citizen OF this world!

☆ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
• Philippians 3:20-21

So even though we may BE in Rome (The world)
We should NEVER live like the Romans.

Because the passports of where our citizenship really is, will never be accepted here.

I love you guys!