A Christian Has Dual Citizenship
We have a physical earthly citizenship and a spiritual Heavenly citizenship. There are many who are citizens of more than one country. I'm a citizen of the United States because that is the country of my birth. My American birthright affords me access to all that the Government of the United States offers to its citizens. But earthly citizenship is only temporary. What happens to people when they die?
Heavenly Citizenship Gives You Access to Eternal Life.
Obtaining heavenly citizenship is a three step process (heavy emphasis on "process"). You get into God's family the same way you got into your earthly family. You must go through the process of birth.
You must be born again, or more correctly, born from above. Take a lesson from the caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly. It's God's great plan in action. We have physical DNA and spiritual DNA. Once we receive the Holy Spirit, we have God's DNA and become joint heirs with Christ and begin our salvation process...
1. justification (conception), Obtaining heavenly citizenship is a three step process (heavy emphasis on "process"). You get into God's family the same way you got into your earthly family. You must go through the process of birth.
You must be born again, or more correctly, born from above. Take a lesson from the caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly. It's God's great plan in action. We have physical DNA and spiritual DNA. Once we receive the Holy Spirit, we have God's DNA and become joint heirs with Christ and begin our salvation process...
2. sanctification (gestation), and finally
3. glorification... a fully-birthed immortal son of God.
The doctrine of "once saved always saved" is like saying once an adult always an adult. Both the physical and spiritual births are a process... conception, gestation, and birth. Once these three steps are accomplished, then comes infancy, adolescents, and adulthood.
Read Secret Passage to Immortality for a more thorough explanation.
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ~ Phillipians 3:20
Vance Haver wrote, “If you're a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven trying to live in a foreign country.”
Verses From the Bible That Speak of Our Heavenly Citizenship
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
~ Hebrews 13:14
And just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (The promise to the original 12 apostles) ~ Luke 22:29-30
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you". ~ John 14:2
To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. ~ 1 Peter 1:4
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. ~ Revelation 21:2
And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (your heavenly birth certificate) ~ Revelation 21:27
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. ~ Revelation 22:3-5
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household. ~ Ephesians 2:19
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. ~ Revelation 22:3-5
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household. ~ Ephesians 2:19
What happens to people who do not believe the Bible, lived and died before the Bible was available, or went to Church their whole life but never received the Holy Spirit? The Bible makes it clear there a solution. It's called the resurrection of the unjust (or unjustified - in other words they never completed the first step). You can't be born unless you are conceived.
But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
~ Acts 24:14-16
God is not trying to save everyone now. He is only giving the Holy Spirit to a few people called the "first fruits" company. Jesus is the first born among many brethren. Then at the resurrection, God's salvation will become available to all who complete the process.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was for the sins of the whole world... past, present, and future. He paid the penalty that rightfully was ours. "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled (restored a broken relationship) to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life". ~ Romans 5:10
In simple terms here's how it plays out. People who complete all three steps of salvation are born twice and die once. All others are born once and can die twice if they refuse the gift of salvation offered to them at the resurrection of the "unjust".
God is not trying to save everyone now. He is only giving the Holy Spirit to a few people called the "first fruits" company. Jesus is the first born among many brethren. Then at the resurrection, God's salvation will become available to all who complete the process.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was for the sins of the whole world... past, present, and future. He paid the penalty that rightfully was ours. "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled (restored a broken relationship) to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life". ~ Romans 5:10
In simple terms here's how it plays out. People who complete all three steps of salvation are born twice and die once. All others are born once and can die twice if they refuse the gift of salvation offered to them at the resurrection of the "unjust".
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. ~ Revelation 20:6
Salvation is a process. We are not "born again" instantly as Churchanity preaches it. The Spiritual birth, just as with the earthly birth, is a three trimester process. Since fresh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom, God in His wisdom makes it possible to be born a second time.
Justification by Faith is conception by the Holy Spirit, Sanctification is the New Creature in Christ, and Glorification is receiving our glorified bodies at the Resurrection.
Most Christians don't want to be a part of the process. They just want to skip the long hard labor of birth pains. But the process is where we grow and mature enough to be called the sons and daughters of God and Citizens of The Kingdom.
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