Citizenship

While we were living in Italy two of our sons were born there. Growing up some would tell one or the other that they could not be president because they were not born in the United States. That statement reflected a misunderstanding of our Constitution, because our Constitution requires the President to be a naturally born citizen, as opposed to a naturalized citizen. My grandmother was a naturalized citizen, because she was born in Canada to Canadian parents and moved here when she was 13, then she went through the naturalization process to become a US citizen. Constitutionally my grandmother could never have been elected to the presidency, because she was not a naturally born citizen. However, our two sons were born in Italy to American citizens. They have an Italian birth certificate and a document from the State Department declaring them to be naturally born US citizens, born Overseas. Likewise, they are not Italian citizens, because Italy requires Italian parentage for citizenship, while Donelle and I are American citizens.

When I think of what Paul wrote to the Philippians that we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20), I am reminded of our two sons when we lived in Italy. Neither of them had ever physically set foot in the United States, but yet they were citizens with all the rights and privileges of a US citizen. Likewise, those of us who love and follow Jesus are citizens of heaven even though we have never physically been there. However, according to Paul, we are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6), speaking of our identity and connection with Jesus and therefore our spiritual presence in Jesus in the heavenly places. We are citizens of heaven not because we were born there, but because we were born again in Christ Jesus, so that our family identity was transferred from Adam to Jesus according to Paul in Romans 5:12-15. Likewise, our sons, are citizens of the US not because they were born in this country, but because they are our sons. We are citizens of heaven because we belong to Jesus, therefore his citizenship is transferred to us who love and follow him.

That is why our connection to heaven is dependent upon Jesus, not on our behavior. You don’t become a naturally born US citizen by behavior, but by a connection to your parents. Likewise, you don’t obtain heaven by your behavior, but by your connection to Jesus. Having said that, loving and following Jesus will result in transformed behavior, just like our love for our parents will influence our behavior as well. This being the case, for those of us who love Jesus, we are actually foreigners living on earth, because our citizenship is elsewhere, just like when we lived in Italy, where we were categorized as foreigners (stranieri). I find it significant for me to remember that truth as I go about my daily affairs and activities living as a Kingdom citizen while dwelling in the United States.