With a Subtitle: Celebrating America's freedoms while remembering our true, eternal home is in Christ.
A brief Excerpt: A July 4th reflection on living faithfully as citizens of America now while holding fast to our true, eternal citizenship in Heaven.
Editor’s note – As America marks 250 years, it’s worth pausing on what kind of anniversary we’re celebrating. This piece reminds us that gratitude for our nation and allegiance to Christ’s Kingdom aren’t competitors, but companions operating on different planes – a tension every believer feels amid a national milestone. May it turn your eyes toward the better country Scripture promises.
Two Citizens, One Higher Loyalty
The 250th birthday of the United States is a remarkable milestone. Few nations in history have enjoyed the blessings, freedoms, and opportunities that we experience here. As believers, we are grateful for the land we call home. We thank God for the freedom to worship, the freedom to gather, and the freedom to open Scripture without fear. These are gifts we should never take for granted.
And yet, as Christians, we live with a unique tension. We are citizens of an earthly nation, but we are also citizens of a heavenly one. We love our country, but our ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ. We honor the blessings of America, but we remember that our true home is with the Lord. This devotional invites us to reflect on both citizenships: the one we enjoy now and the one that will last forever.
What Scripture Says About Our Two Citizenships
Scripture gives us a clear picture of how to live faithfully in both realms. In 1 Peter 2:13-17, believers are instructed to honor everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, and honor governing authorities. These words were written during a time when Christians had far fewer freedoms than we do today. Yet the call was the same: live honorably, pray for leaders, and be a blessing to the community.
Editor’s note – Peter wrote these words to believers under Rome, a government offering no religious liberty. The call to honor authority and pray for leaders applies as much in hostile times as free ones.
As citizens of the United States, we have the privilege of participating in a nation that values liberty. We can gather openly, pray publicly, and share our faith freely. These freedoms are not universal. Many believers around the world worship in secret, gather quietly, and face persecution for their faith. Our freedom is a blessing, and gratitude is the right response.
Strangers, Pilgrims, and a Better Country
But Scripture also reminds us that we are more than citizens of any earthly nation. Hebrews 11:13-16 describes believers as strangers and pilgrims on the earth, more as “residents” as people who are looking for a better country, a heavenly one. This does not mean we reject or diminish our earthly home. It means we recognize that our deepest identity is rooted in Christ.
Philippians 3:20 states it plainly: “Our citizenship is in Heaven.” This is not poetic language. It is a legal reality in the Kingdom of God. When we came to Christ, we immediately were adopted into God’s family as His children. Our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Our eternal home was secured. Our identity was sealed. We became citizens of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Editor’s note – Philippians’ original readers were proud citizens of a Roman colony. Paul isn’t reaching for metaphor; he’s telling colonists of Rome they are, in fact, colonists of Heaven planted on earth.
Four Marks of Heaven’s Citizens
What does it mean to live as citizens of Heaven while residing on Earth?
First, it means we live by Heaven’s values. We reflect the character of Christ: truth, love, holiness, compassion, and integrity. We represent our King wherever we go. We are ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), carrying the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) to a world that desperately needs hope.
Second, it means we look forward with hope. Earthly nations rise and fall. Political climates shift. Cultures change. But the Kingdom of God stands forever. When the world feels uncertain, our hearts remain steady because our foundation is eternal.
Third, it means we do not panic when the world shakes. Our peace does not come from political stability, economic strength, or cultural comfort. Our peace comes from Christ, who reigns above every nation and every era.
Fourth, it means we remember where our true home is. America is a blessing. Heaven is our home. We honor the first, but we long for the second. We celebrate our nation’s birthday while looking forward to the day when the roll is called up yonder, and we will be there.
Editor’s note – None of these four marks call us to withdraw from the world. Heaven’s citizens are still meant to be salt and light right where God has placed them.
Home at Last
As we celebrate 250 years of the United States, we do so with gratitude. We thank God for His mercy on our land. We pray for our leaders. We seek the good of our communities. We shine as salt and light. But we also lift our eyes to the horizon of eternity. One day, our earthly residency will fade as our heavenly citizenship will be fully realized.
Until that day, we live faithfully in both kingdoms. We are grateful for America, anchored in Christ, and confident in the hope of Heaven.
A Word from the Editor
Gratitude for our nation and longing for our true home are not competing loyalties; they are companion truths. Scripture never asks us to love America less so we might love Heaven more – it asks us to love both rightly, in proper order. “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). Celebrate this milestone, but celebrate more the citizenship no century can revoke.
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Distributed by – BCWorldview.org
This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.