Citizens of Heaven
Week 3 Devotional: Living Until the King Returns
Philippians 3:17–21
Day 1 — Remember Where You Belong
Scripture: Philippians 3:20
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Every day we are reminded of where we live.
The news reminds us. The culture reminds us. Social media reminds us. Our circumstances remind us. We are surrounded by messages telling us what matters, what to pursue, what to fear, and where to place our hope.
But Paul reminds the Church of something deeper:
“You belong somewhere else.”
When Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, he was speaking to people who understood citizenship. Philippi was a Roman colony, and its citizens knew what it meant to carry the identity of Rome while living somewhere else.
Paul uses that picture to describe followers of Jesus. We live on earth, but our ultimate belonging is found in heaven. This does not mean we ignore the world around us. It does not mean we disconnect from our families, communities, or responsibilities. It means that we no longer allow this world to define the deepest parts of who we are.
Our citizenship determines our allegiance.
When we know where we belong, we can stop chasing the approval of places we were never meant to call home.
The question is not, “How do I make earth my permanent home?” The question is, “How do I faithfully represent my heavenly home while I am here?” A citizen of heaven lives differently because they remember they belong to a different Kingdom.
Reflection
What earthly things have the greatest influence over your identity?
Where are you tempted to find your worth apart from Christ?
How would your week look different if you truly lived from the confidence that you belong to God?
Prayer
Father, remind me today that my identity is found in You. Help me stop allowing temporary things to define me. Teach me to live with the confidence and humility of someone who belongs to Your Kingdom. Amen.
Action Step
Write this statement somewhere visible today:
“I am not defined by what I accomplish, what I possess, or what others think of me. I belong to Christ.”
Day 2 — Choosing the Kingdom That Rules You
Scripture: Colossians 1:13
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”
The gospel is not simply an invitation for Jesus to be the center of our lives. It’s an invitation to surrender our lives to Him. When Christ saves us, He transfers us from one kingdom to another. We are no longer ruled by darkness, sin, fear, or our own desires. We belong to the Kingdom of God.
But this creates a daily question:
Who is ruling me?
Every person is being shaped by something. The culture tells us to build our own kingdom.
Protect your image.
Chase success.
Get more.
Be admired.
Make yourself the center.
But Jesus calls us to something different because the Kingdom of God is built through surrender. The cross shows us that greatness is found through humility. That freedom is found through surrender. Life is found through giving ourselves completely to Christ. The reason this matters is because whatever rules our hearts will eventually shape our lives.
If fear rules us, we will live defensively.
If pride rules us, we will live selfishly.
If comfort rules us, we will avoid obedience.
But if Jesus rules us, we become a people marked by faith, love, courage, and surrender. Citizens of heaven don’t simply believe in another Kingdom.
They live under the authority of its King.
Reflection
What areas of your life are easiest to surrender to Jesus?
What areas are hardest?
What competing “kingdoms” are fighting for your attention and allegiance?
Prayer
Jesus, You are my King. Reveal the places where I have held onto control instead of trusting You. Teach me to surrender fully and joyfully to Your leadership. May Your Kingdom rule every part of my life. Amen.
Action Step
Identify one area where you need to surrender control to God. Spend intentional time praying, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in this area of my life.”
Day 3 — Carrying Heaven Into Earth
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”
Citizens represent their kingdom. That is the responsibility of citizenship. Paul says believers are ambassadors for Christ. We are representatives of the King.
This means our lives are meant to reveal something about Jesus.
Not just our words.
Our attitudes.
Our reactions.
Our relationships.
Our priorities.
Our generosity.
Our forgiveness.
The world does not need Christians who simply know the right answers. It needs Christians who display the heart of the King.
Jesus said people would know we are His disciples by our love, so that means love is not just something we feel. It’s something we demonstrate. The Kingdom of heaven becomes visible when ordinary people live extraordinary lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we forgive instead of retaliate.
When we serve instead of demand.
When we love instead of divide.
When we choose holiness instead of compromise.
We are showing the world what our King is like.
The goal is not for people to notice us. The goal is for people to encounter Jesus through us.
Reflection
When people interact with you, what do they experience?
Do your words and actions reflect the heart of Jesus?
What is one area where God is inviting you to better represent Him?
Prayer
Lord, make my life a faithful representation of Your Kingdom. Help me reflect Your character wherever You send me. Let people see more of Jesus and less of me. Amen.
Action Step
Look for one opportunity today to represent Jesus through an intentional act of love, service, encouragement, or generosity.
Day 4 — Waiting With Hope
Scripture: Philippians 3:20–21
“And from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”
The Christian life is lived between two great moments.
Jesus has come, and Jesus is coming again.
We are a people waiting for the King, but biblical waiting is not passive. It’s not sitting around doing nothing until Jesus returns. Biblical waiting is faithful endurance.
We keep serving because He is coming.
We keep praying because He is coming.
We keep loving because He is coming.
We keep standing firm because He is coming.
The world tells us to place our hope in what we can control. Jesus reminds us that our ultimate hope is found in what He has promised.
One day, Christ will return.
One day, every broken thing will be restored.
One day, death will be defeated completely.
One day, every tear will be wiped away.
The resurrection of Jesus is proof that restoration is coming. The empty tomb is God’s declaration that brokenness does not get the final word.
Jesus does.
Reflection
Where have you allowed disappointment or difficulty to weaken your hope?
How does the promise of Christ’s return change the way you face today’s challenges?
Prayer
Jesus, help me live with eternal hope. When I become overwhelmed by what is happening around me, remind me that You are returning and You will make all things new. Strengthen me to remain faithful. Amen.
Action Step
Take one burden you have been carrying and surrender it to God. Thank Him that your circumstances are temporary, but His promises are eternal.
Day 5 — Living Until the King Returns
Scripture: Matthew 6:10
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The final question is not simply: “Do I believe Jesus is coming back?”
The deeper question is: “Am I living like I believe Jesus is coming back?”
The hope of Christ’s return is not meant to make us escape the world. It’s meant to send us into the world with purpose. Because the King is coming, our lives matter.
Every prayer matters.
Every act of obedience matters.
Every moment of faithfulness matters.
Every person we love matters.
Every opportunity to point someone to Jesus matters.
Citizens of heaven don’t waste their lives building kingdoms that will eventually disappear. They invest their lives in the Kingdom that will last forever.
One day every earthly kingdom will fall.
Every title will fade.
Every possession will pass away.
But the Kingdom of God will remain, so live today with eternity in mind.
Love deeply.
Serve faithfully.
Forgive freely.
Give generously.
Stand courageously.
Carry hope boldly.
Because the King is coming, and until He returns, we have a mission.
Reflection
What is one change God is calling you to make because of the hope of Christ’s return?
How can your life more faithfully reflect the Kingdom of God this week?
Prayer
Father, thank You for making me a citizen of heaven through Jesus. Until the day Christ returns, help me live faithfully, love boldly, and represent Your Kingdom well. Let my life point others toward the hope we have in Jesus. Amen.
Action Step
Choose one intentional Kingdom action this week:
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Encourage someone who is discouraged.
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Serve someone without recognition.
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Share your testimony.
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Practice forgiveness.
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Give generously.
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Pray for someone who needs hope.
