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Philippians 3:20 (ESV)


Citizenship in the States is a big deal. It affirms that a person truly is an American with all the rights that come with that identity.

There are three primary ways to become an American citizen:

Naturalization: The conferring, by any means, of Citizenship upon a person after birth

Jus soli, or right of birthplace: Any child born in the U.S. automatically acquires U.S. Citizenship, even if the child’s mother was in the U.S. illegally. This provision does not apply to a child whose parent was a foreign diplomat at the time of birth

Jus sanguinis, or right of blood: Even though a child is born outside the U.S., the child automatically acquires U.S. Citizenship if at least one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth

People from other nations can also become U.S. citizens but must take the required tests and interviews that satisfy the government’s requirements.

I know there are many more ways to become a citizen in the United States of America, but the point of all of this is not to inform you how to become an American citizen or even what the rights of an American citizen are. What I do wish to note is that there are many ways to becoming a citizen of a nation here on earth, but there is only one way to become a citizen of heaven.

I find it intriguing that one way to become a U.S. citizen can be through marriage. Sure there are several steps after marrying an American, but this is a legal way to become a citizen of the United States. Likewise, one becomes a citizen of heaven through marriage.

This is a marriage unlike any here on earth.

This marriage was ordained since before the foundation of the earth (Eph. 1:4).

This marriage was obtained/pronounced by the shedding of the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 13:8).

By this marriage, the Church is secured forever a citizenship in heaven (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 5:27).

While there are many ways to obtain a citizenship in America, there is only one way to obtain a citizenship in heaven, by having our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. This book, like a marriage license,  is a list of names that affirm the marriage of the Bride, the Church, to the Bridegroom, Christ Jesus. Anyone whose name is written in this book has legal citizenship in heaven forever.

There are many privileges to having an American citizenship, but they all pale in comparison to those privileges a citizen of heaven is granted in Christ. An American citizen can vote for governmental leaders. The citizen of heaven worships the King of the universe. An American citizen may run for governmental office. The citizens of heaven are sons and daughters of the Living God, who reigns over all things. The list goes on.

By and by the citizenship that one may have in America is beautiful. Yet, it fails to compare to the citizenship that the Christian has in heaven.

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