This old world is not my home

Every time we fly outside this country, I am asked to state my citizenship. I wonder what would happen if I wrote “heaven” instead of “Canada”?

The New Testament is clear; all those who belong to the family of God have their names written down in God’s book of life and belong to His country, not our own, not even this earth. Paul wrote:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

Apparently this word for “citizenship” is actually about a colony of foreigners, but one secular source uses the same word to describe a city that kept the names of its citizens on a register, much like God does with His citizens.

Another example is when the Israelites were taken into captivity in Babylon. They considered the Promised Land was still their home and longed to return. However, they were in Babylon for seventy years. By the time they were finally able to go back to Israel, many of them were not ready to leave. Being there was bondage, but they developed an attachment for the place.

Sometimes that happens to Christians. At least one that I know struggled with death. She knew that her time was coming but fought it as if dying was the worst thing that could happen to her. I don’t know if this world had become too comfortable like Babylon was to some of the Israelites, but thinking of her makes me wonder if I will be ready to go home when the time comes.

Leaving earth for heaven will mean leaving family and friends, all activities and things that I enjoy, but it will also mean being with God forever, with no more sorrow or pain.

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:3-4)

Being in heaven also means having a new body. Philippians 3 says my body will be transformed to be like the body of Jesus Christ. After His resurrection, Jesus ate and drank, but He also could appear in locked rooms, apparently able to go through walls.

I wondered about that for a long time, but a science major told me that there is no reason why the molecules of one solid cannot pass through the molecules of another; there is more than enough space between the molecules. He said that some force keeps them from doing so, otherwise we could not sit on a chair or stand on anything. We would just fall through it.

In His new body, Jesus was unaffected by gravity. He rose to heaven in full view of those who reported His ascension. I’ve had fun thinking about this. Will I be able to travel the universe without any restraint?

I’ve also wondered if heaven will be a place of creativity. If my body is like Christ’s body, does that mean I can also speak worlds into existence as He did with this world? Or if not that, will I be able to paint pictures and make quilts?

It is good to think about heaven. I can have fanciful thoughts, but need to remember that my imagination is so limited; I really have little idea of what God has in store. Nevertheless, thinking about my real home puts the puny things of this earth into perspective, and that alone produces peace and anticipation.