God makes a promise to us that by trusting in the gospel we will become citizens of heaven.
Philippians 3:20-21 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.
Sealed with the Holy Spirit
Once we have trusted Christ for our salvation God marks us as His own. We are sealed for eternity in Christ. His seal is our guarantee of our inheritance and of our citizenship in heaven.
It is also God’s promise that all that sin that plagues us in this life has been dealt with at the cross and will be fully put to rest when we are transformed on the day of redemption.
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption
God’s Word: The Power of Save
Before we were saved we were wandering this earth spiritually dead. We had no fellowship with God and no heavenly hope. Thankfully, God who is rich in mercy and because of His great love breathed life into the believer.
—Ephesians 2:4–5 NKJV “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
It is important to remember, we only have the ability to trust in Christ after hearing His Word.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God through His Word is imparting to us the truth about the Gospel of Grace. Our salvation is based a particular truth, It is important to base our faith on this truth alone. We are warned not to follow the teachings of men, but that scripture is to be our diving rod.
2Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Ephesians 3:8-9 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
Citizens of Heaven:
The grace of God is an amazing thing. Imagine, we who were once lost are now going to be citizens of heaven.
The message being preached for our salvation is based on the truth Christ revealed to Paul, that Jews and Gentiles are now fellow-heirs in Christ becoming members of the body of Christ with a heavenly calling.
Our inheritance is in heaven. This is possible through Christ shedding His blood on the cross. By His death burial and resurrection we are baptized into Christ as one body of believers.
1Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians 2:6-9 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
God’s Promise
Will you trust in Christ today? Will you become a citizen of heaven? I sincerely hope so for as believers we have a home in heaven. By placing your faith in Christ, your eternal salvation is guaranteed by the seal of the Holy Spirit. This is God’s promise! When God makes a promise, you can feel 100% confident he will keep it.
Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.