For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (3:18-20)
The divide between genuine Christians and the rest of the world is much wider than we realize. Of course, we should be in the world and not of the world, and we do need to have relationships with the lost so that we can be a light to them. However, in reality, we are like two completely different species. Paul says that those who are not “in Christ” are enemies of the cross. We see that today more than ever. He calls them “people whose God is their stomach;” they live to please the flesh (which could be gluttony, but it includes all kinds of fleshly pleasures). They are people who glorify their shameful practices (typically on social media) and their focus is on the things of this world.
By contrast, true believers are citizens of heaven. Our focus is on the soon coming of the Lord Jesus and on pleasing Him here on earth until we are with Him in the heavenly kingdom. Yes, we have to live in this world but this world is not our home. This is not to say that we are only future-minded. The Lord is the creator of this planet and He loves this planet and the people on it. There is great beauty here and much to rejoice in… but in the end, we are simply pilgrims who are passing through. Our focus has to be on eternity and on making the most of this time to reach as many people as possible with the gospel before the end comes.
Unfortunately, though, the lines between those who are “in Christ” and those who are “of the world” become more and more blurred every day. We have many who claim to be citizens of heaven, but their lives look like those who are described as enemies of the cross. Many “Christians” today live to gratify the flesh, “their glory is in their shame and they are focused on earthly things.” If you truly know Him then you should live for Him. If you are living for Him then everyone should be able to see something different about you. Being a citizen of heaven is not about what you do on Sunday; it is about how you live your life every day and what consumes your heart, your time, and your finances. If you are His child we need to see your true colors shining through.
