Citizenship

Several months ago, Luke and I sat in a dingy federal government office, in a part of the city that we have never been before, waiting to be fingerprinted. We were in line with many other people in who were in various stages if the immigration process. We waited alongside them, documents in hand. In that room on that day, there were many different nationalities represented. We were clearly in the minority, and for good reason- we were already US citizens. We were proving who we were and going through the process, although our citizenship in this country was already secure. You see, we were there on behalf of someone else. We were there for our child.

We were there taking steps to secure citizenship for our precious son waiting on another continent, who had yet to even hear about us. We left our comfortable suburb to go to a place where we would not have normally gone, where I (admittedly) felt a little out of place, where I had to allow myself to be fingerprinted, have my background checked and my documents scrutinized as if I were the one becoming a citizen. I did all of that willingly, and would do it again, motivated by my love for my child. I stood there on that day so that he will never have to. I remember thinking, "I'm doing this for you, Minte." Oh, how my heart swelled with love for him at the thought!

Today, Minte stood before a judge and was declared a citizen of the United States of America. He never had to stand in line at the immigration office... that was done for him. He never has to doubt his citizenship here... that has been secured for him. He will now have all the rights and privileges that belong to a US citizen, a standing that is sought-after by so many.

What a picture of the gospel! Jesus' citizenship, His rightful place, is in Heaven. His position and citizenship there is established, but mine wasn't. In fact, I had no place there, no way to even enter. He left His rightful position for a time and came here, where He was "out of place." He didn't have to, but He did it on my behalf, to secure my citizenship in Heaven, that where He is I may also be. He did this before I even knew Him, while I was yet a sinner. He went where I will never have to go, so that I can someday live in a place better than I could ever imagine. Because of Jesus, my eternal citizenship is secure.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
Eph. 1:3-6

"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Romans 8:15