-Following Christ and fixing our eyes on Him necessarily means we are looking ahead to His return. For the redeemed who are in Christ, those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior and Lord and are truly following Him, their focus is not on the things of earth but rather on heaven, on the things of that realm - on Jesus. Or at least it should be (Hebrews 9.28). Because that is our new home, our new allegiance, our final destination, and Jesus is that pearl of great price, our magnificent obessession.
HOW DOES YOUR LIFE FIT INTO ‘EAGERLY AWAIT’? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WAITING? HOW EAGER ARE YOU ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10?
-No doubt Paul was a 10. There was nothing in life he wanted more than to see Jesus (cf Philippians 1.21-23). He was not alone in this sentiment (cf 1Corinthians 1.7), but I wonder where this longing has gone in our day. It is fair to say that to the extent that we are less than fully eager we are probably too focused on earthly things.
-In these last days there are also questions and issues of nationalities and borders and immigration. For those who follow Christ, there is an allegiance and an identity which supercedes and informs all other ties. Believers are citizens of the kingdom of Heaven, which has an entirely different system of boundaries and membership. Our King rules His kingdom and subjects from a different place (John 18.36). But as such our focus and our conduct and priorities and identity are to be completely other than those who belong to the kingdom of this earth, totally different from those who are only thinking about earthly things. We are aliens and strangers (Hebrews 11.13, 1Peter 2.11, 1Peter 1.17).
-Those in Christ are now citizens (think city-zens) of the heavenly Jerusalem. ‘City’ in Greek is polis, which was originally the ancient greek city-state, the ruling center, and extended to the surrounding overseeable territory and inhabitants. Those who were free members of this society (as opposed to slaves) were called citizens (polités). They enjoyed a certain lifestyle and were accorded rights and privileges in keeping with the power and wealth of their polis (politeia). Culture and spiritual values develop in this society, and true self-development is enabled by the freedom afforded by the polis. Ultimately the polis is a sacred organization, one which originates from and is protected by the supreme God. The polis was regarded as the most important thing in life for the ancient greek, to which the free citizen gave their entire allegiance. The polités embodied the polis; city-zenship (politeuma) was identified in terms of the polis. The way a polités would live and conduct themselves was politeuomai.
-Thus those who follow Christ give their allegiance to a realm which is not of this world, and their conduct is governed by a different set of laws. Technically believers themselves would be considered the modern day sojourners (ger) of the OT (Leviticus 19.33-34, cf 1Chronicles 29.15), since we are temporarily dwelling and working in land where we do not belong. We are polités of a different polis. Our politeuma (the word used here) is in heaven. And unlike the unbelievers, we are not enemies of the cross of Christ or of heaven, but rather we are citizens. We belong there.
-By Paul’s day, the polis had lost much of its power and political flavor. And yet we learn from Paul that politeuma still carried some significance (cf Acts 21.39, Acts 22.28). These Philippian believers would have understood, since their city was a Roman colony, and this gave them status as citizens of Rome. No doubt many there were proud of this fact. But even if the polis and politeuma in it had lost much of its significance at the time that Paul wrote this, it is clear that he intends for those who follow Christ to understand that theirs is a different loyalty, a different allegiance, a different homeland, a different focus and destination, a different code of conduct, a different longing and hope, a different King, a different set of privileges and obligations which (should at least) trump any earthly ties.
-Yes, our conduct (politeuomai) and perspective on life is to be other-worldly, but we do also have an alien longing. We not only want to know and be like Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, but we are waiting to actually see Him face to face, this One we profess to love and pursue and in Whom we find unspeakable joy having never even laid eyes on Him (1Peter 1.8). Yes, He is coming back. He is coming back to finally and fully save those who are His, to once and for all rescue from death those who have truly trusted in His death and followed Him. For these, it will be glorious indeed. And so we are waiting. This verb is usually translated as ‘eagerly waiting’ (Romans 8.19, Romans 8.23, Romans 8.25, 1Corinthians 1.7, Galatians 5.5, Hebrews 9.28). As if we can’t wait. We are so looking forward to its arrival, to the arrival of Jesus. The word was used most frequently by Paul. He was seriously eager to see Jesus. And yet I wonder, are we? I think that perhaps many of us who follow Christ in the affluent west are too wrapped up in the passing joys and pleasures of this life to think much about the return of our Savior. The exception is usually when tragedy or hardship strike. Brokenness is good at bringing us back to reality, the reality that this world is not our home.
-Consider children as they eagerly await Christmas. It speaks to the value they place on the day itself - it is more special and desirable than any other day. but their eagerness grows in proportion to the proximity of the day. In the springtime, they perhaps look forward to Christmas with a modest level of longing, but as the day draws near, their anticipation and eagerness grows. and once December arrives and the signs of Christmas begin to appear all around, their eagerness level skyrockets. Christmas is almost here! They can't wait! They are so excited! Their entire outlook becomes colored red and green and tinsel. Paul says we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jesus. His return is very close. Our entire outlook should be colored Jesus.
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