Eclipse of Kingdoms (Part 4) Changing Allegiances

I grew up in Chicago and was in high school when "Da Bears" crushed the Patriots 46-10.  The '85 Bears gave us Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, "The Fridge," and the Super Bowl Shuffle.  It was amazing.  I loved Da Bears!

After moving to Seattle in 2003, years of disappointing Bears' seasons dimmed my loyalty. The Seahawks, with their electrifying play, gradually captured my heart. Today, I'm a far bigger Seahawks fan than I ever was a Bears fan.

This change in my sports fandom perfectly illustrates the concept of shifting allegiances from one "kingdom" to another. In Christian theology, this concept is central to the "Already/Not Yet" principle.,"

Colossians 1:13 tells us that Jesus "has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves."  Now our "citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20).  We are exiles in this world; our allegiance shifts from the world to Jesus.

This doesn't mean we become indifferent to the world around us. However, our ultimate identity and sense of belonging are no longer defined by worldly events. Just like my football allegiance shifted, our ultimate allegiance shifts from the world to God.

This truth became a source of profound comfort during a challenging period in my life. My career seemed over, my marriage failed, and despair threatened to engulf me. Yet, amidst the wreckage, I rediscovered a crucial truth: my true citizenship lies in heaven. This reality remained unshakeable, unaffected by my circumstances. No earthly trial, no matter how painful, could alter that fact.

Embracing this heavenly citizenship doesn't separate us from the world; it empowers us to transform it. As C.S. Lewis aptly stated,

“A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.
It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is.

Lewis goes on to highlight the historical impact of Christians who focused on the eternal.

The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.

…Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”

Therefore, let's secure our identity as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, knowing that in doing so, we can make a profound difference in the world around us.

With You;
Pastor Tim