“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20, NIV)
Today’s verse is taken from a larger scripture passage (Philippians 3:1-21) where Paul addresses the challenges — and the frustrations — in aspiring to live a holy life in the midst of corruption.
We tend to think of corruption as a synonym for evil. It is not.
Corruption occurs in any instance where some thing’s (or someone’s) true form or function is shaped or used for a lesser purpose. For example, using a kitchen knife as a screwdriver is a corruption of the design and purpose of the knife. The knife will do the job of driving a screw, but often with permanent damage to the knife tip. Better to just use the correct tool for the job, right?
We bear the signs of corruption in our body and mind. We are in physical decline, although we have immortal souls. We dream of heaven’s eternal glories, yet we toil for the trinkets of time. We are citizens of heaven, but we live under the laws of earth. God did not create us for this!
The solution to our corruption is the Savior. His advent will end our exile. In the meantime, wait — and work — in faithfulness toward that day. – Luther
Daily Encouragement 