The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-22
MESSIANIC CITIZENSHIP.

G kingdom In Heaven. and that this king
c dom Is essentially the same in bot
Il worlds. Heaven is one part of thi
n kingdom and earth is another part
Those who are 'citizen's in Christ
= kingdom on earth are ipSO facfO citizen
o OF his kingdom in Heaven: and whtl
, they leave this world and actually 6,
y to Heaven. they will there at once h
T. recognized and treated as citizers
I They will need no new naturalization
t since they are already Messiani,
5 citizens. entitled by grace to be sucl
5 in the heavenly world. The transfer
ence by death from earth to HEAVIER
; will put them into the full and com
plete possession and enjoyment Of all
that belongs 10 Heavenly citizenship
) Messianic citizenship on earth will then
) merge itself Into Messianic citizenship
in Heaven, becoming the latter by
simply changing worlds. The citizen
will carry his citizenship, and also the
evidence OF its reality. with him. as he
passes from earth into the Heavenly
country; and there will be 10 one
to dispute his title, or call
IN question his right to enjoy
its privileges in the fullest measure
His citizen-title being good here. Will
be just as good there. The great head
of the Messianic kingdom, from whom
the citizenship is derived. and IN whose
book Of life" the reality is recorded.
is himself its guaranty in aud for both
worlds. The citizen here will not be
an alien and stranger there. but will
there be just what he was here in ms
relations to Christ.
1t is worthy of note that this citizen
ship is. in respect to al persons of whom
IL is true, precisely the same statue.
There are no half way citizens in the
Messianic kingdom. whether on earth
or IN Heaven. and no grants or special
privileges 10 some which are denied to
others. and no grades OF citizenship i'm
plying different degrees Of the idea
This citizenship. if it exists at aft.
always exists go completely as to en-
body the entire reality wherever il ex-
lists, no matter what may be The dislinc-
zion between citizens IN other respects.
IL is just as complete fact on earth az it
is in Heaven. IN this citizenship there
Is neither jew nor Greek. there is
neither bond nor free: there is
neither male nor female but all are
zone in Christ Jesus. '-lGal IL. 2S.
Being united 20 him as the Head # the
kingdom. they all have the same citizen
status. wherever they are, and what
ever they are. 4 black SKIN has no dis
advantages as compared with white
skin. and a slave has no disadvantage,
as compared with his master. The petty
and trausieut dislnc ions Of this LIE
are unknown and Of 10 consequence in
Messianic citizenship.
So. also. the process Of naturalization
by which this citizenship is acquired is
the same in rospect to all men. All
men are by nature aliens, and they can
become the children of God and citizens
of the Messianic kingdom only by |
faith IN Christ Jesus" gal. Ill. % |
This will put them in the re alton of |
citizens. without reference TO what
they were prior to faith. The condi- /
ton Of such citizenship is one that APP
plies 10 al men and is alike for all I
men. The worst man on earth may /
become such a citizen by settling his &C |
counts with God through Christ. Faith |
in Christ will secure to BIN the entire /
status with ali its privileges. No man /
on earth is so good as not to need such /
faith; and no one having the knowl-
edge of Christ. If refusing to believe in /
him, can become a citizen in his king /
dom, either in this world or IN the next. t
Faith in Christ is the naturalizing pro- /
cess for attaining this royal and glori |
Gus citizenship; and this faith must be
exercised while we are probationers in I
this world. The Bible nowhere breaches
the great doctrine of faith a cOndi- /
ton of salvation after death. The doc /
trine applies to this life and this only (
If here we fail, then we fail forever.
To persuade men to become Messianc
citizens by faith in Christ, and then to
live and act ''as il becometh the Gospel I
of Christ, - is the one idea to which /
Paul devoted his life. He was far the
most successful preacher Of Christ that
the world has ever known. His epistles
were written 20 those who prOfeSsed 10 /
be Christians: and his great Object was
to incite them to walk worthy Of the (
vocation wherewiih they had been
called, with all lowlineSs and
meekness, with long suffering, for
bearing one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity
OF the Spirit in the bond OF peace
lEphes. iv., 49, He desired to have
them rooted and grounded IN love,
and prayed that God would grant them
- according to the riches of his glory.
to be strengthened with might by his
Spirit in the inner man, and that
Christ might dwell in their hearts by
faith To preach the unsearchable
riches Of Christ was the work Of his
life. pursued in season and out Of
season until. as Paul the aged. he
suffered martyrdom and went to Hea-
ven. His Messianic citizenship was
such as "becometh the Gospel Of
Christ. "-Isdependent.
UNDER GODS EYE.
The spirit Of devotion should be our
great aim. We are. indeed. buried in