The Sunday Mail
Ken Clarke
One of my favourite books is Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of two cities”. The novel is set in London and Paris during the period before and during the French Revolution. The former is a place of rest and the latter a place of change and turmoil. While reading the book, I wasstruck with the thought that life for a Christian is always “a tale of two cities”. Dickens wrote from the safety and comfort of London and saw at a distance how Paris had been turned upside down by the revolution.
As Christians, we do this the other way around. We live in the chaos of this world and look from a distance to our heavenly home. In fact, we are living as citizens of two “countries”. This is why Paul wrote to the Philippians – who were very proud of their Roman citizenship – “our citizenship is in heaven” (3:20). This dual citizenship puts Christians in a predicament. How do we balance the requirements and implications of being citizens of both Zimbabwe and Heaven?
Through history, Christians have taken many views on the dilemma. Some Christians embrace their earthly citizenship so strongly such that they ignore their heavenly citizenship. Some pull out of society altogether. Neither extreme is desirable. The former leads to compromise and justification of sin while the latter leads to pride and self-righteousness. Both extremes render Christians ineffective.
Perhaps the best way to deal with the predicament is to think in terms of the two great commissions that God gave us. These two commissions, I believe, govern how we are to act as citizens of both Zimbabwe and Heaven.
Our world commission
Right at the beginning when God made the first man, He gave all humans a job to do. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it (Gen. 2:15). Adam was told, before he rebelled against God, that he had to work. Work was not punishment. It was meant as a blessing. When everything was perfect, man was to work and keep the garden.
That is say man was to use his talents and abilities to make the garden a better place for people to live in while conserving flora and fauna. In spite of humankind’s rebellion against God, this commission still stands. To fulfil the world commission, Christians must work for the benefit of their earthly “country”.
This means that whether you are a street sweeper, an accountant, a doctor, a lawyer or a politician, you must work for the good of Zimbabweans, not just to enrich and benefit yourself. This is why Paul told slaves that they do not work for their master but for God (Colossians 3:22-15). So part of our job as humans is to help society to function well and to conserve the environment. But what is our commission as citizens of heaven?
Our church commission
When you realise your need for Jesus’ help to sort out your life, you are given a new heart, you are wiped clean and the Bible states it is like you have been born all over again. But with this new birth comes a new identity, you are now a brother or sister of Christ and a citizen of heaven. And God has a commission for you as a member of this heavenly Kingdom. We often refer to it as the great commission.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mat. 28:18-20)
In other words, we are to help others become citizens of heaven. In fact, in one sense we are now strangers in this world and Ambassadors of Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:20). This means, as we decide what to do here and now, we must take into account what God wants us to do for Him and His Kingdom. He wants us to get to know Christ better. This changes how we treat others and how we work.
Let us always remember that we are citizens of this country and Heaven, and that God has given us a commission for each.
Therefore, He wants us to go forward remembering that we are Ambassadors of Christ as we function to make society better.
We need the wisdom of Jesus to do this, and thankfully He has promised to be with us right to the end.
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