Citizens of Heaven, Living in the World

Introduction

Dual citizenship creates tension — like a traveler learning a new language and culture.
Big Question: How do we live as citizens of heaven while still living in the kingdom of this world?

The Biblical Tension

We belong to another kingdom

Philippians 3:20 — “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 21:3 — “Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.”

We are called to engage with this world

Micah 6:8 — “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
John 17:14–15 — “They are not of the world… My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.”

A tempting but wrong response: withdrawal

The monastic movement — removing ourselves from the world entirely.
God has not called us to easy — we're called to be salt and light.

Daniel: A Model for the Tension

Background: Daniel exiled from Judah to Babylon (605 BC); Babylon located in modern-day Iraq. Babylon sought to assimilate exiles — new language, new culture, new names. Daniel's name changed to Belteshazzar.

1. Daniel Resolved

Daniel 1:8 — “Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine.”
Resolutions require forethought — deciding your direction before the test comes.
Played out later in Daniel 6 — the lions' den decree.
Example: Jonathan Edwards' 70 Resolutions, reviewed weekly.
Reflection: Do you have lines already drawn — in your habits, entertainment, spending, relationships?

2. Daniel Was a Man of Prayer

Daniel 6:10 — “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
Daniel 6:4–5 — “They could find no corruption in him… unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
Prayer was a habit, not a one-time act of defiance.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — companions of equally strong character.
Reflection: Do you have spiritual disciplines? Do others know you walk with God?

3. Daniel Had a Clear Vision of the Future

Daniel 2:44 — “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed… it will itself endure forever.”
Daniel 4:25 — “Until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth.”
Daniel 7:14 — “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away.”
Daniel served earthly kings well but never confused service with allegiance.
Reflection: Do you live like this world is temporary, or like it's all there is?
Reflection: When tempted to compromise, what wins — present pressure, or the certainty of where it's all headed?

Conclusion

Daniel didn't just survive Babylon — he blessed Babylon (Daniel 2:48; 6:3).
Jeremiah 29:7 — “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile… if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Being a citizen of heaven doesn't mean withdrawing — it means bringing our best into this world.
Daniel means “God is my judge.” Babylon renamed him Belteshazzar, but it never changed who he was.
Big Idea: The world will try to rename us. The question is whether we've resolved, ahead of time, whose judgment actually matters.