A CITIZEN BY BIRTH

Acts 22:27-28 (NLT) So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied. “I am too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!” Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”

Can you see this scene in your mind’s eye? Paul has been accused by his enemies and dragged off into the Roman encampment. He’s been roughly treated and tied to a whipping post about to be whipped. Paul looks at the officer and asks him if it’s legal to beat a Roman citizen without a trial, knowing full well it wasn’t! Paul knew his rights as a Roman citizen and he used them to challenge what his captors were about to do!

Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of  heaven, where the Lord Jesus lives. God wants us to see something today, to remember we are citizens of the Kingdom of His Son and that as citizens He has given us certain rights. We have the right to stand up to our enemy the devil and tell him he cannot hold us bound because we know who we are. 

In the courts of Heaven, God has declared us not guilty, declared us righteous in His sight. We are children of God Most High, bought and paid for at enormous cost by His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the devil has no legal right anymore to hold us bound or to beat us up or to put sickness of any kind on us!

If someone was to ask you if you are a citizen of God’s kingdom, what would you say? Would you say like Paul, “I certainly am”. If you do, then you must know you have the authority to tell the enemy to loose his hold on you and let you go. He has no right to put sickness, disease, lack, fear, oppression or depression on you because you are a citizen of Heaven, chosen and called by God, and you have been born into God’s kingdom.

Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT) For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Like Paul, we are citizens by the new birth, by being born again! We are authorised to resist the devil and command him to flee, but we have to use our authority!😊

Lord we praise and thank You for Jesus our Saviour, our Conquering Hero! He has set us free forevermore. Amen.

Photo by Jamie Hagan on Unsplash