Where is Your Citizenship Registered?

Most people in the world today hold a "citizenship" tied to a specific geographical place, usually a "nation" or "country." The opposite of the word "citizen" is "alien", which is someone currently residing in a place where they are not citizens and do not have the rights or privileges of citizens. In the United States, for example, the term "alien" or non-citizen, has several legal sub-definitions, such as "illegal alien" who were not granted government permission to enter the country, "visitors" who are generally given temporary "visas" to enter the country for a specific duration of time, "permanent residents" who can stay in the country as long as they want, but do not yet have the full rights and privileges of citizens, etc. Proof of citizenship is usually dependent upon a person being registered in a written record somewhere that is controlled by the government. In the United States, proof of citizenship is generally proven by a person's birth certificate, or by a U.S. Passport used for international travel. In the Bible, and specifically in the New Testament portion of the Bible, the terms for citizenship and aliens are defined differently than they are in Western culture, and encompass not just the earth in the natural world, but also Heaven in the spiritual realms. In the New Testament writings, believers in Jesus were referred to as "citizens" of Heaven, where Jesus currently rules as the King of the Kingdom of God. Those of us who have this citizenship, are granted the full rights and privileges of members of this Kingdom, to which we owe our allegiance to, along with all the duties that go along with citizenship.