12-05-2025 PART 2: Citizens of a Better Kingdom

Section 1

The passage opens with Paul’s sobering warning in Philippians 3, where he urges believers to imitate a godly pattern while recognizing that many live as enemies of the cross. Their focus is fixed on earthly concerns, and that fixation leads them away from the heart of the Gospel. The contrast Paul draws is sharp: those who keep their minds on temporal things drift from Christ’s purpose, but those who remember that their citizenship is in Heaven stay aligned with the Lord Jesus Christ. The explanation continues by recalling Peter’s moment of worldly thinking, where he tried to deter Jesus from the path of the cross. Jesus rebuked him because Peter’s affection drifted from the things of God toward the things of men. The warning is that anything outside the kingdom mindset becomes a distortion, even when it appears compassionate or well-intended.

Section 2

The teaching then emphasizes that the believer’s hope is never rooted in repairing the present world as though it were our final home. Scripture affirms repeatedly that God will bring forth a new heavens and a new earth, not a polished version of the current one. The earthly-first mentality confuses priorities by elevating creation above the Creator. As the text reminds, our allegiance is not to temporary structures but to the eternal kingdom of God. Hebrews reinforces this by presenting the patriarchs as people who longed for a better country—a city designed and built by God. Our orientation, therefore, must follow that same trajectory. The message also highlights the inner discomfort many believers feel in this world, a sense that something is misaligned. That uneasiness is a spiritual signpost, reminding us that this present age is not our destination.

Section 3

The argument continues by showing how the entire book of Hebrews centers on the word better, pointing consistently beyond earthly limitations to the superior promises of God. This perspective does not excuse mistreating the world or being careless; it simply clarifies where the believer’s anchor belongs. The danger arises when people begin to worship created things, assigning them a devotion that belongs only to the Lord. Such confusion leads to idolatry, avoidance of accountability, and rejection of truth. Scripture makes clear that humanity is responsible before God and that no excuses will stand when He brings all things into judgment. The conclusion calls believers to hold firmly to their heavenly citizenship, to honor the Creator above the creation, and to live with hope fixed on the salvation that will be revealed when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.