The Character of a Citizen
Psalms • Sermon • Submitted
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· 96 viewsA citizen of Heaven must be a person of integrity, truthful, merciful, and honest.
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Read Psa 15
To become a citizen of any country, there are some requirements and characteristics that a person must have. I can recall some of the questions I had to answer:
Have you ever been a member of a Communist party?
Have you ever been involved in prostitution?
Have you been convicted of a crime?
Why questions like those? Every country or kingdom want exemplary citizens.
The Bible reminds us about our citizenship:
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
Porque nuestra ciudadanía está en los cielos, de donde también ansiosamente esperamos a un Salvador, el Señor Jesucristo,
A citizen must display certain characteristics, of which describes some.
What is expected of a citizen of Heaven? A citizen of Heaven must be...
A person of Integrity.
A person of Integrity.
“He who walks with integrity,” 2a
He is what he professes to be.
He is what he professes to be.
Integrity means “complete”, but also means “rectitude”.
A man of integrity is someone who doesn’t have two faces; one who is the same despite the circumstances, who is the same in church as at home, in privacy or in public. Someone who does not hide anything.
“Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody's watching, and doing as you say you would do.” (Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart)
Our Lord Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and He behaved as such. He claimed to be the Son of God and gave enough proof with His works and His words. He was what He professed to be!
One of the greatest problem of the religious people of His time was that they professed to be righteous, but they did not act righteously; they were hypocrites.
Speaks the truth in his heart.
Speaks the truth in his heart.
“and speaks the truth in his heart.” 2b
Speaking the truth all the time is a trait of integrity. The citizen of Heaven speaks the truth to himself first: he doesn’t deceive himself; he is honest with himself.
But he also speaks the truth to others. Since Heaven, our country, is a place where truth reigns, deception has no place in it. Therefore, deception a place in the life of its citizens.
Jesus was not popular with the religious establishment because He told them the truth, even knowing that it would put his life at risk:
“But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.
John 8:40
If there is great joy for a pastor, that is to see the sheep walking, living, and speaking the truth. That what the apostle John wrote in two of his letters:
I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
Someone who deals mercifully with others.
Someone who deals mercifully with others.
Not placing his eyes on other’s faults.
Not placing his eyes on other’s faults.
“he does not take up reproach against his friend;” 3c
“Erring is of humans, but blaming others is even more of humans.”
Citizens of Heaven understand that all citizens are imperfect and sinners; and the only reason why they became citizens is because Jesus had mercy on them. None of us deserved it!
Why prostitutes and publicans were drawn to Jesus? Because Jesus did not put His eyes on their sins or faults, but on their potential in the hands of a forgiving God. He was always merciful to sinners that came to Him.
If Jesus, the king of Heaven, the perfect and only one without sin did not focused on others’ sins, who are we to do it?
Making the best of everybody.
Making the best of everybody.
Very often, citizens of Heaven, do exactly what our enemy does: to accuse the brethren. He always points to our weaknesses!
As citizens of Heaven, we must learn to do whatever it takes to help our fellow citizens to succeed in their life, and especially in their spiritual walk.
Man has been degraded by sin, but in the hands of the Potter, they are made whole and useful.
Not participating in gossip.
Not participating in gossip.
“He does not slander with his tongue… nor takes up reproach against his friend.” 3a, 3c
Slander and gossip are contrary to mercy! The purpose of slander is to damage someone’s reputation. The purpose of gossip is to spread that slander. There is no such thing as “good gossip”!
Slander and gossip characterize a citizen of Hell, not a citizen of Heaven.
Believers are commanded to avoid gossip:
“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.
Exo 23:1
‘You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the Lord.
A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
pro 16
Values those who walk with the Lord.
Values those who walk with the Lord.
He values people by their character and virtue.
He values people by their character and virtue.
“In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord;” 4
For a citizen of Heaven what a person might own or might know, is not important. What matters is if the person fears the Lord.
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich.
Character is what matters to citizens of Heaven!
We live in times when the reprobates (perverts) are celebrated and admired (like many artists, actors, and musicians), but those who fear the Lord are ridiculed.
How do you value people? Are you showing your citizenship?
He keeps his promises even if it hurts.
He keeps his promises even if it hurts.
“He swears to his own hurt and does not change;” 4c
A citizen of Heaven must be “a man of his word”, someone who keeps his promises, even if he made them rashly.
But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
Jephthah made a promise to the Lord without thinking. The fulfilment of the promise would be very painful, but he kept his word:
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
Jdg 11:30-31
When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”
Jdg 11:
Are you a man of your word? Do you keep your promises? Citizens of Heaven must keep their promises.
A person of honesty.
A person of honesty.
He does not take advantage of the needy.
He does not take advantage of the needy.
“He does not put out his money at interest,” 5a
Israelites were commanded not to take interest from fellow citizens. They could take it from foreigners or stranger, but not from their own people:
“You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess.
Deu 23 20
He does not accuse the innocent for profit.
He does not accuse the innocent for profit.
“He does not take a bribe against the innocent.” 5b
The Law of Moses was very clear on that; the Lord’s people should not take bribes from anyone:
“You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.
Exo 23:8
“You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
Deu 16:19
Anyone who was willing to take a bribe against an innocent was cursed.
To condemn the innocent Jesus, the Pharisees bribed Judas and other witnesses against him. Again, they proved they were not citizens of Heaven, but of Hell.