Sabbath School lessons are part of a global study initiative undertaken by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. As we enter the first quarter of 2026, we will explore the theme “Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians” This week’s lesson, titled “A Heavenly Citizenship” covers the period from February 07 – February 13. Join Pastor Mark Finley for a brief preview of what to expect in this week’s study.

<p>Sabbath School lessons are part of a global study initiative undertaken by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. As we enter the first quarter of 2026, we will explore the theme “Uniting Heaven and Earth Christ in Philippians and Colossians” This week’s lesson, titled “A Heavenly Citizenship” covers the period from February 07 – February 13. Join Pastor Mark Finley for a brief preview of what to expect in this week’s study.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

HopeLives365

Mark Finley

07 A Heavenly Citizenship

Thank you for joining us for another Sabbath School lesson.

The title of our lessons this quarter is Uniting Heaven and Earth, Christ in Philippians and Colossians.

When you think of citizenship, what do you think of?

You think of a person who is a member or a citizen of a particular country.

When we talk about heavenly citizenship, we're talking about where our mindset is.

Our hope is based on something beyond this life.

So in life, we go through joys and sorrows.

There are many difficult moments in life.

There's sickness, there's financial reverses, family challenges, some people go through conflict in their marriage, some the trauma of a divorce.

There are times that we experience the ravages of war in some countries or famine, heartache, sorrow.

But yet, if you're a heavenly citizen, in spite of what's going on around you, you focus on what's above you.

If you're a heavenly citizen, you anticipate that there's a better world coming.

And it's that joy that takes you through the conflicts of life.

So let's pray and ask the Lord especially to be with us as we study this lesson, Heavenly Citizen.

Father in heaven, we're thankful that we are citizens of another world, that we're citizens of the eternal world.

Keep us ever so focused on the fact that this world is not our home that we're just passing through.

That 1 day we can live with you and see you face to face in those eternal realms of glory.

Under the Sabbath afternoon's reading, the last paragraph under heavenly citizenship says this, Most important, we need not place our hopes in earthly systems or government which regularly disappoint us.

Often governments, as much as they try, disappoint us.

There's dishonesty, graft, corruption at times in some governments of the world.

But as Christians, we are citizens of God's heavenly kingdom.

With that citizenship comes wonderful privileges, wonderful privileges and responsibilities too.

So as a citizen of heaven, 1 of the privileges that we have is being a positive role model to others.

In Sunday's lesson titled Role Models, Let's take a look at Philippians 3, verse 17 to 19.

It says, brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern, for many walk of whom I've told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they're enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is their destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things.

So here Paul contrasts heavenly citizenship and what it means to be a positive role model and what it means to be a negative role model.

Because as he walks through life, his focus is on eternity.

He shares the Christ that he knows, the Christ that's changed his life.

He wants others to have the joy of knowing Jesus and living in eternity.

Paul's focus is not on the things of time, but on the things of eternity.

Not on the here and now, but on the hereafter.

Certainly Paul was focused on what Christ wanted of his life.

What about those who are poor role models who are enemies of the cross of Christ?

It said they're enemies of the cross of Christ.

They don't believe in the principles of God's Word.

Then it says that they set their mind on earthly things.

So the question is where is your mind set?

These people who are poor role model have their minds set on earthly things.

It says, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame.

Here, under the note of Sunday's lesson we read, we must not miss Paul's love toward those with whom he disagrees.

He weeps over them, that's what the scripture says.

Notice that he doesn't call them his enemies, but enemies of the cross of Christ.

Paul recognized that much larger issues were at stake, namely how the cross breaks down barriers, how the cross places us all on the same level as sinners in need of a savior.

Also not to be overlooked is how Paul urges the Philippians to focus on the good examples, not the bad, to observe carefully those whose manner of life is just much like his own.

So when we walk through life, We often have a stamp we place on other people's souls.

You know, I remember 1 time, I was just a young man, I was 21 years old.

I was flying from Manaus, Brazil, back to Beiling.

I was a student missionary on the Amazon River, worked there on the Lucero 6.

And as I was flying, I was sitting there on the plane.

I saw a man walk in, long hair, deeply etched lines upon his face, long robes.

And I could tell he was some kind of Indian holy man.

And I wondered, where's this guy gonna sit?

And as we traveled, I just enjoyed talking to him so much.

He shared his philosophy of life with me, and I shared some biblical values with him, which is a very healthy, positive discussion.

At the end of the meeting, he stood up to leave, the plane landed by now, and he stood up to leave, and he looked back at me, And with these pensive eyes of wisdom, he simply looked at me and he said, young man, every 1 of us as we walk through life put footprints on the souls of somebody else.

He might have used the word fingerprints on the soul.

And then he said to me, today, thank you for leaving positive fingerprints on my soul.

I've thought about it many times through the years.

It's true that as we walk through life, just as a fingerprint is an identity mark, when you are fingerprinted by the police, hope you're not, but if you are, they are fingerprinting you to check a database to see if you've committed any other crimes.

And what Paul is saying in Philippians chapter 3 here and verses 17 to 19, he's saying every single 1 of us is a positive or negative influence.

And the essence of being a positive influence is we leave positive fingerprints on the soul of another when every action, every word, every thought is based on heavenly values.

So let your life shine like a light for Jesus.

Leave fingerprints on the souls of others, on the lives of others, on their deepest part of their being.

By focusing on the values of heaven, let those values guide and strengthen your life.

In Monday's lesson, the title is Stand Fast in the Lord.

So as a heavenly citizen walking through life, our mindset is on eternity.

It's a way of thinking, it's a thought process.

Philippians 3, verse 20 and 21, look carefully what this heavenly citizenship is all about.

For our citizenship, that's our way of thinking, our way of life, the values that govern us, is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We're looking for Jesus to come, to take us home.

Verse 21, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he's able to subdue all things to himself.

So Jesus, 1 day is gonna come, and he's gonna transform these mortal bodies into immortal bodies.

He's gonna transform this corruptible into incorruption, like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 51 to 54.

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07 A Heavenly Citizenship

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