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Where Is Your Citizenship?

Where Is Your Citizenship?

by

Tim Jennings, M.D.
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Do you identify yourself as an American, Canadian, Australian, South African, or as some other nationality?

I was raised to be a proud American—to wave the flag, to celebrate Independence Day, and to revel in the storied history of my nation.

I grew up watching movies like Yankee Doodle Dandy and singing patriotic songs like “God Bless America,” “America the Beautiful,” and “America (My Country ’Tis of Thee)” — even Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”

As an adult, I received a scholarship to medical school from the U.S. Army, completed my psychiatric residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, and served as the Division Psychiatrist for the 3rd Infantry Division. So, I know about patriotism, love for my country, and identifying as an American.

But as I grew in my relationship with Jesus Christ, I began to question this loyalty — this heart tie — to my nation of birth. Of course, while on this earth, we all have a legal national identity, and I still do recognize that this identity can be powerful common ground between two otherwise very different citizens.

However, I began to question whether my heart as a Christian should be so firmly tied to my nation. And further, I wondered, can such loyalties cause human division and even obstruct the unity that Christ came to bring?

I eventually realized that my heart’s affections to my nation had not been superseded with heart affection for the kingdom of God, even though I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, believing fully in God. My loyalties were divided and I had not become a full and complete citizen of heaven in my heart.

We cannot be dual citizens; we cannot be a citizen of a selfless heaven while remaining a citizen of this selfish world.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

The apostle Paul wrote:

In fact, many are Christ’s worst enemies, taking his name while revealing in their characters the attributes of the evil one. They have refused Christ’s true Remedy, and therefore their condition remains terminal; their god is self, and self-gratification is all they pursue. They are actually proud of the lewd, disgusting and shameful things they do. Their minds are focused only on things of this selfish, self-indulgent world. But our minds and hearts—our very citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await the return from heaven of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:18–20 The Remedy).

In order to be a citizen of heaven, several things are required: First, our heart ties must be cut away from this world and its methods of fear and selfishness; second, we must be reborn with new hearts that are tied to heaven and are loyal to God and His principles of truth, love, and freedom.

  • “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6 NIV84).
  • “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts” (Jeremiah 4:4 NIV84).
  • “Circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:29 NIV84).

Whether we’re talking about a biological circumcision or a circumcision of the heart, there is a difference in understanding the need for circumcision and actually having circumcision. Both are painful.

However, the younger we are, with fewer heart ties to this world, the less painful; the older we are, with heart ties more deeply attached to this world, the more painful. But it is a change that we must have.

But how do we experience this change of heart — this cutting away of our affections and loyalty to this world and establishing them with God, instead? By coming to know God as Jesus revealed Him (John 17:3). We must know the truth about God, which destroys the lies about Him and sets us free from fear and selfishness (John 8:32).

However, this is not mere cognitive awareness; it is an experiential truth. We must know the truth about God — who He is, how He governs His kingdom, how His law of love operates, and what His methods of transformation are, so that we can intelligently choose Him and reject the methods and principles of this world.

To become a citizen of any nation of this world, one only has to meet the legal requirements of that nation. One does not need to have a sincere change of heart; one doesn’t even have to love that nation. A person becomes a citizen in this world typically by passing a knowledge test, claim the privilege by declaring one’s desire to be a citizen, perform a ritual (such as holding up a hand), make a public pledge of loyalty, and, finally, receive a legal declaration, such as a certificate or some other document.

Sadly, many people think that becoming a citizen of God’s kingdom follows the same pattern — passing a test (know the correct creed), claiming the privilege (accept the legal blood payment), performing a ritual (be baptized in water), making a public pledge of loyalty, and then being legally declared a citizen (often in the form of a certificate of baptism by a church).

But, becoming a citizen of heaven is not achieved by learning enough Bible facts, by making a legal claim, by performing rituals, or even by publicly pledging loyalty. Becoming a citizen of heaven is not a legal process, but a transformational one.

To be a citizen of heaven, one must experience a recreation of the heart and a healing of the mind — a rebirth, a renewal of the whole being. It is a cleansing from fear and selfishness and a writing of the laws of God into the heart (Hebrews 8:10), laws that are the design protocols of life, the principles of love, truth, and freedom.

God’s laws are not like man’s law, a list of rules to which we must obey. God’s laws are the protocols upon which reality is designed to operate. If we violate those laws, the natural result, without God intervening to heal, is death.

When God says that He will write His law on our hearts and minds, He is saying, “I will heal you from all the damage of sin and restore you to my perfect design. I will restore your hearts and minds to love, truth, and liberty. You will function within my design parameters for life, not because you are afraid, but because you love others and are in agreement and in perfect harmony with me. You will become like me in character, methods, and motive.”

This is how we become citizens of heaven: by being united with God in mind and heart, thus becoming a member of His family. We are adopted into His family — not in a legal way, but in a functional way. In trust, we open our hearts to Him and adopt His character, His law of love, into our hearts. In short, we become partakers of the divine nature! When this happens, our desires, longings, values, and motives change. The things of this earth lose their appeal. The methods of this world become offensive. The kingdoms of earth will be seen as beastly, coercive, corrupt — and we will distance ourselves from them.

We no longer get tricked into trying to promote God’s kingdom through earthly governments, but, rather, we live under a higher authority than any earthly government. We see all human beings as children of God, and we seek to bring to every person the truth about Him. We invite them to become citizens of heaven with Christ as our true King, as the Lord of Lords.

When our understanding of reality changes, we become spokespersons for God — people who know Him, understand His methods, and are eager to tell others about His principles. We understand reality, what is actually wrong and God’s solution for it. We realize that God’s kingdom is nothing like the nations of this sinful earth, because His law is nothing like the laws that sinful humans enact.

God is Creator. His laws are the protocols upon which all reality operates — from gravity to the laws of health and the moral laws. Breaking any of God’s laws damages and destroys those who break them. However, God is always working through Christ to heal and restore us back into harmony with His design, back to a life of love.

While no quiz or test can determine the status of one’s heart, and therefore cannot determine whether someone is a citizen of heaven or not, a genuine citizen of heaven will grow in their knowledge of God. They will advance in their understanding of God’s methods and principles and ever increase their ability to accurately promote His kingdom of love and tell the truth about Him. With this in mind, I wrote out some questions below that a mature citizen of God’s kingdom would have little difficulty in answering.

  • What is the supreme law of God?
    • The law of love—the principle of giving or beneficence
  • What are some other laws of  God (name at least two)?
    • The law of liberty
    • The law of worship
    • The law of exertion
    • The law of truth
    • The law of restoration
    • The laws of health
    • The laws of physics (such as gravity)
  • From where does God’s law originate?
    • From God’s character and nature of love
  • What is the purpose of God’s law?
    • To maintain the lives, health, and happiness of all His creation
  • How does God’s law function?
    • Design protocols upon which life is constructed to operate
  • What is the problem with breaking God’s law? Why is sin wrong?
    • It deviates from what is necessary for life and causes injury and death to the one who breaks it—like tying a plastic bag over your head will kill you because it breaks the law of respiration
  • What three threads of evidence has God given to reveal truth to us?
    • Scripture
    • Science
    • Experience
  • What is the source of God’s authority?
    • Truth—which ultimately originates in Him and leads us back to Him
    • Reality—all reality is built by God, sustained by God, and operates only upon His design laws and methods; thus, all reality leads us back to God
    • Scripture—the Bible is not the source of God’s authority, but rather His instrument in communicating authoritative truth to us
  • What did Christ accomplish at the cross?
    • The remedy to cure the sin problem
  • How does a person become a citizen of heaven?
    • By trusting God and experiencing a change of heart
  • What promise do you make when you become a citizen of heaven?
    • To be loyal to God—and to love and trust Him with your entire being
  • How do we show loyalty to the kingdom of heaven?
    • By living in harmony with God’s methods and principles (laws)
    • By revealing and telling the truth about God
    • By loving others as God has loved us
  • Name the two supreme responsibilities that citizens of heaven have?
    • To love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength
    • To love your neighbor as yourself
  • What are the three great principles of God’s kingdom?
    • Love
    • Truth
    • Liberty
  • What mission did Jesus give to the members of His kingdom?
    • To take the truth about His kingdom of love to the world

If you are not already a citizen of God’s heavenly kingdom, I invite you today to go to God and surrender your heart to Him, to invite Him in, asking for fear and selfishness to be removed and His law of love to be written in. Then go forth every day to grow in your love relationship with God and share the truth about Him and His kingdom with others, inviting them to also become citizens of heaven.

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Tim Jennings, M.D.

Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association, and an international speaker. He served as president of the Southern and Tennessee Psychiatric Associations and is president and founder of Come and Reason Ministries. Dr. Jennings has authored many books, including The God-Shaped Brain, The God-Shaped Heart, and The Aging Brain.

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Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA

 

Testimony 49

I came into the church at 21, but that is as far as it went. I was so confused about what love is. I couldn’t find it in the bible, because I am not a person that can read between the lines. I have no logic. I have read many, many books; trying to figure out the crux of the matter. They were helpful, but something was still missing. I have become very frustrated to the point of crying out to God, “Where can I go?”  I needed some basics.

I found two books, written by Timothy Jennings, MD, to be very helpful. God showed me that I had lived my whole life in fear. I didn’t even see it. Now, I do. God is so good.  I discovered the “The Remedy”  Dr. Jennings new book, “The God-Shaped Heart!” Oh, I was so excited, I purchased them right away.

I can get rid of most of my books, because “The Remedy” brings the Love of God out so clearly, even I can’t miss it. Now, I want to sit and read my Bible. Wow, what a revelation! It is just simply Awesome! I am so grateful to Jehovah Almighty for hearing my prayer for more understanding! I am so encouraged!

Jackie S.

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 61

I grew up in a prominent protestant church and had what I like to call religious anxiety. I’ve always had questions about God and Salvation that no one could seem to answer.  I didn’t know how to find resolution. During 2020, at the height of my anxiety, I fell to my knees and begged God to show me truth and light and to give me the hope that I’ve been longing for. Days later, I stumbled upon your online videos and it was like a veil was lifted and EVERYTHING made sense! For the first time in my almost 39 years of life, my religious/spiritual anxiety has lessened. I feel a sense of freedom and peace I’ve NEVER had before… and it’s all because my view of God has changed. Thank you!

Ashleighn C.

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 11

I would love to have a copy of “Healing the Mind” DVDs to have in my therapy office. I enjoy having clients check out materials to enhance their therapy experience. I have sat under Dr. Jennings’ teaching at an American Association of Christian Counselors convention and respect his work greatly.

K.B., LA, USA

 

Testimony 14

We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA

 

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

Daniel T., Easley, SC, USA

 

Testimony 4

I’m a youth leader in South Africa. We as a youth group are currently using a lot of the material on the Come and Reason site. Since we’ve started using the material, our youth group has grown.

R. V. N., South Africa

 

Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

Andrew H., Great Britain

 

Testimony 8

Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 16

Your seminars are still inspiring and changing our lives and we continue to share the principles we have learned from you. Your ministry has changed our lives!

E.W.