Ralph reminded us on Sunday night of an alternative verse to ‘Happy Birthday’ which goes:
‘Happy Birthday to you,
Only one will not do.
Take the gift of salvation,
And then you’ll have two!’
It was good to celebrate his birthday:
However, as he pointed out, all of us can have a second birthday: the day when we are born again! That second birthday gives us access to dual citizenship (Phil 3:20). We are no longer simply citizens of earth (and there is much discussion about nationality and identity at the moment in the UK as the debate about the EU referendum continues), but also citizens of heaven. This dual citizenship will at times create tension, but as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, our allegiance is not only to our earthly country but to our heavenly King.