Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Like the Saints of old, we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13), we are just temporary here; but, “our conversation is in heaven”! The Greek word that is translated “conversation” literally refers to a unified body of people in an established city or country. In Old English, the word “conversation” referred to a place where a person lived, where their home was, where they conducted their affairs of life and association. Our modern word, ‘citizenship’, captures the sense of the Old English word “conversation”. Contextually, the place of “our conversation” is the place of our permanent dwelling where we will joyfully associate and communicate with the other residents and be entirely focused upon the Lord Himself. Paul makes it very clear that this world is not our permanent home, “For our conversation is in heaven”! The glory, majesty, love, peace, and joy “in heaven” is beyond our natural ability to comprehend, our “Father” is “in heaven” (Matthew 5:45), “heaven … is God’s throne” (Matthew 5:34), and on the last day of this present world “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven” (I Thessalonians 4:16) to take His beloved Children to be forever with Him “in heaven” (I Thessalonians 4:17). Therefore, we ought to live and behave according to “our conversation” which “is in heaven”. Our time on this earth is temporary and it is fraught with many tribulations, but we anxiously look forward to “a better country” (Hebrews 11:16)!