The True Cost of Citizenship

This is something I wrote a while back but never posted. I don’t really know why, but I’m finally going to try to finish it and share it.

I don’t quite remember the exact conversation that inspired this, but here’s what I do recall: someone said, “I feel like I need to do something to truly be a part of the kingdom of God.” Essentially, this person—though I can’t remember which friend it was—realized that the idea of simply believing as the only requirement for salvation wasn’t true. There had to be something more. How could we expect a life to be laid down for us and not give anything in return? That thought brings us to the heart of this message.

I asked myself this question: “If God died for us, how can we expect salvation for anything less?”

Really, how can we? Jesus went to the cross. He endured unimaginable pain and suffering. Yet we expect to just waltz into heaven with nothing more than a simple “I believe.” This very idea is unbelievably preposterous. It would make salvation free.

Free—that troublesome word. Free is a lie, a deception from the very pits of hell.

The concept of “free” is a misleading, far-fetched illusion. It suggests that salvation comes with no cost—not only to us but also in its perceived value. This notion diminishes and degrades the price that my Savior paid. It makes salvation seem like something to simply take without offering anything in return.

As a child, I remember my parents telling me that nothing in this world is truly free. I would often counter by saying, “Freedom is free.” I believed the freedoms guaranteed to me as inalienable rights were without cost. But I was young and naive. Over time, I’ve come to understand that the so-called “land of the free” is not actually free. Someone paid a price so I could enjoy these rights: freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble, and freedom to petition.

According to PBS, over 1.1 million men and women have died fighting to secure these freedoms. This doesn’t even include those who suffer the lingering effects of war. Our great country has paid a heavy price for our rights.

When we’re born in America, we inherit these rights as part of a package called citizenship. However, even this citizenship has a price for those who partake of it. Yes, our “free” rights come at a cost—compliance and obedience to the laws of the land. When we fail to follow these laws, we risk losing our rights.

Now, I don’t want to dwell too long on this, because there’s a deeper, more important point I want to make.

Let’s consider the experience of an immigrant.
When someone immigrates to America, there’s a price they must pay to become a citizen and fully partake in the benefits of being an American. This cost isn’t monetary—it’s about leaving their past behind. To become an American citizen, they must renounce their old country and former citizenship. They must turn their back on the old life and embrace a new one filled with promise and opportunity.

I know a man who immigrated from Mexico. He’s incredibly proud of his citizenship papers. On my first day working with him, he pulled me aside to show them to me. His face was glowing with pride. He had given up his past for this new life and land.

Likewise, to become a citizen of God’s kingdom, you must give up your old life. You must turn your back on the world and fix your gaze on heaven. You must renounce your citizenship in this world. You must decide that this world is not your home, but that you desire a heavenly one. You must be born again to enter into this new citizenship.

Nicodemus asked Jesus how to enter God’s kingdom. In John 3:3, Jesus replied:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (KJV)

This isn’t a citizenship you can immigrate to—it requires a rebirth. Specifically, you must be born again to enter.

The steps to receiving this citizenship are outlined in Acts 2:38:
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

First, you must repent. This means not just asking for forgiveness but truly turning away from sin—putting to death the old self.

Next, you must be baptized—not merely sprinkled with water, but immersed, as described in Romans 6:4:
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Baptism buries the old self, allowing you to rise in the “newness of life.”

Finally, you must receive the Holy Ghost, the seal of your new citizenship.

Salvation isn’t free. There is a price. While it doesn’t compare to the one Jesus paid for us, it is still the greatest offering we can make: our lives, wholly surrendered to Him.