BULLETIN ARTICLE – 21 0ctober 2018
The Straits Times in an Oct 2017 article claimed the Singapore passport to be the “most powerful” in the world, with a visa-free score of 159. The index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a “visa-free score” based on the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free, or with a visa on arrival. However, in the latest Henley Passport Index update, it was reported that the Japanese passport is now the most powerful with visa-free or visa- on-arrival access to 190 destinations. The Singapore passport is a close second with access to 189 countries. In the case of an Afghan national, there are only 30 countries that the holder can visit without visas.
The Apostle Paul, in his defense with the Jews and with the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, claimed on his Jewish race and being born a Roman citizen. Paul spoke to the Jewish crowd in their own language – Aramaic- and they gave him their attention. A Roman citizen cannot be punished before being formally sentenced. Paul used his Roman citizenship to challenge the Roman authorities desire to physically punish him. The Christian living the Christian life often forgets his heavenly citizenship and continues to be bounded by the kingdom of sin and earthly pursuits. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).
When a Christian believes in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and is born again by faith, he is born into the heavenly kingdom. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God gives us his Holy Spirit to dwell in the person and the body becomes the temple of God. The Holy Spirit will transform one’s sinful desires into those that will glorify God. Christians who give themselves over to a holy God and his Word (Bible) can claim the great and precious promises of God given to them in the Bible as they read, study and meditate on what God has given them. It is through these precious promises that Christians may partake of God’s divine nature. This means that they will develop spiritual qualities which will distinguish them from those who live by the ways of the world. Christians must always claim their heavenly citizenship as they live their Christian lives in the world.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3, 4).
