Yes — for believers in this age of grace, citizenship in heaven is a present positional reality, not merely a future hope.
Scripture says God has translated believers into the kingdom of His dear Son, so our citizenship is already in heaven even while we live on earth. From that heavenly citizenship we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body to be like His glorious body. Les teaches that positionally, in the mind of God, believers are already in heaven.
Philippians 3:20-21 — The most direct answer to the question: our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our vile body.
Colossians 1:13 — Explains how believers enter that citizenship: God has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Philippians 3:20-21 speaks directly to the question: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 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." Colossians 1:13 likewise testifies, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." 1 John 3:2 adds, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." And 2 Corinthians 5:6 says, "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." In 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, Scripture further states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." Taken together, these passages show that believers' true citizenship is located in heaven, that they have already been transferred into God's kingdom, and that their bodies will one day be conformed to Christ's glorious body.
Les Feldick teaches that our citizenship is in heaven because the kingdom is in heaven. Christ is the very epitome of the kingdom, and when we become members of the body of Christ we also become members of the kingdom — God the Father has translated us from darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Les stresses that this is positional: even while living on earth, in the mind of God believers are already in heaven.
Scripture says God the Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:13). Les teaches that positionally, in the mind of God, believers are already in heaven even while on terra firma. Spiritually, in the realm of the invisible, we are already citizens of heaven; bodily, we are still at home in the body and absent from the Lord. Les also points out that Israel was an earthly people with earthly promises, while the church in the age of grace is a heavenly people with heavenly promises.
Les emphasizes the distinction that we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, not the King. At His second coming, Christ will come to the Mount of Olives for the nation of Israel as King of kings and Lord of lords. But for the church — His body — He comes as the Savior and head of the body. From heaven, where our citizenship is located, we look for Him to take us to Himself, which will be followed by the marriage supper of Christ.
Philippians 3:21 says Christ "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." Les calls this a metamorphosis on a grander scale than a butterfly. He notes that the present body is corrupt and subject to dissolution. Les also shares his personal view that resurrected believers may be the age of Christ during His earthly ministry — 30 to 33 — with full vim and vigor. 1 John 3:2 confirms that while it does not yet appear what we shall be, when He appears we shall be like Him.
Because believers are citizens of heaven but living on earth, Paul writes that "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" and that all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). Les emphasizes that nothing can touch a believer unless God permits it, and that we are not saved just as a fire escape — we are saved to serve.
Les teaches that Christ is the very epitome of the kingdom, and the kingdom is in heaven. As members of the body of Christ, we become members of the kingdom — translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, which is presently located in heaven. When God the Son leaves heaven, He will bring the heavenly kingdom with Him to establish the earthly kingdom, and believers — part and parcel of that kingdom — will be with Him when He becomes King of kings and Lord of lords.
Resurrected Bodies Like Christ's Glorious Body
Les teaches that while Scripture says "now are we the sons of God," it does not yet appear what we shall be. He personally suggests resurrected believers will be like Christ in His earthly prime — about age 30 to 33 — full of vigor.
Kingdom, Citizenship, and the Savior
Les explains that because the kingdom is in heaven, believers who are members of the body of Christ have their citizenship in heaven and from there look for the Savior, the head of the body.
Looking for the Savior, Not the King
Les emphasizes that from our heavenly citizenship we look for the Savior, not the King — Christ comes for the church as the head of the body, and He will change our vile, corrupt body like a metamorphosis.
Already Positionally in Heaven
Les teaches that positionally, in the mind of God, believers are already in heaven — translated into the Kingdom — and from that citizenship we look for the Savior who will fashion our vile body like His.
Bodily Present, Spiritually Citizens of Heaven
Les explains that while physically at home in the body we are absent from the Lord, but spiritually we are already citizens of heaven because we have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.
A Heavenly People With Heavenly Promises
Les contrasts Israel as an earthly people with earthly promises and the believer in this age of grace as a heavenly people with heavenly promises, with our citizenship already in heaven.
The Heavenly Kingdom Comes to Earth
Les teaches that the kingdom is presently a spiritual kingdom located in heaven where believers' citizenship resides; when Christ returns He brings that kingdom with Him to become the earthly Kingdom.
Citizens of Heaven as New Creations
Les applies heavenly citizenship to daily living: believers are new creations in Christ, all things have become new, and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.
Philippians 3:20-21: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 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.
The foundational passage for the question — it identifies heaven as the believer's true citizenship and the place from which we await the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our bodies.
Colossians 1:13: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Shows how believers were transferred into the kingdom of God's dear Son, making heavenly citizenship a present reality.
1 John 3:2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Confirms that believers are already sons of God now, but not yet revealed in full; we will be like Him when He appears.
2 Corinthians 5:6: Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
Explains the tension of being at home in the body yet absent from the Lord while alive on earth.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Describes the believer's new-creation status as a citizen of heaven living on earth.
2 Corinthians 5:18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Declares that believers have been reconciled to God and entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.
It means believers, by virtue of salvation through the Gospel, have been translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son and are already positionally citizens of heaven even while living on earth. From that heavenly citizenship we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body to be fashioned like His glorious body.
Yes. Scripture says God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Les teaches that positionally, in the mind of God, believers are already in heaven — though we do not yet feel it while we walk on terra firma.
Because Christ comes for the church, His body, as the Savior and head of the body — not as King. At His second coming He will come to the Mount of Olives for the nation of Israel as King of kings and Lord of lords, but for believers He is the Savior who will take us to Himself.
The Lord Jesus Christ "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). Les describes this as a metamorphosis on a grander scale than a butterfly, transforming our corrupt, dissolvable body into a glorious body like His.
As citizens of heaven living on earth, believers are new creations in Christ — old things are passed away and all things are become new. Les emphasizes that we are not saved just as a fire escape; we are saved to serve, and God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
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