

What does it mean to be a citizen of heaven? The Chief Apostle put the focus on eternal fellowship with God and the return of Jesus Christ. A path that leads to perfection and culminates in ministering to others.
During a surprise visit to the congregation in Kehl in Germany on 10 November 2024, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider spoke about a promise that not only gives Christians hope, but shapes their entire outlook on life.
Citizens of heaven
The Chief Apostle’s message was based on the passage from Philippians 3: 20–21: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
The Chief Apostle explained that Christians receive citizenship in heaven through baptism. God bridged the gulf making access to Him possible. Yet we live in the world, go about our daily tasks, and enjoy the pleasures of life—always with the knowledge that our true home is not of this world. “Decisive for us is not what the world wants, but the will of God and His law,” the Chief Apostle said.
Belief in the return of Christ
Another focus of the sermon was our expectation of the return of Jesus. The Chief Apostle said that New Apostolic Christians are not waiting for death or the end of the world in order to finally be saved from everything. “This corresponds to our religious conviction,” the Chief Apostle said. The New Apostolic faith assumes that God will actively intervene in history. “The return of Christ is as certain as His birth, His incarnation, His resurrection, and His ascension.”
The Chief Apostle encouraged the sisters and brothers to seek dialogue with God if their faith in the return of Christ should weaken. Fellowship with the members of our congregation and the ministers can also help us to refocus on the promise of Jesus, he said. Belief in the return of Christ is not just a hope, but a cornerstone of the Christian faith.
Redemption and perfection
The return of Jesus is inevitably connected with a transformation. God will not only deliver believers from suffering and death, but will also make them perfect in spirit, soul, and body. The new body will be free of pain and illness and will not age. There will be a state of perfect harmony and joy.
But this transformation is more than just a liberation from earthly suffering: it is the completion of a process that is starting now already. The Chief Apostle said that Christians strive to be like Christ: full of trust in God, and full of love for Him and their neighbour. We will be “saved by grace because we cannot do it on our own”, the Chief Apostle explained. “It is the grace of God that makes believers perfect.”
Fellowship and ministration
Perfection in Christ leads to a deep fellowship with God and with one another. The Chief Apostle described his vision of perfect fellowship as a state in which all imperfections have disappeared. This perfection will also enable believers to work as priests of God in the thousand-year kingdom of peace. “Believers will be able to contribute in a perfect way so that other people can also find fellowship with God.”
Photo: NAK Süddeutschland