Ah, the city life. Congestion. Pollution. Road rage. Shopping malls. Nearly unlimited dining and entertainment options. It's a mixed bag of it all, good and bad.
The city of God. It's both a place and a people, just like any city - but with notable differences. No unpleasant congestion. No pollution. No road rage. No malls? Well, now we're getting in to speculation.
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King ... As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever ." (Psalm 48:1-2,8)
Jerusalem is destined to be the capital city in the coming kingdom of God, and the dwelling place of God Himself: "I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them'" (Revelation 21:2-3).
The city of God, dwelling place of God, is both a people and a place. It is to come, and it is already. You see, we are the city of God in a very real sense. "'Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21:9-10). The church, in one very real sense, is the city, the dwelling place of God. And, as such, we are designed to be "the joy of the whole earth" - a blessing to the earth.
Our identity as the city of God is important to ponder. If indeed we are the dwelling place of God, then our character should increasingly resemble that reality. As the city of God, we are a people whose community life reflects the character of God. That's what I find especially compelling in the book of Acts - these people lived and functioned as the city of God, and their contemporaries were in awe of this radical community. The world had never seen anything like it, and they found it compelling.
The older I get, the more convinced I am that the primary witness of the people of God in the world is how they live out truth as community. Sadly, this has all too often been an area of great downfall. How many churches and Christian communities have been racked with division, infighting, and pettiness? The world has often had cause to discount Christian community is being little different than non-Christian social organizations.
We are the city of God. The world may little note our biblical talk, but they will definitely observe how we live, and live with one another. May a skeptical and unbelieving world today see harmony in our talk and in our personal and corporate lifestyle.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
The city of God. It's both a place and a people, just like any city - but with notable differences. No unpleasant congestion. No pollution. No road rage. No malls? Well, now we're getting in to speculation.
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King ... As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever ." (Psalm 48:1-2,8)
Jerusalem is destined to be the capital city in the coming kingdom of God, and the dwelling place of God Himself: "I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them'" (Revelation 21:2-3).
The city of God, dwelling place of God, is both a people and a place. It is to come, and it is already. You see, we are the city of God in a very real sense. "'Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God" (Revelation 21:9-10). The church, in one very real sense, is the city, the dwelling place of God. And, as such, we are designed to be "the joy of the whole earth" - a blessing to the earth.
Our identity as the city of God is important to ponder. If indeed we are the dwelling place of God, then our character should increasingly resemble that reality. As the city of God, we are a people whose community life reflects the character of God. That's what I find especially compelling in the book of Acts - these people lived and functioned as the city of God, and their contemporaries were in awe of this radical community. The world had never seen anything like it, and they found it compelling.
The older I get, the more convinced I am that the primary witness of the people of God in the world is how they live out truth as community. Sadly, this has all too often been an area of great downfall. How many churches and Christian communities have been racked with division, infighting, and pettiness? The world has often had cause to discount Christian community is being little different than non-Christian social organizations.
We are the city of God. The world may little note our biblical talk, but they will definitely observe how we live, and live with one another. May a skeptical and unbelieving world today see harmony in our talk and in our personal and corporate lifestyle.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
posted by steve @ 9:08 AM
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