God told Abraham to go out and look for a special city. So Abraham left his familiar surroundings and went out looking for this city.
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going…. he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10).
The city Abraham was looking for was to be built by God, not by people. This city did not yet exist in the earth. This city existed in the spiritual realm, in the mind of God, but it had not yet been built upon the earth. No matter where Abraham went, he would not have found this city.
Abraham went out anyway, looking for a nonexistent city. Not surprisingly, Abraham didn’t know where he was going.
But Abraham’s steps of obedience began the manifestation of this city on the earth.
Other people followed in Abraham’s footsteps. They began looking for this same city which was built by God. They never found it, but they looked anyway. Each step of obedience that they took brought this city closer to manifestation upon the earth.
“But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:16).
This heavenly city is the one city that really matters.
Outside the Camp
“Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.” (Hebrews 13:13-14).
As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus in search of this city. To find it, we must go outside the camp.
The camp is the place of normalcy. It is the place where everyone is, doing the things they’ve always done. It is the place of religious routine and tradition. But God wants his people to go outside the camp like Jesus did, bearing his reproach. When Jesus went outside the camp and didn’t follow the corrupt religious traditions of Israel, then people began to reproach him. They eventually killed him.
As long as we are inside the camp, getting along with things, then then we will not be reproached. We might even be praised. But when we goes outside the camp, then reproach will fall upon us. This is the reproach of Christ.
When a person goes outside the camp to follow Jesus, then it shows that he is not satisfied with he cities built by people, but he is looking for a city that is built by God.
Eventual Manifestation of the City of God
Someday this city of God will be manifested upon the earth. God’s people will find it through persistent steps of obedience to the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2-3).
At the end of the age, the bride will be prepared for the coming of Jesus (Rev. 19:7). She will become holy, spotless, and glorious (Ephesians 5:27). When she is ready, the marriage supper of the Lamb will occur.
When the bride is prepared, she will be manifested as this glorious city of God upon the earth. All of God’s purposes will culminate in and through this city. This is the city that Abraham went out to look for. It is the city that God’s faithful people have been searching for throughout history. It is the city that will be revealed upon the earth in glory at the end of this age. This city is the bride of Christ.
May God hasten the preparation of his bride.
Lincoln House Churches 