New Jerusalem, Habitation of the God of Peace (8)rela
New Jerusalem is a city of peace. This city is in Christ and Christ is the peace. Our foretaste of this complete peace is seen in the concluding blessings of many epistles.
Second Corinthians 13:11 says, “Finally, brothers, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, think the same thing, be at peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Our first step to having the God of love and peace is to rejoice.
To “be at peace” requires that we forgive every offense, even as stated in Colossians 3:3, “forgiving one another, if anyone should have a complaint against anyone; even as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive.”
The Lord is our strength to forgive! Paul tells us that he forgave by looking into the face of Christ; when we look at Him every offense fades away. And every offense and complaint needs to be cleared away. We cannot take any of these into the kingdom age and into New Jerusalem.
Galatians 6:16 tells us “as many as walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.” This rule is to walk in the new creation by boasting in the cross of Christ which has crucified the world to me and crucified me to it (v. 6:14-15).
To walk by the rule of the new creation is to have a foretaste of New Jerusalem. Lord, grant us such experiences today!
Posted by Don on November 15, 2021
