When difficult times arrive, they can bring out the best and worst of us. This year the church has learned by experience that many of us approach turmoil in differing ways with differing convictions. Christians doing their best to honor the Lord and live according to what they believe to be obedient are finding themselves at odds with other Christians attempting to do exactly the same. It’s at this time that good pastors will point to Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 to help guide folks who, whether weak or strong, may be on either side of the conscience line. When it comes to matters of conscience (gray areas where we need to live by conviction), Romans 14:5-6 guides us to be fully convinced but to think the best of other brothers and sisters who are also doing their best to honor the Lord. These passages are invaluable for the church in a time like this.
There is another thought that helps us to value our brothers and sisters in the church even when there are eternally inconsequential differences. We can remember that we are all part of one, great, eternal structure of beauty being built by God as his glorious eternal city. Many passages in the New Testament refer to the church as being built into a great temple of the Lord. The one that helps us to contemplate the glory of God’s completed work is in Revelation 21. In Revelation 21, the Apostle John receives a most glorious vision of the “wife of the Lamb.” (21:9). This vision is then described in terms of a great city structure. What do we notice?
1. It’s beautiful: It should be seen as a shining spectacle of God’s beautiful glory. Revelation 21:10-11 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
2. It’s inclusive: It should be celebrated because it includes every child of God either from the 12 tribes of Israel or those who have believed through the witness of the 12 Apostles. Revelation 21:12-14 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
3. It’s huge: Measurements like 12,000 stadia may not be well known to us, but roughly 1400 miles is. God has built a big, glorious, eternal city. Revelation 21:15-17 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.
4. It’s adorned: Like a bride for her wedding day, this city is adorned with the finest jewels. Revelation 21:18-21 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
5. It will require no temple to worship our spectacular God in his spectacular glory. Revelation 21:22-25 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.
6. It will be filled with all nations: Revelation 21:26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
7. It will be pure and holy: Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
If this is describing the wife of the Lamb, surely we can be reminded that every believer on every side of the conscience issues in this temporal world is described this way. Yes, for you and me both, it’s time to start valuing the church.