There was a scripture that I
thought of while I was listening to that song. It's found in Romans
chapter 14, verse 10, where Paul asked this question, but why
does thou judge thy brother? Or why does thou set it not thy
brother? For we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ. And I used to Think of that as,
you better not be critical toward anybody because you're going
to stand before God in judgment and you're going to be in trouble
just like they are. You better watch out. Well, that's true,
but that's not what that passage of Scripture means. It says, we, every believer,
that one you're looking down on, don't do that. Because we
shall all stand perfect and complete and without fault and blameless
and without sin before the very judgment seat of Christ. We shall all, every believer,
we shall all stand accepted before God. Isn't that wonderful to
think of? Hebrews chapter 11. I've entitled this message, The
City of God. Verse 9. This is speaking of Abraham. By faith, he sojourned. He lived as a tenant. in a temporary
dwelling place. He was just passing through. No roots, no permanent residence. By faith, he sojourned in the
land of promise as in a strange country, a foreign country, a
country that he didn't really feel comfortable in. Dwelling
in tabernacles, temporary dwelling places, tents, with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, for he looked
for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. When you have faith, that God-given
gift of faith, you see the world for what it is. And you're just passing through. We live in this world like Abraham
did as a soldier, as a tenant. simply passing through. This world truly is not our home. How do you feel about that? Truly
this world and all of the things of this world is not our home. Now notice it says regarding
Abraham that he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange
country, a foreign country. He didn't really feel comfortable
there. This was not his homeland. This is not the place he wanted
to be. Dwelling in tabernacles with
Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of that same promise. Now
a man is known by the company he keeps. Abraham dwelled as
a stranger. Living in tents with the heirs
of the same promise. That's who he wanted to be with.
He was a stranger in this world, but he didn't feel himself to
be alone. He knew there were a lot of other strangers in this
world. His brothers and sisters in Christ
Jesus. And he dwelled with them in tents. Heirs of the promise. Hold your
finger there and turn to Romans chapter four. Verse 13, for the promise that he should
be the heir of the world. Now, before we go on reading, this is not just Abraham. Every
believer is heir of the world. Heir of all that pertains to
Christ. For the promise that he should
be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through
the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For they which are
of the law be heirs. Faith is made void. It's meaningless.
And the promise made of none effect because the law works
wrath. For where no law is, there's no transgression. Therefore it's
a faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might
be sure to all the seed. Not to that only which is of
the law, not just to the Jews, but to that which also of the
faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Heirs of the
promise of God. Now, how did Abraham become heir
of the world? Because God promised, this is
what you're gonna be. Just God's promise. Verse 10 of our text. Now here's why that he lived
as a stranger in this world. Even the land of promise was
a strange land, a foreign land, a land that he really didn't
feel comfortable in. you're only really comfortable
in your home. That's the only place where you
have full liberty. That's the only place where you're
not judged in your own home, your own country, your own fatherland. He says in verse 10, for he looked
for a city. Now the word city in the scripture
actually means a walled city. This is the protection of it.
This is the security of it. It's a walled city. That's what
the word means. A dwelling place with walls for
security. He looked for a city which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Now that's the
city I want to be in. That's the citizenship I want
to have a part in. The city of God. He looked for
a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. God is the builder. That's literally
the designer, the architect. And you know, all of his design
can be found. The blueprints of that design
can be found in this book. But it's most especially in that
book written within and without sealed with seven seals that
the Lord come and took and opened. He was the only one who could
open this book. This is the decrees. This is the purposes of God.
Here we have the plan for this glorious city where we read glorious
things of thee are spoken. Zion, city of our God. Now, not only is he the designer
of this city, he is the maker. Not only did he plan it, He executed
the plan and reared the building. He said in Matthew chapter verse
13, verse 16, thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build. my church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it." This is a city that he builds. He built this city when he died
on Calvary's tree. When did this building take place?
It was planned in eternity, but this city was built, it was completely
built on the cross. When he died, this city was completed. All the members of this city
were saved. They were accepted. They were
justified. They were glorified. This beautiful
city, Zion, the city of our God. Upon this rock will I build my
church. This is the Lord's doing and
it's marvelous in our eyes. And this city has foundations. Foundations that cannot be moved. Now, you're familiar with the
parable our Lord gave of the wise man and the foolish man.
The children sing about it, you know, the wise man built his
house upon the rock, the foolish man built his house upon the
sand. But the Lord tells us that one who built his house upon
the sand, the rains came down and the floods came up and the
winds beat upon it and it fell because it was not founded on
a rock. Who is the rock? Who is the foundation? This city
has foundations that cannot be moved. Now the only thing that
cannot be moved is Christ Himself. Anything else can be moved. Anything
else can be torn away. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. He himself is the foundation. Now, what all does that mean?
You talk to any religious person, and if you'd ask them what is
the foundation, I bet they'd say Christ, for the most part. But
what in the world does that mean, Christ being the foundation? Well, turn with me to 2 Timothy
chapter 2. He was looking for a city that
had immovable foundations. II Timothy 2, verse 19. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God standeth sure, steady, it cannot be moved. Having this
seal, the Lord knoweth. them that are His. Now that's set to be the foundation
of God. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. Now that word know, you can put
this in and this is what this means. It doesn't mean simply
He knows about us and has the correct information about us.
Whom He did foreknow. Foreknowledge is not knowing
about some events. It says, for whom? Not what he
foreknew, like he knew something was going to take place. For
whom he did foreknow? For love. Then he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son. Now what this foundation
of Christ is, is me being in Him. In Him, God loves me. He doesn't love me unconditionally. He loves me in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And in Christ, I'm lovely. In
Christ, I'm righteous. In Christ, I'm holy. In Christ,
I stand. In Christ, I'm complete. In Christ,
I'm perfect. And God sees me in His Son. Now, this is the foundation that
can't be moved, simply being in Christ. Paul said in Romans
8.39, I'm persuaded that nothing shall separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, that's where God's
love is. That's where God's acceptance
is. This is the foundation of the believer, being in Christ. God loves me in Him. Now, turn to Ephesians chapter
2. Verse 18, For through Him we both, Jew
and Gentile, have access, have freedom of entrance by one Spirit
unto the Father. Now therefore you are no more
strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints
and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets. You are not built upon the apostles
and prophets. You are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets. And what is the foundation of
the apostles and prophets? Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone. Now I want to look at a passage
of scripture in Hebrews chapter 6 that will tell us a little
bit more about what that means. It's one thing to say Christ
is my foundation. It's another thing to have some
kind of understanding as to what this foundation is. Now what's
the most important part of a building? Foundation. I mean, it's by far
the most important part. You can have great stuff everywhere
else, but if the foundation's not solid, the building's not
solid, and it's not going to last. And the foundation is that
which you cannot see. Now, look here in Hebrews chapter
6. The writer of the Hebrew says,
therefore, leaving the principles, the Elementary Beginnings. the foundational truths, therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation." Now, he's
not saying we leave this truth. He's saying if we always have
to be laying this foundation over and over again, the superstructure
is not coming up. You're not making any progress
in the truth. He said we should not have to always be laying
this foundation. And here's the foundation of
the gospel. These six truths here are the foundation of the
gospel. Look what it says. We shouldn't have to lay again
the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of
hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Now here are the six foundational
truths of the gospel, right here. And what's the first thing he
mentions? Repentance from dead works. You have a change of mind about
your works. You repent of what you believe
and you believe salvation is by grace. That's all that means. You believe salvation is by grace
from the beginning to the end. You repent of your dead works,
of works that you thought would recommend you God. You repent
of that. You see it's wrong and you look
to Christ only. That's repentance from dead works. And the next thing he speaks
of is faith toward God. What is faith toward God but
faith in Christ? Same thing. If you have faith
in Christ, you have faith in God. And I love the way he words
it. Faith in God. Faith in God. Faith in Christ.
I'm relying on God in Christ as my Savior. I'm relying on
Him only as my salvation. That's an elementary truth. That's
a foundational truth. Look what he says next. Verse
3, of the doctrine of baptisms. Now, what's he talking about,
the doctrine of baptisms? What is the doctrine of baptisms?
Is he talking about the mode of baptism, whether you ought
to be immersed or whether you ought to be sprinkled? No, that's
not what he's talking about. Now, I know you ought to be immersed,
that's what baptism means, immersion. But when he's talking about the
doctrine of baptisms, he's talking about what baptism teaches. What
does baptism teach? What do I confess when I'm baptized? What is it that I confess? Now,
baptism is so important. Don't take away from the importance
of it. Baptism is so important. It's the answer of a good conscience
toward God. It's my confession of Christ.
Someone who hasn't been baptized, they're failing to confess Christ.
As a matter of fact, I don't have any confidence in anybody
who refuses to be baptized. Baptism is my confession of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what is it I'm confessing
when I'm baptized? I'm confessing that the only hope that I have
is when Jesus Christ lived, He lived for me and I was in Him.
When He kept the law, I kept the law in Him. I confess in
baptism that when He died, I died. I confess that when He was raised
from the dead, I was raised from the dead. I confess union with
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what baptism is all about.
It's about union with Christ. What He did, I did. When he was
raised from the dead, I was raised from the dead. That's a foundational
truth. We shouldn't have to be laying
that again. And you know, this is where our
joy comes in. This is where our confidence to come into God's
presence. I come in, in Him. I'm bold to come into His presence
through the Lord Jesus Christ. He, I'm united to Him. That's
my boldness. That's what the doctrine of baptism
is all about. It's union with the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's what we confess. Look
what it says next in verse two. The doctrine of laying on of
hands. Now what's this thing of laying on of hands? Does this
mean, you know, somebody lays their hands on you and something
happens, you know, kind of like the way the gifts of the Holy
Spirit came, you know, they lay their hands on their head and
then you see in some religious services they put their hands
on people or then even when a preacher is, what do you call it? I can't remember what it's called.
Ordained. Yeah, when a preacher's ordained, men put their hands
on him and all of a sudden that means he's ordained. Is that
what this is about? No, the laying on of hands. This is a reference
to the Old Testament. When the priest laid his hands
on the head of the sacrifice. And what that represented was
the sins of Israel being put on that sacrifice. And the innocence
of that sacrifice coming to the priest in Israel. What that's
talking about is imputation. Imputation. That's all the doctrine
of the laying on of hands represents. My sin imputed to Him so that
it became His, so that He became guilty of it. And His perfect
righteousness imputed to me. That's elementary. That's one of the foundational
truths of the Gospel. And then He speaks next in verse
2 of the resurrection of the dead. Now, I've got to have some
kind of understanding of this, the resurrection of the dead.
Now here's what it means first. I understand as well as I can. I understand when Christ was
raised from the dead, I was justified. I understand when he was raised
from the dead, God accepted what he did and he accepted everybody
he did it for. Do you understand that? The resurrection
of the dead. It's also talking about spiritual
resurrection. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins and he gave you life. You were
spiritually resurrected. You were given life that you
did not have before. You understand that? There was
a time when you didn't believe and you do now and you know why.
There was a time when you had no love for God. You do now,
and you know why. There was a time when you didn't
understand the Gospel. You have some understanding now, and you
know why. There was a time when you saw no beauty in Christ.
do now and you know why. Spiritual resurrection. And then
this is a reference to that final physical resurrection that's
going to take place when the last trump shall sound and the
dead in Christ shall be raised. And then he speaks in verse 2
of eternal judgment. eternal judgment. And I like
this word eternal. I don't understand it, nor does
anybody else, but I like it. Eternal. Somebody wrote me just
a couple weeks ago and they asked me this question. They said,
do you believe in eternal justification? Now what does eternal justification
mean? Eternal justification means the elect were justified in Christ
before the foundation of the world and that they have never
stood condemned by God in Christ. Now, as far as our experience
goes, we feel very condemned. And as far as our experience
goes, we were lost. We didn't know God. But in the
mind and purpose of God, God's elect have always been justified
in Christ because Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Now, listen to me real carefully. When you hear
this, and if you think, well, maybe I can be saved without
believing, you've missed it. You've missed it. You must believe.
You must turn. You must repent. It's not taking
away from those things, but it's still equally true that in the
mind and purpose of God Almighty, God's elect have never been under
the wrath of God. It's not like they were under
his wrath one day and then the next day they were not. It doesn't
work that way at all. What about that scripture where
it says we're children of wrath even as others? It just means
we're just like everybody else. Wrathful, evil children by nature. But God's people, He said, I'll
by no means clear the guilty. So do you believe in eternal
justification? And here's the way I answered
this person. I said, everything God does is
eternal. Isn't that so? He's God. Everything he does is eternal.
Second Timothy 1 9 says he saved us and he called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which were given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. Now, what all was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began? Everything. Justification,
sanctification, redemption, everything. Eternal judgment. Now this, what
a foundation. What a foundation. Grace! It works, we've repented. Grace. Faith in Christ. Union with Christ. The imputation of Christ's righteousness
to us. The imputation of our sin to
Him. And it became His. What a foundation. Eternal judgment. Isn't that
how firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord has laid for your
faith in his excellent word? Now, this city that we're longing
for has foundations whose builder and maker is God. Back to our text in Hebrews chapter
11. And as we walk through this life, And I
find this so true. I find myself to be just like
Abraham. I'm a stranger here. This world
really is not my home. I don't feel comfortable here.
And while I'm thankful for life, don't get me wrong. I'm thankful
for life. I'm thankful for the blessings
of life. I really am. I'm thankful for my family. I'm
thankful for this church. I'm thankful for my friends. I'm looking forward to getting
out of here, aren't you? Aren't you looking forward to no longer
having sin and unbelief to deal with? Oh my! Aren't you looking forward to
seeing His face and being without sin, without unbelief, no conflict? I'm a stranger here. I'm a stranger. I'm a stranger in this world.
I'm not impressed with it. You see, I've seen something
better. That's why. I can understand why men of the
world are after this world because they don't know anything else.
I know something else. I've seen His glory. And the glory of this world is
nothing. And we're just passing through. Look at verse 13 of Hebrews chapter
11. These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off,
they were persuaded of them and embraced them. And they confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. This is
the way every believer has ever felt. They confess that they're
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Verse 14, for they that
say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. They
declare plainly that they seek a fatherland. Verse 15, and truly,
if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came
out, they might have had opportunity of return. You know, if you want
to, you can go back to the world. You can, if that's what you want.
But anybody who's seen Christ doesn't want to. We want to be
in this city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
That's the only place we want to be. I want to be in Zion,
the city of our God. Verse 16, But now they desire
a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them
a city. Now, this is one of the key words
to the book of Hebrews, better. They desire a better country. It's in the book of Hebrews 12
times. Look in Hebrews chapter 1. Speaking of Christ being made
so much better than the angels, as he is by inheritance obtained
a more excellent name than they. Now, angels are impressive. I
don't know much about them. I know that they are, that they
exist, and they're a whole lot stronger than we are, and a whole
lot more glorious beings than we are, but they're nothing compared
to Christ. They can't even be compared.
Look at Hebrews chapter six. Verse 8, But that which bare
thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose
end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, things that accompany salvation, though
we thus speak. Things like faith, things like love to Christ, things
like true repentance, That's in every believer. He says, we're
persuaded of better things of you. Look in Hebrews chapter
7. And without all contradiction,
the less is blessed of the better. And that's talking about Abraham
being blessed by Melchizedek. Abraham as great as he was, he
was nothing in comparison to Melchizedek without any contradiction.
The blessed, the blessed, the worst is blessed of the better.
And that is true regarding our Melchizedek. Look at Hebrews
chapter 7 verse 19. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God. Now Christ is a better hope.
Now, what is hope? Hope is confident expectation. Confident. Now, there are some
people who have confidence that they're going to be in heaven.
They have confidence they're going to be accepted by God.
They have a hope and they don't doubt it. They don't doubt it.
If you would question their hope, they'd say, I know, I know, I
have confidence I'll be in heaven. Now, here's the Sticking point. What is the ground of that hope? Is the ground of that hope Jesus
Christ and Him crucified? Then you have a good hope. Is
it anything else? Then that hope is no good. It
won't do you any good. I want this better hope. Look
in Hebrews 7.22, By so much was Jesus made a surety, of a better
testament. I love to think of the Lord being
my surety. What is a surety? A surety is
one who assumes all the responsibilities for somebody else. Now before
time began, Christ became surety for His people. That means He
assumed all the responsibilities and when Christ became my surety, Everything God required of me,
He looked to His Son for. Everything. Now, is that a better
covenant? Oh, my. All that God requires
of me, He doesn't look for a thing out of me. He looks to my surety
for it. That's better, isn't it? Look
in Hebrews chapter 8, verse 6. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant, which was established upon better promises." Now, this
better covenant of which Christ is the surety, it has better
promises. Now, how is that the case? What's
better? God will save you if you keep
the Ten Commandments, or God will save you if Christ is your
surety. Which is better? It's obvious,
isn't it? He's the better covenant. Look in Hebrews 9, verse 23. This is why we're looking for
this better city. It was therefore necessary that
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these." Oh, what's better? The blood of Christ or the blood
of an animal? I mean, what good could the blood of an animal
do anybody? It just points to His blood. But, oh, the power,
the efficacy of His blood because of who died. Oh, it's better
blood. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 34. For you had compassion of me
and my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, your
material stuff, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better
and an enduring substance. Christ is infinitely better than
material things. What if you had all that the
world has to give you? What good would it do you? Nothing.
I love what we just sang. Perishing things of clay. born
but for one brief day, pass from my heart away, Jesus is mine. He's better than anything material.
You know, if I have a cave, bread and water, and Christ, I've got
all things. If I got everything else and
don't have Christ, I have nothing. Do you believe that? David said,
I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to
dwell in the tents of the wicked. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 35. Women received their dead raised
to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance
that they might obtain a better resurrection. Oh, I love to think
of this better resurrection. One of these days, in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trump shall sound and
the dead in Christ shall be raised, I mean, can you imagine what
it's going to be like to be without sin? You can't imagine that, can you?
I can't even fantasize about it because it's just, sin's my
nature as long as I got to. But one of these days when I'm
raised this better resurrection, I'm going to be perfectly conformed
to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to be just
like Him. And that's why Paul said, for
me to live is Christ and to die is gain. It's gain. Best thing
that could happen to you. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 40.
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without
us should not be made perfect. Now, he says the New Testament
saints have it better than the Old Testament saints. I've got
it better than Abraham. I've got it better than Moses.
I've got it better than David. Now, how is that? I think I understand
why. They were looking for Him that
is to come. We're looking at Him who has
already come and has already finished the work and it's accomplished. They were looking to Him who
would accomplish the work. We're looking to Him who did
accomplish the work. And you know what? I like looking
at him who did accomplish the work better. I find more rest
there. It's already done. It's already over. We've got
it better than Abraham or David or any of the prophets. Hebrews
chapter 12 verse 24. and to Jesus the mediator of
the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh
better things than that of Abel." Now, do you remember when God
said to Abel, to Cain, your brother's blood? Cain slew Abel. He said,
your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. Well, what
did it say? Vengeance. Get him. Cause him to pay for his crime.
What does the blood of Christ say? Forgive him. Justify him. Sanctify him. Save him. It's better, isn't
it? And then, in our text, we read of this better country where
God is not ashamed to be called their God. And the reason He's
not ashamed, and this is another glorious thing to think of, God's
gonna look me over in this country, and He's not gonna find anything
to be ashamed of. I tell you what, I'm so ashamed
of so many things, but you know when God sees me, there's nothing
there to be ashamed of. And God sees things as they really
are. I have nothing to be ashamed
of in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm perfect, complete in Him. What a country this is. It says back, look in Hebrews
chapter 11, verse 16. But now they desire a better
country, that is, and heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city. In John chapter 14, verse 3,
the Lord said, Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them
be afraid. In My Father's house are many
mansions, I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself
that where I am, there you may be also." Look in Hebrews chapter
12, verse 22. But you are come unto Mount Zion,
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." This
is where you're at. This is where your citizenship
is right now. This is not pie in the sky. This is right now.
You've come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven,
and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than
that of Abel. Now that's the city you've come
to. The city of the living God. You
can read about this city in Revelation 21. Let's turn there for a second. Beloved, we don't have much longer
till we're gonna be in this city. Not much longer. Verse one, and
I saw a new heaven. And a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away, and the sea was
no more." That means there was no more separation. And I, John,
saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a great
voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them, and be their God, and God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there should
be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither should there
be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." Look
in chapter 22. I'm sorry, 21, verse 22. John says, And I saw no temple
therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of
it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon
to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it. And the
Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which
are saved shall walk in the light of it. And the kings of the earth
do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it
shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations
into it, and there shall no wise enter into it anything that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh an abomination, or maketh a lie,
but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.