- 4. City of Righteousness
Isaiah 1:26, 27 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
God promises a City. It will be the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. The Bible begins in a Garden and ends in a City, both are called the Paradise of God. It will be a beautiful, peaceful, wonderful place to live and enjoy Life and enjoy God forever. This is the goal toward which all history is definitely heading. The Lord promises us a place in that Eternal Kingdom. Our life is meaningful; it is going somewhere; there is a grand purpose for everything that happens to us. Isaiah calls it the city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Jesus calls it the Kingdom of God; He brought it to us and it is within us, even now while we live in the midst of an evil world. There is a place we can go; that place is Jesus in us. We do not turn to God just for escape; we turn to God for life and peace and love and joy. We do not only escape the sin and evil of the world and the flesh, but we also enter into forgiveness, life and salvation. We have the peace that passes understanding, not a peace that the world gives. We have the joy of the Lord, not the momentary thrills that the world offers. This kingdom, this city, is within us, and it is always there, open to us to enter by repentance and faith in the Gospel.
This place is also called Zion. Zion is the place where the people of God gather together to hear the Gospel and praise the Lord, wherever and whenever that might be. Zion will be redeemed with judgment. Judgment is a fearful thing, but for the believer it is a good thing; sin and death the devil are judged at the Cross and the Tomb. By faith we go to that place and joyously receive forgiveness and new life. We are converted with righteousness, the very righteousness of God. We come to that City every day and we are converted constantly. Redeemed and converted, we walk the streets of the city and the paths of the garden. What we enjoy by faith and hope today, we will enjoy by sight on That Day. Praise the Lord for His Promise!