The City That Is Set on a Hill

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matt. 5:14. A city is set on a hill by those things that the Father has spoken—not those things revealed by flesh and blood. “Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and dif­ficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matt. 7:13-14.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matt. 16:24-25.

To enter by the narrow gate, a person must give up his own life in this world for Jesus’ sake. Then the way that leads to life is open for him. He comes to know Jesus as Lord. “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” Col. 2:6. We enter the way that leads to life where He becomes our Head and our Lord. Paul expressed the way to life like this: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Rom. 8:13. In other words, when we put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit, we will live, and we will get to know Jesus as our Head.

On this way, it is absolutely imperative that we give up ev­erything. Anything that a person has not forsaken will hinder him from doing the will of God. The broad way does not lead to life. A person can receive forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ atonement so that he does not perish, but that does not mean he has come to life! On this point, the religious world is greatly deceived in their understanding. Many of them will not even receive forgiveness for their sins because they don’t abide in love. Many have been deceived into thinking that they have forgiveness of sins even though they, for example, bear grudges against other people. This is a grave deception.

If we are to walk on the new and living way, we must get to know Jesus as our Head. In other words, we learn to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit within. Then we experience growth and development. “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Col. 1:18. Jesus is the beginning—He gave birth to His church when He died on the cross at Calvary. “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has rec­onciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight . . . .” Col. 1:21-22.

This reconciliation is a profound mystery, and Paul la­bored to express its glory. The result of this work is Jesus’ bride and a church that functions as a body in perfect har­mony. “The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:26-27.

Christ in us—this is how we are personally conformed to His image. Christ among us is the brotherhood of which Christ is the Head—through His promptings He presents us holy, pure and blameless before Him. These are the firstfruits of His creation. James 1:18.

“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” Col. 2:18-19.

Some exalt themselves to be leaders and lead in the way they like. The sheep get the sense that when they do what the leader wants, they are well pleasing. They think if the leader blesses them, they are on the right way, but the fact is that they are deceived, and they will lose their reward. These ex­alted leaders lead the sheep away from the Head and place themselves ahead of Christ. They are thieves who steal sheep away from the true Shepherd who has a genuine care for them—away from Christ who is the Head of the church. In light of this, it is not surprising that Johan O. Smith consid­ered his greatest work here on earth was that in everything he did, he had been diligent to lead each person into his own con­nection with the Head.