NOTHING THAT DEFILES SHALL ENTER
"That scripture passage need not scare us. It’s not a message of fear and condemnation as the church systems often teach! It signifies our calling as overcomers — called to obtain the victory over all the works of the flesh, the world, and the devil. It is my conviction that the reference is not to those hungry, thirsty, and needy souls who come to the city to enter in through its gates in order to be blessed, delivered, and to drink of its living waters of salvation. Rather, it speaks to those who are called, chosen, and apprehended to be a part of this city and its holiness and its glory. The inwrought victories of the overcomer is what qualifies one to be a part of this glorious city of gold! Neither is John trying to tell us in this passage that if we haven’t overcome everything we will miss heaven and wind up in hell. That interpretation is just another example of the shallow thinking and mis-guided understanding of religious minds! The Holy Spirit is pointing out to every child of God that we can reveal the nature, glory, and majesty of our God in the fullest measure only when we have completely put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is created in righteousness and true holiness. The nations of them that are saved walk in the light of the city, signifying that they are not the city, but they are healed, saved, and enlightened by it. Multitudes of believers, because they have no vision to overcome all things or to grow up unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, settle for a lesser calling in God. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, that is, those in whose lives the nature of the Lamb has been inscribed by the power of His indwelling life — these are truly they who radiate the glory of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb!"
Much more in the link:
"We cannot be too emphatic now in saying that the new Jerusalem is the HOLY CITY. There is a lot of uncleanness in religious circles, not the uncleanness of drunkenness, or nicotine, or adultery, but the uncleanness of jealousy, criticism, pride, self-exaltation, worry, fear, and unrighteous judgment. No wonder the prophet said, “The sinners in Zion are afraid” (Isa. 33:14). Not the sinners in China, not the sinners in the night clubs, not the sinners in the prisons, but the sinners in Zion! And then the prophet adds, “…fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.” Not the hypocrites in politics, not the hypocrites in business, not the hypocrites in religious Babylon, but the hypocrites in Zion! What is a hypocrite? A play-actor, a pretender, a faker — playing at spirituality, acting as though he were something that he is not, pretending that he is everything in God’s sight, committed completely unto God, spirit, soul, and body, the select of the elect, ready for entrance into the kingdom and the city — but playing at it."