One Worthy of Heaven
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Revelation 22:12-17
12. "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done. 13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." 14. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood. 16. "I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star." 17. The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let him who hears say, "Come." And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.
Verse 12 is beautifully comforting and yet frightening! Behold, I am coming soon! When I read those words I can’t help but take a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. This journey called life on earth, life as we know it, if almost at an end. Christ is coming again and we will live with him forever - in perfection. And that is when I realize I had better recommit myself this very hour to living as I know I should! Because, what if soon means today!? What if it happens before I finish this morning’s post?!
John tells us that when heaven was revealed to him so that he could tell us all about it, he fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been his guide. And the angel told him “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” Even upon witnessing a foretaste of heaven, John worshipped an angel, rather than heaven’s creator! That, to me, is why we need to read the words revealed in the bible every day of our lives. We are human, and we are flawed, and even at the site of such magnificence and majesty, we forget who we worship!
Jesus “watches” out for us, even in our sin on the way to heaven! It is just unimaginable! God loves us so much that he allows Christ to intercede on our behalf. He sends angels to keep us on track
even as we sin upon our approach to paradise! I just can’t even express how amazing and wonderful that kind of love is. Love doesn’t even begin to express how God feels about his children, created in his image! Devotion. Zeal. Tenderness beyond description. Passion beyond demonstration -- except through the cross.
And what is our response? How can it be anything other than abject humility, unspeakable awe, and sincere repentance of all that we are and who we are in this world. We cannot help but bow down and beg forgiveness for our human-ness and our slavery to human desires. We are compelled to offer up all that we are to be cleansed and washed clean. We beg to be reborn, yet again, as one worthy of heaven! We cast off all that we have done and everything that has impeded us from “deserving” heaven. And though we can never earn it, in our own zeal, humility, and thanksgiving, we act as if we could--in gratitude for God’s amazing grace.
“And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.” That empty space inside us - that God-shaped hole in our souls, will be filled up to overflowing when we see the face of God at the end of time! All questions will be answered. All pain eliminated. All seeking will end. All sin eradicated. We will become like Christ on that day. Don’t you just long for that day!? Don’t you thirst for the living water, and hunger for the bread of life? I can hardly wait to be so satisfied.
My prayer today is that you will “wash your robes so that you may have the right to the tree of life.” And that you change your life and how you live, so that you “may enter the city by the gates.”
Amen. Come Lord Jesus.
Mary
