2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In yesterday’s message, I was led to cite REV 20: 11-22: 21 and to compare the future of the lost to the future of the redeemed from this passage. It helps to delve into what its points actually mean, so that we are left with clear motivation to choose “the hard path through the narrow gate” [MT 7: 13-14] that is the path to eternal life with the Father. I like to think of the picture of our omniscient Deity keeping a record of mankind’s deeds from the time we come to faith or reject Him. This is not done to snag us into misery but as gathering necessary information, so that righteous and fair judgment can be rendered when that Day arrives. For those of us who act in accordance with God’s teachings, this is a blessing. While the good deeds don’t bring salvation (only repentance followed by faith in Christ does that), they are a natural outcome of living righteously “in Christ.” We must remember that we were created for a life of doing good deeds which the Lord has prepared for us [EPH 2: 8-9]. We must also remember the teaching of Paul in 1 COR 9: 23-27. “All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, in order to share in its blessings. Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of the wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.”
REV 20: 14-15 speaks of the lost going to the lake of fire (which is second or spiritual death). There is enough said in the Scriptures about this for us to safely conclude that this is a state of conscious torment that lasts forever and from which there is no escape. It will not be a “sleep” in which the person is not conscious and thus is saved from feeling the pain. As I mentioned yesterday, one of the clearest pictures we are given of this is in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in LK 16: 22-31. REV 20: 15 refers to the lost person’s name “not being written in the Book of Life.” That alone should be enough to convince us that having faith and living “in Christ” is a better alternative. However, once we have feasted at sin’s table, Satan tempts us to return to it with all his might. We mustn’t give in to him. The story of what happened to the prophetess Miriam is a case where God had to teach her a hard lesson for speaking so sharply about Him. Her pain was to be suddenly covered with leprosy and to be excluded from the camp for a week. It was enough to teach her not to do that again. Our loving God forgave her, restored her health, and she resumed her service to Him [NU 12: 1-16]. However, the unrighteousness of the lost is so heinous that release from the torment they will suffer is simply not made available. Their attitudes are intractable. God draws the line.
For the righteous, God’s approach is very different. They are given compassion, patience, and love by Him. As he looks at the record of their deeds, God smiles. As He looks in His Book of Life, their names are listed. Since our loving Abba is a Promise-keeper, we can take comfort in knowing that His promise in IS 25: 8 and 1 COR 15: 54 will indeed come true. IS 25: 8, “The Sovereign Lord will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world.” 1 COR 15: 54, “So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the Scripture [IS 25: 8] will come true: ‘Death is destroyed; victory is complete!’” When this happens, there will be no more tears of despair, reason to grieve, pain to suffer, loss to bear. We are God’s children, and Satan will be defeated!! REV 22: 14, reminds us that “we will be able to go through the city gates.” The city referred to here is the new Jerusalem. This is no pie in the sky promise on God’s part to make us do His will. Instead, it is our future as obedient believers. The doors to heaven are thrown open to us. We are invited in not as temporary guests, but as permanent residents with full citizenship. Indeed, we are not only coming as ordinary citizens, we will come with “mansions already prepared for us” [JN 14: 2] and will assume rule as joint-heirs with Christ [RO 8: 17].
This description of eternal life, a life of lasting joy and fellowship with our Father Who loves us and the Son, is very incomplete. That is because the Lord has given us enough to be motivated, but not all the clarity of detail that we will have when it actually happens. I wondered about that since I have been accused of being a detail person. Once I got involved with the Cursillo retreat program, God revealed to me why He isn’t giving us all the details right now. He wants all of us to know that there are many wonderful surprises that will make the experience of being in heaven even more wonderful than we can imagine. God’s history has been one of gradual revelation as He felt mankind was ready to receive it. His consistency in this shouldn’t be lost on us. PS 107: 43, “Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.” Take comfort in knowing that those who endure whatever spiritual warfare Satan and his cohorts have to offer will be rewarded by our Abba more richly than the human mind can imagine.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have promised us that there will be a day when we can feast on the fruits of the tree of life forever [REV 22: 4]. We know that the way to eternal life isn’t easy, but understand how important a goal it is for us to attain. You have told us that there will be no need for lamps or sunlight, because You are our Light in heaven [REV 22:5]. With Your name written on our foreheads, You will have claimed ownership of us in the most wonderful way. We will see Your face and share in Your glory. All of these are sufficient motivation for us to acknowledge to You today our understanding of Your majesty, sovereignty, righteousness, justice, compassion, and love. We join the Psalmist in expressing the words of PS 93: 4-5, “The Lord rules supreme in heaven, greater than the roar of the ocean, more powerful than the waves of the sea. Your laws are eternal, Lord, and Your Temple is holy indeed, forever and ever.” To these words, we add the acknowledgment of Who You are and thanks that are offered in PS 97: 10-12, “The Lord loves those who hate evil; He protects the lives of His people; He rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light shines on the righteous, and gladness on the good. All you that are righteous be glad because of what the Lord has done! Remember what the holy God has done, and give thanks to Him.” We come before Your altar today in humble confession of our sin and to offer You the pledge of our loyalty, diligence, adoration, worship, trust, obedience, honor, glory, praise and thanksgiving. In Christ’s name, we pray, amen.
Tomorrow, I am led to examine what life is like under Satan compared to life under God with the help of EPH 2 and other Scriptures. Here in MN, the winters can be a little long. While I’m writing to you in April when most of the country is enjoying the emergence of spring blooms, big wet snowflakes are drifting to ground already covered with snow. This could be a winter of discontent were it not for the fact that each of these snowflakes are like God’s reminders to us of His love. When we look at a snowflake under a microscope, instead of being something cold and forbidding, it is a thing of beauty with its complex crystalline structure. That is how God’s love is for each of us. So our April winter here is a winter of content. Thanks be to our loving God Who gives us life-bringing faith! Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn