Read: Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:1-8 Through Jesus Christ, God's blessing is available to people of all nations. Through Jesus righteous sacrifice men, women and children of all nations have the opportunity to be made righteous before God. Through Jesus humble service all people have the opportunity to be a part of God's people, together in community serving each other and serving God. We could spend weeks more listing and studying the blessings that God brings through Christ to individual men, women and children of all nations.
However the scale of God's redemption for the world is much, much larger than these things only. God is not only interested in dealing with sin in the lives of the individuals who follow Him. God is not only interested in maintaining a people for himself amongst those who sin and do evil. God's plan for redemption encompasses all people's of the Earth and, in fact, all of creation itself! God's plan for redemption includes everything. This broad scale of redemption is evident in Revelation 20 and 21.
Firstly, in the end of Revelation 20, we see God's justice and wrath finally being poured out on the Earth. All the men, women and children who have ever lived are raised from the dead and brought before the judgment seat of Christ. Every person, no matter their circumstances, will give an account for what they have done during their life. Those who are in Christ, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, are made right with God on the basis of Jesus' righteousness. Those who are apart from Christ must bear the consequences of their rebellion against God and pay the price for everything they have done in their lives.
How does this picture fit with God promising to bless all the nations of the Earth through Abraham? God is not interested in dealing with sin, death and evil just a little bit. In fact God's just and righteous character requires that He deals completely with those things. To deal with them completely the only just response to sin is just judgment and the only way to truly deal with death and evil is to deal with the issue of sin in mankind. God's final judgment shows both His perfect justice, demonstrated in the punishment of sin, and His perfect grace, demonstrated in the mercy shown through Jesus Christ.
It is only on the basis of this judgment that the incredible vision of Revelation 21 can be achieved. God comes down to the new Earth that He has created to dwell with His people forever. God will rule over the Earth forever as He lives with His people and we live with Him. What a blessing! Men, women and children of all nations, tribes, tongues and peoples will live with Him forever.
This blessing is coming for all who have a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Those who don't have faith in Christ will face the just judgment of God and His holy wrath. How many people around you will face only with wrath and not enjoy the blessing? How many of your friends and family need to hear about the saving love of Christ so that they too can be part of God's people and enjoy His blessings forever? Will you be bold in sharing this good news with those who need to hear it?
Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
- Think of your family and friends who don't have faith in Christ. Pray for each one of them by name. Pray that God would work powerfully in their heart that they might be open to hear what He has done and turn to Him in faith and repentance. Pray that God would give you opportunities to share Him with others and that He would give you boldness as you share. Pray that you and your church might be bold and passionate in sharing the good news with those who are lost and facing God's judgment.
- Pray for the gathering of believers at your church tomorrow. Pray that God would be preparing your heart and the heart of all the congregation today so that you might be ready to worship together, to study the word and to love and encourage one another. Pray for whoever is preaching. Pray that God would give them understanding, wisdom and boldness as they preach. Pray that through His word God's people might be grown and changed.
My Additional Prayer Points
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