Decide

DEVOTION

THE REVELATION

DECIDE

Rev 22:8-11

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "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!" 10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

NIV

Now John gives his statement and testifies that he was the one who heard and saw all these things which he wrote about in this revelation. Once all that he had seen and heard was over he fell at the angel’s feet to worship him. Here the angel told him, not to do that, but to worship God. What we learn here is of great importance. Sometimes it is easy to worship a being who shows us the truth of God. Some believers truly do lift up a person of the clergy to the point of worship. We have seen thousands line the streets in hopes of catching a glimpse of one man. If he reached out and touched a child or kiss one, the world fell in awe of his grace. Within local churches of other denominations we can find people fawning over their pastor. We have people who travel miles to listen to some evangelist, or worse a musical performance of somewhat religious music. We all tend to find something other than God to worship. Some of us are almost to the point of worshipping things, or money, at least the security money affords us. But the point this angel is making is that we need to reserve our worship for God and God alone. This word worship means to fawn or crouch to, to bend a knee, or lay prostrate before in homage. This can only be done for God. The angels are simply our brothers in Christ, at least if we keep the words of this book. It is one thing to be saved, but it appears we need to keep, to watch guard over, and to not let these words escape our thinking. Yes, salvation is free, we cannot earn it, or do anything which will gain it for us. Yet we are commanded to keep these words. How many of us keep so much of the scripture but fail to keep these words because we do not understand their meaning so we tend to shy away from reading and learning their truths. Others of us delve into them to seek out the truth of this revelation so we might keep them. Praise God for his Spirit who leads us into all truth. John was instructed not to seal up these words, which is to mean he was to allow them to be broadcast to the people of God, to allow all of us to be able to read and understand them. Sealing them up, as to keep secret, to make private. This is how men of those days sent secret or private letters, for the eyes only of the person it was intended for. A wax seal over the fold, if unbroken said not one person ever saw it, except for the intended viewer. John was told not to make this private, but to allow all to read its content, which we are.  The rest of what this angel told John also confirms that man has a choice in his salvation. If a person is doing wrong let him continue, if a person is vile, let him continue, if a person does right, let him continue and if a person is holy, let him continue to be holy. God does not force anyone to worship him. God does not ordain anyone to worship him while at the same time ordain some to do wrong or be vile. If that is the way a person is, that is the way there are. But we must also see that we who believe need to continue doing that which is right, and we must continue to be holy. Although we can be engaged in doing what is right, we cannot be engaged in making ourselves holy for that is strictly up to God.

Heb 10:9-10

9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

NIV

We have been made holy by the sacrifice of Jesus on that cross for our sin. We have been declared holy, innocent of all sin, pure and blameless in the sight of God. Yet there will remain those who refuse this sacrifice and will forever be wrong and vile. That is life, we have the choice. Joshua made that very clear.

Josh 24:14-15

14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

NIV

Thus we have decided to read and keep these words. We have decided to follow Jesus, to worship God and him alone. We have decided to keep doing that which is right, which is to follow his ways. We have decided as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.