1Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. 8But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. 13For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.
15But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift followed many trespasses to justification. 17For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. 20The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly, 21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Dear Reader: Thank you for making it through this book of devotional readings. This is the last chapter of the Book of Revelation and the final chapter of not only this book, but of things to come. John describes heaven to us in such wild terms that it’s hard to know if it is an actual description or a metaphor. He opens the end with a description of a river of life and a fruit tree that bears a different fruit each month of the year. This is the end of the vision that Jesus Himself gave to John, the disciple whom He loved. Jesus tells us that we who are reading and listening to these words should be careful not to take away from the words of the book of this prophecy. We should never discount anything that the Bible tells us. It is all the inspired holy word of God Himself. There may be parts of it that we do not understand, and that’s okay. Just don’t take away or diminish any of what you do understand when you read it. Many pick and choose what they want to believe about the Bible. Thomas Jefferson didn’t like the miracles, so he created a version of the Bible which had all of the miracles excised (cut out) of the book that he produced. Jefferson literally “took away” from the words God gave us, and in doing so, he replaced what God wanted to communicate with what Jefferson wanted to communicate. Interestingly, Jefferson’s version of the Bible has never been seen by most of us. And, it will never be seen. Yet, there are many copies of the Bible available on all sides. God’s word will endure forever.
Hence, the end of Revelation is a true warning: if we choose to read the book as Jefferson did, there is no room prepared for us in that Holy City, heaven. Likewise, we shall not be blessed to partake of the “tree of life.” I assume that to mean eternal life with Jesus. In this devotional book, I’ve examined the prophecies that foretold of Jesus’ coming. I’ve cited instances from His ministry on earth. I’ve walked through the early days of the Church in the Book of Acts, listening as Peter, Barnabas, and Paul have brought the gospel to the Jew and to the Gentile. We’ve walked together through the writings of Paul, as revealed by the Holy Spirit, urging us to believe, repent, and walk in newness of life. We’ve received teaching after teaching urging us to walk in the righteousness that is our new identity in Christ and to live lives of holiness by seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit daily, and in doing what He calls each of us to do. This book describes how to be a Christian and how to live not like a Christian, but as a true, devoted Christ-Follower. Each lesson is another look at how to live out the words of this book, The Bible, in real time. That means in real life!
If you are a believer, there is plenty in this book to digest and to pull you closer to Him if you allow Him to do so. If you are not a believer, you are now faced with a choice. It is a choice of eternal consequences. It is a choice that God gives you in His mercy and grace. He loves you, even while you are a sinner (Romans 5:8). By His love, He has attracted you and pulled you toward Himself (Ephesians 2:4-5). He specifically tells you how to enter into a relationship with him (John 3:16), and how to be born again. He likewise tells you what saving belief looks like (Romans 10:9-10). This salvation, offered to you, cannot be earned or deserved. But it is available to you as a free gift through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Reader, are you ready to make such a commitment? When Abraham believed what God had said, God reckoned (or saw) that belief as righteousness. In that moment, Abraham was saved and found a place in the bosom of God for all of eternity. The same place can be set aside for you today. Today can be the day of your salvation. If you have never done so, I urge you to call upon the name of the Lord today and be saved! There is no better way to live.