Revelation 11:15 The
seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud
voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He
will reign for ever and ever."
Just as all things have their
beginnings, so all things must end. The universe that we see all around us,
especially in the night sky, will one day be starless and lifeless. The Milky
Way, with its billions of stars, will no longer exist, and the Solar System
that is home to our beautiful planet will be no more. All life will end and
even humanity will be terminated.
As Christian people, we believe that the
end of all things will actually come when Christ returns to Earth and He truly
becomes King of our planet and Lord of our Lives. His Kingdom will be firmly
established and His Sovereignty will be ceaseless. Nations and governments,
peoples and races will all end. Those who are Christ’s followers will be part
of the new Creation, the new World, and the new Kingdom that is to come. This
will be the reward for those who remain faithful to Him throughout their lives
on Earth. This will be the final destination and outcome of all who believe in
Christ as their Savior, Lord, and King.
Wishful thinking will not get anyone
there. Unrepentant people and disconnected hearts from God will not abide in
the new Heaven and the new Earth. And no matter how unfair or how unpleasant
this may sound, this is how it is. God’s sovereignty is not diminished by our
partiality. Christ’s Kingdom is not compromised by our cultural beliefs.
The mission of the Church is, and always
will be, Christ’s means of bringing sinners to salvation. Everything else is
incidental, no matter how good, how great, or how glad it seems to us. Without
salvation, a trillion good deeds ultimately mean as much as a trillion finite stars.
Without salvation, a zillion good intentions still amount to zero. When the End
finally comes, without salvation, there will be no new beginning. We can kick
and fuss, complain and protest as much as we like, but when the Final Day
arrives, only one thing will be important: our salvation in Christ.
Questions for personal reflection
Have I really
repented of my sins and truly confessed them to Christ? Do I take my salvation
for granted, or do I truly know that only Jesus is my Savior?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all want to be saved
and welcomed into Your Kingdom. Some of us have become careless with our
Christian faith and sloppy with our ideas about salvation. Forgive us for
forgetting the ultimate truth about Your presence in the world and Your
ministry to all people. In Your Holy Name, we repent and pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like
to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an
email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest Communion drawings called “Cup of Salvation.” If
you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cup of
Salvation.
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