We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

The gospel says, “Your shame is real, even more real than you know. But this is what God has done. He put it all onto Christ at the cross, where your Substitute was utterly shamed and exposed and condemned for you. Now your shame no longer defines you. What defines you, what reveals your future forever, is this word: ';adorned' [Rev. 21:2]. Not shamed. Adorned. Lovely. Attractive. And the moment is coming when He will look into your eyes with glad adoration, and you will look into His eyes with confident surrender. And nothing will ever, ever spoil it again.”
Ray Ortlund

How should we be motivated in our study of Revelation or for that matter, the study of what theologians call, “Eschatology”? First, we should realize that God has a wise plan for the world that He has set from eternity past that He will fulfill His plan according to His will. Nothing is catching Him by surprise. Second, we know that God will be the victor. Despite what we see, evil and Satan will not win in the end. This gives us incredible hope. Third, we are reminded that this world is not our home. Our time here on earth is but a vapor (Jas. 4:14). We should live with abandon for the glory of God and look forward to the greater joy that awaits us. Fourth, we learn to assess our values. We learn that all that really matters is what lasts for eternity. All in this world will be burned up. Only God’s Word and human souls will live forever. Fifth, we know that God is holy. Heaven is about holy living. Our true identity in Christ is holiness. That’s why Peter concludes after discussing the end times: “What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” (2 Pet. 3:11). Sixth, knowing the terrible fate of those without Christ, how can we who claim to believe the Scriptures and truly love people refrain from sharing Jesus with them? And seventh, we have been given a glimpse in chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation into the glorious throne-room of God in heaven. May we worship God on earth as all of creation worships Him in heaven.
Randy Smith