“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
It was concerning the church of God that Christ said that HE would build it. The living body of Christ, the church, and every member of it, exists because of an act and covenant commitment of God. That church was not only bought with the precious blood of Christ and sealed for eternity in Him, but it was given all the gifts that God had foreordained, and the power of the Spirit revealed at Pentecost, so that a message could be given unto the world. It was a message that first had been addressed to the church from her beginning and continued to be declared resoundingly throughout the centuries to this present day. The church had been entrusted with a treasure, the very Life of Christ by the Spirit. Add to that the revelation of God by His inspired word, this day so clearly presented to us in numerous languages and dialects. Not only is every member of the body of Christ complete in Christ, existing in living union with Him, but she has been given a commission, the first aspect being simply to follow Him, living by Him, and in communion with Him. It is Christ who is the Life and power of His church, and for this reason, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. But there has also been given a testimony to the church, a “revelation” if you will, a confirmation of things past, present, and which will come to pass. We call it the book of “Revelation.” In that book, as we see parallel passages in the Old Testament, in particular in the book of Daniel, is revealed the historical intervention of God in the past, at present, and which He will accomplish in the future. There is embedded in that book the unveiling of God’s dealings with men, to redeem them, deliver and save them from death and hell, but also to present them to the Father in heaven as Christ’s inheritance, and treasure. With the knowledge of these events, primarily as they apply to the last days, the end of the world, the earthly kingdom of God, and Christ’s coming to judge the world, and a new heaven and earth, there is a singular, and most powerful thread of intensity running through its pages. It is that determination and will of God to save to the uttermost all who will truly come to Him, and drink of that life-giving Stream of Christ by the Spirit. From the earliest pages we see the glorified Christ, revealed in such a manner that the Apostle John is overwhelmed by the sight of His glory and power. But therein is revealed a God, a Lord, a King and Shepherd, who is ever seeking to save the lost, and gain entrance into the heart. The testimony to all men through this portion of Scripture, revealed to the early churches, was that God was in Christ reconciling men to God. He came not only to forgive and cleanse from sin, attributing His perfect righteousness to the redeemed sinner so that he could be accepted before a Holy God, but accomplishing all this to gain entrance into the life, so that a communion with Him could be established, lived on earth, as it is in heaven. The individual member of the body of Christ, as well as the body as a whole, is called and saved so that God, Christ, can be truly and profoundly known.
We are apt to think in our day that eternal life is a thing, a place, an experience of perfect bliss and well-being, and this is partially true. But according to Jesus’ words, Life Eternal is the personal knowledge and experience of God the Father and the Lord Jesus by the Spirit. The message therefore of Christ to all men, communicated through the church is this: “Come…take the water of life freely.”
Dear Father, Give us to grasp the enormity of Thy calling to all men to know Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.