Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Walking with God in unrestrained obedience

    Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6 ESV)

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, 20:4-6 is describing your future. Satan is gone from the scene. Christ is reigning on earth. You will be raised from the dead to sin no more.  No satanic deception. No satanic temptation. In the presence of Christ you will do justice and serve as a priest to God. This is what you were made to do. You were created to enjoy God  as King in God's land in free obedience to God's law. Uncontaminated. Undefiled. Unsullied. No devil prowling about like a roaring lion. Freedom. Joy. Righteousness.

Is this what you think of when you think of happiness? Oh, how we need to soak ourselves in the Bible so that the Bible will define pleasure for us. Pleasure is not sin. Pleasure is walking with God in unrestrained obedience to him. Pleasure is doing the right thing instinctively. Pleasure is responding with wisdom and justice clothed with a natural, unfeigned humility in the glad enjoyment of God's presence. Pleasure is trusting God and knowing him in all your ways. Can you believe God is going to let you in on this?

(Hamilton Jr., James M. Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012. Print.375)

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