Oh the Joy of Grace and Peace!

Revelation 1:1-8     George Badeaux

When I think of the book of Revelation I think of God’s greatness.  His magesty, His power, His sovereign rule over all things, the importance of His goodness, and the horror and ugly fate of evil.  Sometimes the first thing I think of is, “We win!!!”  It is a letter bursting with the encouraging foretelling of God’s triumph over evil…and…the culmination of God’s plan for mankind…the marriage supper of the lamb.  God’s great heart for us is “God with us.”  It always has been and forever more will be.

In the first section of the letter (Rev. 1:1-8) I am moved by several important points.  The first is the ongoing relating between the Father and the Son, and how they together relate to us.  This is partly expressed when John says to the seven churches, “Grace and peace from…”  Oh the joy of grace and peace!  And this is grace and peace from a glorious, loving, triune, all-powerful God.  Soak it in, and abide in it.  It is for you.

In verse 5, two other important points are proclaimed.  “To Him who loves us and released (or bathed) us from our sins by His blood.”  He loved us, He loves us now, and He will love us forever.  And this is a love greater than any we could ever imagine.  He loves you, right now, and will never stop!  Then there is His blood which accomplishes THE CLEANSING.  I hesitated to make that all capital letters.  God and His love are greater.  But this cleansing is so important to us.  It however is not the end.  It is the beginning.  It is the beginning of an ever-deepening love relationship where that blood continues to cleanse us and release us from the bondages of sin that entangle us.  The way to be released from those chains that still hang on is not to try harder, but rather to submit…submit to the one whose blood gives you the power to break free from the chains.  Trust Him!  He loves you!  We win!