The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come!'

This verse in Revelation 22:17 is pretty awesome.  The Bride is the believers (now) and the Spirit is obviously the Holy Spirit who indwells the true church.  All well and good but to whom is this invitation given?  The answer is given:

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

What is being said here is that God is offering a free gift of eternal life but the condition is that you come to Jesus in faith for forgiveness.  The entire Bible summed up is God saying "the ball's in your court."  Or, "I've done everything that could be done to secure your eternal life but the responsibility is upon you to come to Jesus."  Why do we need to do that?

Everyone is born as a descendant of Adam.   Therefore everyone has a sinful nature... which leads to sinful actions.  Even people who are good at being good still have that nature and need Jesus.  The truth is experientially, as the Bible confirms, that everyone will break the law of God in their lives.  This means that legally and because its right to do so, God judges the lawbreaking.  If we remain stubbornly refusing to come to Jesus, we could die and still have the sin problem unresolved.  If this is the case, it would be right and legally binding to be judged for the sin.   This will lead to eternal punishment and separation from God for eternity.  But wait, if now there's an invitation for eternal life, what has happened?  

The plan was for Jesus to come and be perfect for us.  He was not part of this fallen race and did not have a sinful nature.  The virgin birth meant the sin nature was not passed through the male but rather, God overshadowed Mariam (Mary) and she was with child.  So the legal requirements of the law were fulfilled through Jesus' life.  It was always going to end in death for Jesus as this was spoken through the prophets who foretold Jesus life.  Remember anyone who ever lives through history (except Jesus) was born 'in Adam.'  On the cross God placed all in 'Adam' into Christ.  Then he righteously Judged Jesus and the punishment fell on him while we were 'in Christ.'   So all people who ever lived have been fully judged and punished because Jesus was.  So is everyone saved?  Potentially yes, but not everyone takes up this offer.  So no.  

The picture is that all mankind is on a massive bus heading for a cliff.  Every so often the bus stops, the door opens, and Jesus offers his hand.  Everyone on the bus is already redeemed.  But ONLY those who come to Jesus in repentant faith are ransomed.  ONLY those who get off the bus and come to Jesus are placed in the first resurrection.  He paid the price for everyone, but it only comes into place when the individual takes up the offer.   Sadly that bus has a back door where you can die on the bus.  It also has a cliff coming in the distance.  The clock is ticking.  This is why Christians try to get unbelievers to consider Jesus.  You cannot know what its like to have gotten off the bus and come to Jesus.  Only those who have done it know the reality as Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit and then we can see!

There is a judgement for those who refused Christ.  If you do not allow Jesus to forgive your repentant heart you cannot inherit what comes next- eternal life.  God, having given his own Son to rescue, then judges us on one thing and one thing only:  Your rejection of Jesus Christ.  Don't forget, all sin has been judged!  The cross dealt with that.  God, having provided the answer, will judge those who refused to be rescued and thus opted for eternal punishment.  Notice God has the ANSWER... he is not sending anyone anywhere!  All people who are thrown into the lake of fire OPTED for this by rejecting Jesus... the rescuer. 

One of the biggest evidence today that the Bible is true is atheists.  Their refusal to come to Jesus for the free gift of eternal life is evidence that the sin nature is true darkness.  Someone once said the darkest darkness is when you don't know its dark.  In this process of coming to Jesus in faith for forgiveness is wanting the bible to be true.  Do you want it to be true that you have a loving Heavenly Father who wants to spend eternity with you as His child.  You can't argue with death.  It is coming and we don't know when.  If you want the Bible to be true, this is a short step from faith.  Faith is when we believe God would do this - purposely act in time to rescue you- then to believe this is how he did it.  

Having read this you are in one of three positions:

1.  You are saved and your assessing whether this was a decent rendition of how it works.
2. You want to be rescued and you sorrowfully realise you are a lawbreaker and need God's answer
3.  You are rejecting Jesus because you have opted for man's truth over God's

If (2) is you then as the verse says, come to Jesus for forgiveness.  Done genuinely and from the heart, you will be offered the free gift of eternal life.    Have you 'heard?'  Has a light turned on? Have you developed a thirst for what God has to offer? Get off the 'bus' and take Jesus' hand.

I've spoken to atheists (3) who say they have come to Jesus and no 'lights came on.'  The truth is, they were still looking for proof, in their heart mockingly accessing a formula.  Jesus is a living person who searches our hearts.  He sees the contempt and wants you to walk away from your rebellion and come to him authentically, humbly and without reservation.  Many atheists value the scorn and mockery as it feeds their own sinful hearts.  They want to come for eternal life but will not leave all the self serving behind.  

Or, all this put more simply:

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Gary Ward