Rev 14:7 "...Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
In previous postings, I have worked through this verse and tried to explain each of the concepts using the Bible as a guide. To me this verse sums up the Bible and, as I have stated before, clearly defines who God is and what He requires from us. A question might be, "but what about Jesus?" If this is the gospel message as defined in the Bible, where is He mentioned? Shouldn't Jesus be at the center of any gospel message? I can answer, "...all things were created by him, and for him:..." Colossians 1:19, and Jesus is God, but that might be missing the point. In fact, as I was searching for different "gospel" presentations, and as some came to my mind that I have been exposed to in the past, I began myself to wonder if I hadn't missed the point. What is that point?
I am to be a witness, or you are to be a witness. And I just don't mean a witness that just relays a story, but a witness that has actually lived through the story being told.
Isn't it more convincing to actually hear and see someone who has lived through some event, than to just hear about it second hand. There is a big difference to me saying something like, "I've heard that ride is a lot of fun, apparently there is a point where the chair flips over and you end up looking at the ground" compared to, "...it's amazing when the chair flips over and all you can see is the ground rushing toward you..." First hand experience! There is nothing like it. So maybe the question becomes, how do you know if you are living according to the gospel? or how do you know if what you are doing is right or wrong?
It may be as simple as asking questions according to Rev 14:7
1. Does it cause you or others to hate evil and love God? (Fear God)
2 Does it cause you or others to acknowledge God's works? (Give glory to Him)
3. Does it make it clear how good God's judgments are? (for the hour of His judgment is come)
4. Does it lead to being consumed with thoughts about God? (and worship Him)
5. Does it cause you to remember that God is the creator and also the giver and sustainer of life, and life eternal? (that made heaven, and earth, and the seas, and the fountains of water)
Revelation 14:7 summarizes how we are to live in light of the truth of who God is. Living according to that truth will provide us with a powerful testimony and witness for God. Then what others see in our lives will make them want to hear our message. But in order to know God and live according to what we know, we need faith. And Jesus is "...the author and finisher of our faith..." according to Hebrews 12:2. Simply put, it is all about Jesus.
In previous postings, I have worked through this verse and tried to explain each of the concepts using the Bible as a guide. To me this verse sums up the Bible and, as I have stated before, clearly defines who God is and what He requires from us. A question might be, "but what about Jesus?" If this is the gospel message as defined in the Bible, where is He mentioned? Shouldn't Jesus be at the center of any gospel message? I can answer, "...all things were created by him, and for him:..." Colossians 1:19, and Jesus is God, but that might be missing the point. In fact, as I was searching for different "gospel" presentations, and as some came to my mind that I have been exposed to in the past, I began myself to wonder if I hadn't missed the point. What is that point?
I am to be a witness, or you are to be a witness. And I just don't mean a witness that just relays a story, but a witness that has actually lived through the story being told.
Isn't it more convincing to actually hear and see someone who has lived through some event, than to just hear about it second hand. There is a big difference to me saying something like, "I've heard that ride is a lot of fun, apparently there is a point where the chair flips over and you end up looking at the ground" compared to, "...it's amazing when the chair flips over and all you can see is the ground rushing toward you..." First hand experience! There is nothing like it. So maybe the question becomes, how do you know if you are living according to the gospel? or how do you know if what you are doing is right or wrong?
It may be as simple as asking questions according to Rev 14:7
1. Does it cause you or others to hate evil and love God? (Fear God)
2 Does it cause you or others to acknowledge God's works? (Give glory to Him)
3. Does it make it clear how good God's judgments are? (for the hour of His judgment is come)
4. Does it lead to being consumed with thoughts about God? (and worship Him)
5. Does it cause you to remember that God is the creator and also the giver and sustainer of life, and life eternal? (that made heaven, and earth, and the seas, and the fountains of water)
Revelation 14:7 summarizes how we are to live in light of the truth of who God is. Living according to that truth will provide us with a powerful testimony and witness for God. Then what others see in our lives will make them want to hear our message. But in order to know God and live according to what we know, we need faith. And Jesus is "...the author and finisher of our faith..." according to Hebrews 12:2. Simply put, it is all about Jesus.
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