Revelation 21:27 (NKJV)
I realized after I finished and posted the lesson on all new things that there was a lot of repetition on that subject! I thought, “haven’t I already posted (several times) that all things would be new?” John wrote (by God’s leading) many of the same themes and thoughts over and over again. It seems like there IS a lot of repetition.
Now, John had not read the findings of educators and psychologists about how we learn, remember and retain information for use. However, since God created our brain and bodies, He did know that we learn by repeating. One of the themes that comes up again and again in the first part of Genesis and the end of Revelation is that all things are new.
Another underlying theme that is repeated in the first part of Genesis and the end of Revelation is that God’s creation of man and woman created a perfect life with no pain or heartache. People would treat other people with decency and respect. In the first two chapters of Genesis, there was no lying, stealing, or self-serving interest of any kind. Adam and Eve were created to live in perfect harmony.
We learn from Revelation 21:27, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
No lying.
None.
Not even what we call ‘white’ lies.
It’s difficult for those of us who live in the time in-between to imagine what it would be like to know that every person we speak with is telling us the whole truth without any embellishments.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been lied to and lied about in my life. It really hurts. I don’t think anything has hurt me more than when someone said I did something when I really didn’t do it. While I know I, too have lied I try really hard to tell the truth or to not speak at all. I’ve said before that my dad had a “thing” about telling the truth. He made it clear from the time I was little that if I told him the truth my punishment would be significantly reduced. He made it so I thought about how I used my words.
God takes it a step further. God’s intent in the first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation speaks to the intent of the heart. God wants man to THINK in terms of truth. God’s intent is that we carry truth in our heart. In Revelation 21:27 it’s clear, “by NO means” or NOTHING will cause pain or a lie.
That means the ability to lie isn’t even a thought in our brain.
We know that is not the case in today’s world. Nothing in today’s world even comes close. Why is that? I think one reason is that we have a strong inclination to protect ourselves.
I mean, seriously, isn’t that why children lie? It’s because they (we) don’t want to get in trouble...so we hide our mistake (or our ‘on purpose’).
Let’s take another layer off. When we don’t even think about lying, nothing between ourselves and another person is hidden.
I think about my oldest son. He is a redhead and when he was just learning to walk, he had a certain “look” about him. It was a defiant look. It was sort of a glare. I learned early on that when I asked him if he did something, he ‘owned it’. Even when he was 2 or 3 years old when I would ask if he did something, he would glare at me and say, “yea, I did it.” He did not try to cover it up.
A lot of children lose that gutsy honesty, but he didn’t. When he promoted to Lt. Colonel years ago he was stationed at the Pentagon and he reported to a 3 Star General. I met the General and I noticed he has the same look about him that my son has always had. That made me curious, so I asked my son, “do you make mistakes in your job?” His truthful answer was, “of course I do, everyone does.” So, I asked, “what happens?”
Just like when he was little, my son said, “you own it...all of it.” I understood that he was saying, you DO NOT try to cover it up. He went on to say, “understand that the General already knows what happened and why.”
I knew truth and owning it was part of the military code. My son-in-law joined the Marine Corp. when he graduated from high school. My youngest son joined the Air Force when he graduated from college. Telling truth is part of their code.
In the beginning it was part of our code. In the end, it will be part of our code as well. Nothing between us will be hidden.
Finally, when we come to the point when nothing is hidden, our names will be written in the Book of Life. Everyone who wants to have their name written in the book will be added. The criteria for it is wanting it. When we turn to God and we want to be part of God, it’s given. Nothing is hidden from God. Nothing. When we want God, He is right there. He doesn’t hide from us. God is totally and completely available.
Always.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Be Honest
Tell God something you would like to say to or about someone else. You may not say it because you know it would hurt the other person, but you can say it to God. You do not need to hide anything from God. I remind myself that when I keep hidden things to myself in order to protect another, I am forgiven. I am always forgiven by what Jesus did.
In God, Deborah
acrazyjourney.com
Comments