Conditional Security – Revelation 21:7-8

Revelation 21:7-8

7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

John is coming to a close in the book of Revelation and enters into his description of the new heaven and the new earth. As he describes this new creation, and especially the provision of the water of life to those who conquer, he veers off and starts talking of some who do not conquer. The ones who are cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars will enter the second death.

But John – you are sending this book to the seven churches. Are you not concerned that some of the believers might see themselves in these descriptions. These are believers that will read this message and they may not realize you intend this for unbelievers.

That is the rub in this passage. Those in the church who may read this, if they are not hardened beyond repentance, will see this as a warning and return to the truth. John is actually evangelizing the saved, and is not providing a warning for those in the church to use when they are talking to the lost.

As a matter of fact, it occurs to me that many times when the apostles spoke to the lost, their emphasis was the risen Lord, and not the destination of those who may believe. In other words, it is rare when an apostle uses hell to “scare them into heaven”. If my reader has a portion of Scripture that I have missed, please provide, but the apostles emphasis was His resurrection and not our destination.

Nevertheless, this passage speaks of the believer who has apostatized, who has decided to walk away from the Savior, who has hardened their heart and stopped their ears, rejecting the leading of the Father.

The new heaven and the new earth is for those believers who have continued with the Savior through thick and thin, who have followed and kept the faith, not merely as a doctrine, but as a practice in their lives.

My friend – our lives are to be lives of repentance and faith, of realizing we are weak and that we need His strength, of understanding that we naturally fall, tend to wander and close our eyes to the light.

He is good. May we seek to follow, and by His strength and mercy, conquer.

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