EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:2-4, RSV).

Devotion 8 of 10

Your Name Will Not be Blotted Out

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev. 3:5). Every child of God wants their name to remain in the "book of life." It is written in the book when you are "baptized into Christ" (Gal. 3:27). The thought of being "blotted" out of that book is troubling, indeed! How can such a curse be avoided? Listen to the promise again. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." That is a divine commitment. Believed, it will constrain indefatigable efforts to overcome. And such endeavors are not in vain. God Himself undergirds your labor. How I love this word: "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy . . ." (Jude 24). As you rely upon Him, He will see to it that you do not fall. That is another way of saying, He will ensure that you overcome!

Confessed Before the Father and the Angels

Jesus will acknowledge your relation to Him before the Father Himself. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will . . . confess his name before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev. 3:5). What a blessing to be among those of whom Jesus will say, "Behold I and the children which God hath given me" (Heb. 2:13). This is the opposite of saying, "I never knew you," a pronouncement believers labor to avoid (Matt. 7:23). If, in this world, Jesus is "not ashamed" to call us "brethren" (Heb. 2:11), He will confess us unashamedly before the "Judge of all the earth." Even the angels will hear your name confessed, or acknowledged, by Jesus. You want this to be the case, because they are "the reapers" (Matt. 13:39). How the angels will rejoice when they hear your name confessed. Let the promise of these blessings constrain you.

Enemies At Our Feet

"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee" (Rev. 3:9). No child of God wants to have enemies, but that has little to do with whether or not they have them. People become our "enemies" because of our affiliation with Christ. In this world, they appear to be more dominate, and they exercise much power over our spirits. Divine history is strewn with much spiritual carnage. Noah endured a scoffing world. Lot was vexed with the filthy manner of life of the ungodly. David was grieved with those that hated God's law. John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod. Stephen was stoned by the Sanhedrin. In our day, many of God's workers have endured insults, heartache, and reproach at the hand of religious people. But it is not over yet! The saints will be vindicated. God will cause those that troubled them to bow down at their feet, and openly admit that they were loved by God, even though rejected by their peers. Let the promise constrain you.

Made a Pillar in God's Temple

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" (Rev. 3:12). The thought of being eternally stable is a refreshing one. The idea of this occurring in the very presence of God is wonderful. This is the promise held out to the overcomer. After the smoke of the battle has faded, a remarkable identity with God will be realized by His people. They will be permanently stabilized in the very presence of their Lord. Never again will they experience spiritual decline or setbacks. Their persons will be immediately and evidently related to their God. God's name will be written upon them. The name of the city of God will be written upon them. Christ's new name will be written upon them. That is the apocalyptic way of saying they will be perfectly "conformed to the Image of God's Son" (Rom. 8:29). No one will question the propriety of them being in glory. They will fit in--apparently! Let the promise constrain you.

-- TOMORROW: SITTING WITH JESUS IN HIS THRONE --