Revelation 22:17- Four Ways Jesus' Final Invitation Leads us to Imitate Him
*This post makes much more sense once you read Part 1 here.*
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev. 22:17)
The entire book of Revelation fascinated and challenged me, terrified me and filled me with hope. But both the placement and the profound simplicity of Revelation 22:17 struck me as significant. Much like a newly-unearthed diamond, you spend a little time on it and, well…
To be clear, I’m no Bible scholar; I’m just an Aged Woman on the lookout for ways in which God’s word can guide and encourage us on this path of biblical womanhood. A deeper dive into Revelation 22:17, showed me that the verse is filled with wisdom that helps us to imitate Christ. Here are a few things I came away with.
Patience
If our Creator can patiently wait from the beginning to the end of His own creation for souls to repent and believe the gospel, then we can wait for literally anything. Let’s remember this while we grow in patience as we clean up toys for the seventh time today or wipe down mirrors on which we’re certain rogue children are finger-painting with toothpaste. Let’s remember this even when - especially when - we wait for a husband, recover from an illness, or long for a prodigal of our own.
Grace
Every single one of us deserves the punishment for sin. The Lord cleanses believers and covers us with His grace, and - as evidenced in Rev. 22:17 - He never stops inviting us into that grace. What might that grace look like reflected in everyday life? Lately, I’ve been working on being slow to take offense, both at home and in public. Whether it’s a thoughtless word from a family member or a cranky cashier, I’m working toward repaying offensive behavior with kindness. Simple, but not easy - especially for a former hothead like me.
But what if your troubles are bigger than a cranky cashier? Perhaps it’s a meddlesome mother-in-law? A difficult child (I hear we’re calling them strong-willed these days)? A frenemy? An unbelieving husband? While each instance has its own prescribed remedy in scripture, Rev. 22:17 shows that, if we are to imitate Christ, we never stop extending grace. Perhaps it’s through loving correction, perhaps its repaying callousness with kindness (heaping coals and all that), perhaps it’s through our quiet actions and not words that we win hearts. Like Christ, we strive to continually offer grace. Again, simple, but NOT easy.
Longsuffering
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that, like love and forgiveness and joy, contentment is a choice. At times in our lives, we all have painful circumstances that drag on. Illness, grief, a loved one in rebellion, financial troubles, addiction…the list is endless. Rev. 22:17 shows us that Christ not only gave everything for us when He died on the cross, He also patiently waited the entire age of men for as many souls to be saved as possible. Now, that’s longsuffering. And again, if we are to imitate Christ…
How do we conduct ourselves in the midst of the storm? We keep our eyes on Jesus, lest we sink beneath the waves. And, inasmuch as it’s in our power, we choose to be content as we wait for the storm to pass. Not in our own strength, but His. We may have no power whatsoever over our circumstances, but we can put one foot in front of the other. We can choose joy and not despair. While we wait, we can create beautiful spaces for our loved ones and prepare nourishing foods. We can bow our heads and lift our hands and decide that we will be content with what the Lord wills - even when it hurts, and even when it hurts for a long time. Because we know, ultimately, how it ends.
Sharing the Gospel as a Joyful Invitation
Sharing the gospel is my Achilles heel. Not only am I an introvert, but I was raised never to discuss politics, religion or money. Like, on pain of death. I’m flummoxed by the hold this misguided maxim has on me to this very day. “We don’t force our religion on others, dear,” I can hear. “Who are we to tell others how to live? Religion is personal.” And then there are the folks scattered across my past who avoid me because I tried to share anyway.
Sharing the gospel has always felt sort of like fire and brimstone to me, warning unsaved sinners that they’re headed for hell. I mean, it’s true, but I think I’m overthinking and botching the messaging. When I read Revelations 22:17, I can’t help but glimpse another approach, a heart-shift within the verse. While there is, of course, a warning, there is also a joyful and loving invitation. Our Father who created us, knows us, wants us - and knows and wants what’s best for us. He loves us so much that sent his beloved Son to die for us.
So, what might it sound like to put the love within Revelation 22:17 before the pieces that are harder to hear?
“Our heavenly Father sent His only son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Yours and mine. He loves you, and He made a way for you to be with Him always. Heed Jesus’ call, come and join us as we worship Him and pray for His return.”
I like the sound of that. I’m largely thinking out loud here, but if you’re like me and struggle to find the words, and this in some way helps you, all the glory to Him. The point is, sharing the gospel is as much joyful invitation as it is dire warning. It’s speaking the truth in love. I encourage you (and me!) to share.
If they have ears to hear, they will listen.