Living in Our New Home

Did you notice that this is a chapter about life? It mentions three things "of life" (besides the One of whom life is because He is life).

Water of life

"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (1).

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (17).

They go along so well (no surprise there, of course) with this promise from the previous chapter:

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" (21:6).

Then we have these from elsewhere in God's Word:

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Psalm 1:3).

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

He blesses us according to our need, whether we are in time or in eternity!

Tree of life

"In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (2).

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (14).

Finally, after so long a time, instead of being driven from that tree, we are given access to it:

"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24).

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).

Notice in verse 14 that He also blesses us according to our deed!

Book of life

"And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (19).

Notice three other "book of life" verses in Revelation.

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (20:12).

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (20:15)

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (21:27).

Choose life!

Life. Then and there.

Life. Here and now!

To have it there, you first must have it here.

Do you?

To be "of life" then, you first must be "of life" now.

Are you?