History of Redemption: Blog Post 44

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. - Revelation 17:14 ESV.  

This is the 44th week that I have written this blog post.  Some weeks it has been very easy for me to write, and the words have come to me quite naturally.  Other weeks I have struggled, and it was not until I spent time in prayer, asking for words, that the Lord gave them to me.  This has been one of those weeks.  And so I have asked the Lord what I am to write.  And He has responded that it does not matter what I write, or how eloquent I am, or how creative my writings are, because I have been “called” and am “chosen” and am “faithful”.

Revelation 17 is a great reminder for me of my identity in Christ Jesus.  What joy it gives me to hear these words from my Lord, that I am “called and chosen and faithful”.  What incredible freedom we have to know that the One we serve is the Victor.  And since we are His, and because He is victorious, we are victorious too!  He will never leave us or forsake us, for we are “with him”, and we are “called and chosen and faithful”.

And what a great King we serve!  He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, yet He laid down His life, as a Lamb, as one who “is led to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7).  “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).  And truly He was “wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).  What kind of king would do this?  Only One.

And now, because He was the propitiation for our sins, we can be “with him”.  We are “called and chosen and faithful”.  This causes great celebration within my heart.  This causes my heart to swell with joy, and hope, and faith, and such love for my God who would do this for me “the worst of sinners”.

We continue to live in a time of war.  And those opposed to Jesus will make war on the Lamb, but we have nothing to fear, for “the Lamb will conquer them”.  And not only will He conquer, but because we are His, and are “with him”, we too will be victorious.  “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith” (1 John 5:4).

This week I hope that you will spend time meditating on your identity in Christ Jesus.  I hope that you will remember daily who it is that we worship.  And I hope that you will rejoice greatly, with exceeding joy, that you are “with him” and that you are “called and chosen and faithful”.

Thank you Jesus.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).