"Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double."
Revelation 18:6
In context, this verse is written as a condemnation and judgement of the city Babylon, which symbolically represents evil / sinfulness. Interestingly though, it is the same idea of restoration which we see elsewhere in the scriptures, that can also be used as a reward. If we are rewarded as we reward others, and our own works are doubled and returned to us, or we have to drink the same beverage that we have offered to others, that can either be really bad or really good. The thing is... it is our choice.
It's an interesting way to judge, and combined with repentance, is miraculously fair, merciful, *and* just. We get rewarded for who we become... good or bad. Christ suffers for the mistakes we make and that we repent of, but the things that we don't change come back to us--whoever we are we get back in return, even more so. We don't get anyone else's decisions dumped on us--only our own.
Since we're all going to face a similar final judgement, today maybe we can think about what is going to come back to us, and whether is is a good thing or a bad thing. If it isn't good, then we still have time... time to change, to repent, to take advantage of the atonement of Jesus Christ and to start putting out some better works and rewards and beverages than we have before. This is one reason why God tells us that if we have done it unto the least of our brethren, we've done it unto God--because we're all connected, and everything that we give out returns to us, just as though the only person that we are ever interacting with is God, because he is the one with the power to send both the good and the bad back to us, as self-chosen and ultimately appropriate self-rewards. Let's make some good choices, and heed God's counsel as he tries to help us.
Revelation 18:6
In context, this verse is written as a condemnation and judgement of the city Babylon, which symbolically represents evil / sinfulness. Interestingly though, it is the same idea of restoration which we see elsewhere in the scriptures, that can also be used as a reward. If we are rewarded as we reward others, and our own works are doubled and returned to us, or we have to drink the same beverage that we have offered to others, that can either be really bad or really good. The thing is... it is our choice.
It's an interesting way to judge, and combined with repentance, is miraculously fair, merciful, *and* just. We get rewarded for who we become... good or bad. Christ suffers for the mistakes we make and that we repent of, but the things that we don't change come back to us--whoever we are we get back in return, even more so. We don't get anyone else's decisions dumped on us--only our own.
Since we're all going to face a similar final judgement, today maybe we can think about what is going to come back to us, and whether is is a good thing or a bad thing. If it isn't good, then we still have time... time to change, to repent, to take advantage of the atonement of Jesus Christ and to start putting out some better works and rewards and beverages than we have before. This is one reason why God tells us that if we have done it unto the least of our brethren, we've done it unto God--because we're all connected, and everything that we give out returns to us, just as though the only person that we are ever interacting with is God, because he is the one with the power to send both the good and the bad back to us, as self-chosen and ultimately appropriate self-rewards. Let's make some good choices, and heed God's counsel as he tries to help us.
No comments:
Post a Comment