By Stu Borders

What do we believe?

We believe in the resurrection of the body and the final judgment where the redeemed will dwell forever in the presence of the Lord and the unredeemed will spend eternity in Hell.

Why do we believe this?

Revelation 21:1-8 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Why does it matter?

Unfortunately, we have all cried at some point and many of us have felt deep sorrow in our lives.  This passage is a reminder of what God desires for each of us.  We are reminded that each day we live, we live in a place that is affected by sin.

The effect of sin does not end in our relationships; our planet moans to be returned to way it was created.  John recounts his vision of our planet being renewed and restored by God.  It is a beautiful sight as he describes it as “the bride adorned for her husband.”  The most beautiful part of this whole description is that God is able to dwell again with His creation because sin and its consequences are no more.  God tells us that He is making all things new!

Unfortunately, there is another side to this event.  For those who have not been adopted as children of God through His gift of the “water of life,” there is a much worse outcome.  John tells us that their portion is the second death, which is eternity in the lake of fire and sulfur, separated from God.

How does this truth change your perspective on today?  Who does not know about the “water of life”?