Salvation Devotion: The Seventh Trumpet - Revelation 11:15

Revelation 11:15         The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever."

Just as all things have their beginnings, so all things must end. The universe that we see all around us, especially in the night sky, will one day be starless and lifeless. The Milky Way, with its billions of stars, will no longer exist, and the Solar System that is home to our beautiful planet will be no more. All life will end and even humanity will be terminated.

As Christian people, we believe that the end of all things will actually come when Christ returns to Earth and He truly becomes King of our planet and Lord of our Lives. His Kingdom will be firmly established and His Sovereignty will be ceaseless. Nations and governments, peoples and races will all end. Those who are Christ’s followers will be part of the new Creation, the new World, and the new Kingdom that is to come. This will be the reward for those who remain faithful to Him throughout their lives on Earth. This will be the final destination and outcome of all who believe in Christ as their Savior, Lord, and King.

Wishful thinking will not get anyone there. Unrepentant people and disconnected hearts from God will not abide in the new Heaven and the new Earth. And no matter how unfair or how unpleasant this may sound, this is how it is. God’s sovereignty is not diminished by our partiality. Christ’s Kingdom is not compromised by our cultural beliefs.

The mission of the Church is, and always will be, Christ’s means of bringing sinners to salvation. Everything else is incidental, no matter how good, how great, or how glad it seems to us. Without salvation, a trillion good deeds ultimately mean as much as a trillion finite stars. Without salvation, a zillion good intentions still amount to zero. When the End finally comes, without salvation, there will be no new beginning. We can kick and fuss, complain and protest as much as we like, but when the Final Day arrives, only one thing will be important: our salvation in Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

Have I really repented of my sins and truly confessed them to Christ? Do I take my salvation for granted, or do I truly know that only Jesus is my Savior?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we all want to be saved and welcomed into Your Kingdom. Some of us have become careless with our Christian faith and sloppy with our ideas about salvation. Forgive us for forgetting the ultimate truth about Your presence in the world and Your ministry to all people. In Your Holy Name, we repent and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Communion drawings called “Cup of Salvation.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cup of Salvation.