There is a balance involved in the Christian life: God’s free grace is an unearned, undeserved gift, but at the same time, following Jesus in true discipleship is often very costly. It is because those who are truly saved always become true disciples that the Bible sometimes makes it sound as though salvation must be earned through good works.
We see salvation by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone in verse 17 – everyone who acknowledges his thirst, everyone who wishes to come to Christ for the living water He promised to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:10, 14) is welcome. No one will be turned away, regardless of what he or she might have done or left undone.
But at the same time, those who come to Christ as Savior must also bow the knee to Him as Lord. Those who accept His gracious pardon must swear allegiance to Him and demonstrate their loyalty and faithfulness. As verse 14 says, they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14), so they must not soil them again with the sorts of deeds mentioned in verse 15. They must not commit treason, rejecting their Lord’s commands in order to please themselves.
In short, for the Christian, life is no longer about ourselves – it’s about Jesus. As verse 16 says, He is the root of David, the One Who brought all human beings into existence. He is also the offspring of David – the fulfillment of all the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, the rightful ruler of all the kings of earth (Revelation 1:5). And He is the morning star – the One Whose coming heralds a whole new world that is even now coming into view, a world in which God’s perfect law of love is always practiced, a world in which there is no place for selfish sin.
It is this Jesus Who welcomes all of us today. Will we come to Him? As we wait for His certain coming, will we worship Him alone (v. 9)?
Revelation 22:6-21 (ESV)
6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me,
9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
