The Bible ends where it begins, with a choice. From the very beginning God intentionally chose to give man a choice. It’s up to each of us to decide if we’re going to do life His way or our own way. And as we’ve seen throughout the story of the Bible and now in the book of Revelation, that choice is literally a matter of life or death.
The incredible glimpse of the future that God gave John tells of tragedy and triumph. For those who choose to turn away from God and go their own way, the end will be devastating. What God said from the beginning will come true. They will surely die. Having ignored God’s invitation, commands, patience, grace, and relentless pursuit of a relationship with them, they will get what they wanted – life without God, forever.
God’s not going to force anyone to join Him in heaven. He’s leaving the choice up to you. But one day in the future, the earth as we know it will come to an end and God will create a new heaven and a new earth where He will live forever with those who chose to follow Him. It will be a place for all who by faith said yes to a relationship with God through Jesus. It’s for anyone who turns from doing life their own way to God’s way. Those who accepted the gift God offered when He sent Jesus into the world to die on the cross for our sins, so it would finally be possible for us to have a relationship with Him again.
So the choice is yours. The Bible – and our Bible StoryBoards – end in Revelation with the final showdown between good and evil. Good will win and live happily ever after. But how your story ends will depend on what you decide about God and Jesus. This life is filled with choices, but none is more important than this one. All who choose to come to God through Jesus for life will receive life. Now and forever. These are the ones who will be eagerly looking forward to Christ’s return, when He will set everything right. He invites you to come.
Revelation 22:17
“Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”