Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

This is a justly famous verse, but it still calls for reflection as to exactly what it means, and the implications for individual believers and churches. It is of course God’s open invitation to mankind for salvation. The Bride, as the preceding chapters make clear, is the Church as a whole, and of course the Spirit is God’s Holy Spirit. The important thing to notice and pay attention to is the next category: All those who have heard and recognized the invitation are to repeat it. If we fail to repeat the invitation, then we have failed to hear it correctly in the first place. Churches and believers that aren’t actively involved in expressing God’s invitation to those who haven’t accepted it cannot be said to be fully in the will of God. That’s not to say that we are to be driven by a sense of duty, evangelizing through gritted teeth. That would be counter productive! It is to say that anyone who is satisfied with just their own salvation has sadly misunderstood the love and grace of God. However, not everyone is going to accept the invitation. The Japanese has an advantage over the English in clarity in the second half of the verse, not from any problem with the translation but simply because of grammar and word order. What the Japanese says is, “Let him who desires the water of life receive it without cost.” The problem is, some people don’t want the water of life! They are so attached to their sin that they prefer it to life. Many would like to drink the water of life if they could do so without letting go of their sin, but when presented with the either/or choice, they choose their sin. That is heartbreaking, but it doesn’t change the responsibility of those who have accepted the invitation to continue to extend it, so that as many as will may be saved.

This is of course a driving motivation in my life, and I am happy to say that it is increasingly so. As a pastor, I am not only to extend the invitation, I am to encourage and train the believers in doing so. This is an area in which I have a lot of room for growth! I talk about it a lot, and the core members are starting to catch on, but all too few really believe that God can and will use them to lead people to salvation. I’m not to give up! Recently the Lord has spoken very clearly on this point through me, and He will continue to do so. I am to expect God to use me, and encourage the believers to do likewise.

Father, thank You indeed for what You are doing in this church. May all of Your plans for us be fulfilled, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You that I start teaching another year of classes today at college. Thank You for the impact You have allowed me to have on my students over the years. I pray that with this new group, that many will choose to receive the water of life, starting a massive shift in the school as a whole, for the salvation of many, not just in the school but throughout the nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!