Revelation 5:13-14 NIV
[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” [14] The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation really brings together the Majesty of both Jesus and God being one. In Revelation the elders give praise and worship to God and Jesus in the exact same way. Now, we must remember that John is trying to make all he is seeing understandable to those who have not seen them because things were so amazing and frightening that they were beyond human description.
The Majesty of Jesus is very important. We treat Him like our best friend, and He is, but we also then tend to forget that He is Holy. He is equal with God. He is king. Only the Lamb could open the scroll. His glory so great that John feared he would die simply by looking upon Him. So many do the, when I get to Heaven all my sins will be read and Jesus will walk up, put an arm around my shoulders and say ‘it’s all good’ and take me to Heaven, thing. But Jesus isn’t opening the doors to a rave, He’s opening the doors to the most holy place. Yes, if you have accepted Him your sins are forgiven, but that doesn’t mean that you can keep on sining. It also doesn’t mean that Jesus is going to stand there, fist bump you and wave you through. There will be a trial. We will stand before the seat of judgment. God will call out all we are accused of and the devil will stand there like the prosecuting attorney laying out all our failures and sins and mistakes. If we do not have Jesus, then that’s it, we’re sentenced to life in the eternal fire.
Yet. If Jesus is our defense then He will walk up to the throne and show God His hands, feet and side, and say, “this one I’ve paid for.”
We are payed for by His grace.
Jesus Himself never used the word grace, He is the grace. Without Him there is no hope. With Him there is always reason to hope. But people get so caught in the crevice of grace setting us free that they act like deserve the grace, they act like Jesus is our concierge bringing us what we are owed. We get to he place where we treat Him like a servant.
He is Holy. He is worshiped by creatures we cam only imagine, and the way to be with Him is narrow. You have to throw this life away. To die to yourself every day. And that is hard, and it’s not fun. And there are days it will feel unfair. But in the face of Heaven. In the face of being released from our punishment, then isn’t it all worth it. We are saved because of His grace, grace we don’t deserve and can’t buy or earn. Grace that changes us to want to be more like Him and to leave our old selves behind for the new life Christ offers. Grace that makes it so when we fail we haven’t lost God. Grace that makes it so when the devil is calling for our blood because of our sins and failures Jesus claims us out of his hands because we are now His. It was my sin that held Him to the cross, it was His love that made Him choose to stay until it was accomplished. You don’t have to accept Him, but someday we will all see God, who do you want as your advocate? Because if you only lived for yourself, then the only one to defend you is you. Nothing you have done will ever be good enough to pay for your faults. Only the blood of Jesus washed across you, cleansing your failures, not covering them up, but washing them away, will be enough to pay your Ransom.
Carried in the cross 