Revelation chapter 22, as we
go through this last chapter, we're truly learning, we're appreciating
more and more the benefits that God has for his people when Christ
is the revelation. This book started, this is the
revelation of Jesus Christ. And here we have in this last
chapter the wonderful benefits of that position of seeing Christ
as the revelation. We saw the benefits and the glory
of the church in the last two chapters, the blessings that
God has given to the church, and in this passage of scripture
we have that continuing, but truly we see in this passage
of scripture, we hear the Lord, we have His final words to us,
in the canon. The Bible is being put together
with this last book, the book of Revelation. There is no one
that knows exactly when the book of Revelation was written. Between
60 and 90 AD, it doesn't matter when a book is written, it's
the content Never base your theology on a date when something was
written. Base it upon the word, and then
we'll have no difficulty, or less difficulty, I should say.
We have gone through the first two verses of this chapter, and
it says, and he showed me a pure river of water of life. clear
as crystal. Now it doesn't mean that in heaven
there's going to be a literal flowing stream of water. It's
figurative language. It's pictorial language for the
blessings that we have in Christ and how pure salvation is from
the Lord. Now what he makes heaven like,
he's going to do it and everyone there is going to appreciate
it. Nobody's going to be complaining about it. All the complainers
are going to be somewhere else. But all the appreciators, grace
appreciators, will be there. They'll appreciate grace. The
only reason that there will be anybody there is because of free
grace. No other reason in this world.
So those who don't appreciate free grace, those that don't
love God, they won't be there and there won't be a problem.
And this proceeding out of the throne of God, every blessing
that we ever shall receive the headwaters is Christ. He is the
first cause of all spiritual blessings. They don't start here
and we back them up to Him. They start there and He gives
them to us. We're the recipients. We've never
been the participants. We're only the recipients of
the grace of God. And then it said in verse 2,
in the midst of the street of it and on either side of the
river there was the tree of life. And the tree of life has always
been a picture of the wonderful characteristics and attributes
life-giving attributes of Christ. And He has His blessings upon
His saints on this earth. He has His blessings on His saints
in His presence. They're not different blessings.
They're the same blessings. The only thing that they have
that we don't have is their eyes are open to them much more than
we have. We see through a glass darkly.
There! In spirit, they're able to see
the full blessings of Christ, and then in that day, when we
all meet together in that host, it will be an open understanding. We shall know as we are known. I don't understand that. I know
what the words mean, and I'm anticipating that time when that
will be a reality. It's a tree of life, it bears
twelve manner of fruits, and there are many things that could
be said about that twelve manner of fruits, but we looked at the
first chapter of the book of Ephesians, and we noticed there
that there are twelve blessings that God has given us in Christ
Jesus. He has chosen us in Him, and
from there on it goes. Forgiveness of sin, God's blessing
upon us, and the fruits are not pears and apples. I remember
my dad had an apple tree with, I think he had four or six different
varieties of apples. That's not what it's talking
about. The tree of life, the Lord Jesus, has the blessings
of His salvation given and every season to us and throughout eternity. It will be the blessings of grace.
And it tells us there, and the leaves were for the healing of
the nations. That just shares with us, and as Brother Marvin
spoke, and all gospel preachers speak about this, it's the first,
it's the beginning of the gospel is ruined by the fall. This tells
us that there is a sickness in the nations, and it must be healed
by the blood of Christ. God's people will all admit that
it was the blood of Christ that changed them, it was the blood
of Christ that cleansed them. And that's what we find here
in the book of Revelation. He washed us and loosed us from
our sins in his own blood. Well, that's what he does. That's
what the Savior does. And He is a Savior that actually
saves His people. He does not make us savable. He saves His people. And saves them completely. And
that's what we find here in this verse. And there shall be no
more curse. There shall be no more curse.
Now, this afternoon I spent a little time plucking up some weeds in
my garden. And you know, most people, many
people, just look at this, no more curses, a time when we don't
have to pull weeds. Well, that's far and away from
what it really means. There shall be no more curse. At this present time, for the
saints, there is no curse. We were cursed in the fall. The
world was cursed in the fall. All creatures were cursed in
the fall. Adam and Eve were cursed in the fall. But there is no
more curse. We can depend on this, that the
redeemed ones are forgiven, they're saved sinners, and they shall
not ever be cursed. That's what gives us the privilege
of holding our head up and looking to Christ. We're not cursed. He has taken the curse. That's
one of the passages that we will look at. He has taken our curse. And in taking our curse, He has
put away sin. And where there is no sin, there
is no judgment. And God's people will, from this
point, will never stand in judgment for sin. Either Christ paid it
all, or we're going to pay it, and we have no hope under that. One sin will condemn us. Just
one. If he took care of all but one,
that's not a help. That just gives a false hope.
But since he's taken care of every sin of every one of his
sheep, then there is no more curse. It has been put away.
We have no more fear. Sin has been put away. The curse
has been put away, as it tells us there. Christ has redeemed
the church from the curse. The curse of the law. Turn with
me if you would to Galatians chapter 3. The Lord Jesus in
his wonderful ministry of redemption has done it so exclusively that
there is no more sin to be dealt with. Now I've used this illustration
and I think I can again tonight. I have a granddaughter present
here and sometimes she does some things that are not real pleasing
But she's my granddaughter and she's perfect in my eyes. She's my granddaughter. She's
perfect in my eyes. She doesn't do anything wrong.
Now she'll tell me that she does, but And that's the way we are
by nature. God saves us. God regenerates
us. We know what we are, but in the
mind of God, all sin has been put away. In the purpose of God,
all sin has been paid for. And the reality of God's eternal
salvation will not answer before His throne for any sin. If we have to, then He hasn't
taken care of it all, and that's not salvation. That's a terrible
place. Double jeopardy. If he paid for
it, he's not going to make his people pay for it. Why do people
have blindness? Why do people have disease? The
fall? Why did that man that was born
blind, why was he blind? His disciples said, who did sin?
His mother or his parents or himself? And Jesus said, neither
one caused this, but this is for the glory of God. That's
why he healed him, and that was for the glory of God. So God's
punishment of sin was placed on Christ. You want to know how
much sin cost? Go to the cross. We could never
pay that. We owed a debt we couldn't pay
like that. We could not pay it. But Jesus
Christ, he did not owe a debt and he paid the debt with his
own blood and righteousness. So here we are. No curse. I can
tell the church, no curse. You have no curse. God's people
have no curse. There is no judgment for sin.
It's been paid for. Galatians chapter 3. And verse
13, the reason that the Lord Jesus Christ hung on a tree,
Roman, and it was for a very short period of time and it's
not, as I said the other day, was it one with this way or was
it one this way? That doesn't make any difference.
I'm not arguing with anybody. Was it a stake or was it a cross? I'm not going to get into that.
But he hung on a tree and hanging on a tree suspended between heaven
and earth fulfilled the judgment of God upon a sinner. Notice this, Galatians chapter
3 and verse 13, it says Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law. Now I could put that in red. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
These are the words that Christ gave the Apostle Paul to share
with the church. This is the words of encouragement. When we follow after religion,
when we follow after another gospel, we will not feel what
we feel when God lets us know the curse is taken away. No longer. As it says here, Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us. He was not a curse on his own.
He was the Son of God. But he became a curse, made a
curse for us. He was made unsavory for us. He was made odious for us. He was made unfavorable for us. We know that the Father, in his
death on the cross, could not look upon him. Why hast thou
forsaken me? He was made, as we heard, he
was made sin for us. Who knew no sin? But he was made
that. Why? So he could take the curse. God gave him the curse. God gave
Adam and Eve a curse in the Garden of Eden. Cursed the ground for
their sake. And it tells us, and we'll read
a verse in a moment, the whole earth groaneth and travaileth
under this curse. The curse of sin. And Jesus Christ,
it is said, he hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. That was symbolic of a people
that were facing judgment for their own sin. Joshua brought
that on. He hung them in a tree after
he had them killed. They're cursed people. This is not salvation. This is a cursed people. Well,
the Lord Jesus Christ hung on that cross and cursed it as everyone
that hangs on the cross. He had our curse on him. And
as a result of that, he had all our curse on him. And as a result
of that, he said, my people shall go free. They do not have this
curse. They will not face this curse.
They will not face God saying depart. If they have Christ,
they will hear welcome. because he has taken care of
the curse, and it is for now. Now, we'll really come to the
reality of it when we meet him, but now there's no more condemnation. There's no condemnation to those
that are in Christ. There's no curse. Sin has been
taken care of, and I can't emphasize enough, and very seldom that
we even have a complete understanding of it, but all sin has been taken
care of. The mind sin, the action sin,
the heart sin, all sin has been taken care of. We sin, but it's
taken care of. Now that does not give, and Paul
had to deal with this because we've got a bunch of people on
the side saying, well, hmm, that's going to give me the opportunity
to sin. And Paul said, this does not give anybody. In fact, if
you think that this gives you a license, there's a problem.
This is an issue you have with God, that you would take this. Now God's people, we sin enough
as it is. We sin more than we want to.
But to know that there's no curse. And John was led by the Holy
Spirit to say, there shall be no curse. There, now, presently,
upon God's people, upon the church, there is no curse. Cursed is
every one that hangeth in a tree. Where there is no sin, there
is no cause for a curse. Christ has put away our sins
as far as the east is from the west, buried in the deepest sea,
thrown over the shoulder of God. Our sin has been put away. Would
you turn with me for a couple readings in the book of Romans
along this line that God took care of. He cursed Adam by the
sweat of your brow, thorns and thistles. He cursed and everything
that transpired in the garden and just out of the garden as
a result of the fall, Jesus Christ came and completely turned around. He took care of the curse. Curse
was there. He took care of sin. Sin was there. He took care of
a mind that could not think on God. A new mind I'll give them.
He took care of a heart that was made black because of sin.
Adam's sin against God. He said I'll give you a new heart.
Everything that happened as a result of the fall on Adam and all of
his children, Jesus Christ as a result of the of his redemptive
work, takes it and turns it around. Doesn't want our old heart, he
gives us a new heart. Doesn't want our old mind, gives
us a new mind. He takes care of everything that transpired. The fall is so tremendous and
so serious, but let us not forget that redemption is far greater. Oh, where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. It is far better, far greater,
far superior, took care of all the issues, and God was so satisfied
that He welcomed His Son back into glory, sit down at the right
hand of the Father, making intercession for us, and it is because of
Christ that we have this. Alright, Romans chapter 4, would
you turn with me to Romans chapter 4, and there in verse 8, Romans
chapter 4 verse 8, we think about no curse. It's such a blessed
thing, such a blessed consideration, such a blessed thought, that
in time and eternity God has taken care of this issue. A curse
means there's something between us and God. When there is no
curse, there is no issue between God's people and God. Romans
chapter 4 verse 8, Romans chapter 4 verse 8 it says, blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Well I can't,
I just cannot underline blessed enough. Blessed is the man. Now this is an Old Testament
quote. Blessed is the man. Same salvation
in the Old Testament. Same grace in the Old Testament.
Same spirit in the Old Testament. Same sinners in the Old Testament. Spoke a different language, but
they still had that angry language towards God. Will not have this
one rule over us. Takes the grace of God to overcome
that. And as a result, blessed is the
man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, will not charge them
with it, will not put it upon them. He took care of it at the
cross so completely that there, I like that illustration about
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being in a burning fiery furnace.
I've come home from hunting camp and I've had to take my good
wool coat to the cleaners because I've stood around a fire. Now
you don't notice it out there. Well, that's just the way it
is. But you bring it into culture. You bring it into society. And
you say, oh my goodness, I've got to do something about that.
Well, this, the redemptive work of Christ is so complete. that
God can't even smell the remains of sin. It is so paid for that
there's not... I've carried on a battle this
year. Some weeds, if you don't just
pull out every root, you go out there and it's still got some
life in it. And you just work and work, and
finally you get it out, and the next day you go out there and
it's just wilted. And you say, hallelujah, hallelujah. Well,
that's the way God dealt with sin. He didn't leave a root of
any sin left to be dealt with. The blood of Christ completely
washes us from sin. That's why he can say to the
church today, tomorrow, yesterday, there is no curse. Rejoice in redemptive work of
Christ. Rejoice in the Lord Jesus. Rejoice
in His goodness. Rejoice in His grace. Rejoice,
I say again, rejoice. There's no curse. He's taken
care of it. You know there was no curse for
Abel? Christ hadn't even died yet. But the benefits and effects
of the redemptive work of Christ was for him also. He could walk
the short time he walked this earth under the blessing of no
curse. No curse. I'll not stand on the
left hand. I'll stand on the right hand.
I'll not be told depart. I'll be told welcome. because
of Christ and because of his redemptive work. Alright, Romans
chapter 8, Romans chapter 8 and verse 20. This book of Revelation
is for us, it's a blessing for us, it's glory to us. Every time,
like the book of Acts, every time there's an issue, the answer
is Christ. Every time they're in trouble, the answer is Christ.
Every time the apostles are in jail, the answer is Christ. Who
lets them out? Who sets them free? And that's
the Lord Jesus to his people. Peter's in prison. No man let
him go. God opened the doors. God released
him. That's the way it is with us.
When it comes to sin, God opens the doors. God releases us. He's
the one that takes us out into the sunlight. We don't do it
on our own. We are taken by the Lord Jesus. Alright, Romans chapter 8 and
there in verse 20. Romans chapter 8 verse 20 it
says, where the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly,
but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because
the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
I don't know how that strikes you, but as we approach the 4th
of July, I appreciate the 4th of July. There are some people that said,
Enough tyranny, enough bondage. Now, this liberty though is far
superior because it doesn't change over time. We don't get people
come along and say, well you know it's just different today
and it doesn't apply like it once did. It is as precious today
as it was to Moses. It's as precious today as it
was to Peter and Paul. The glorious liberty of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He says it time and time again. You're taken from bondage, and
you're made servants in liberty. We have every liberty. That's
one thing we could not do. We're not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. And yet, in regeneration, He
makes us subject to the law of God, and indeed can be. What
is the law of Christ? What is the law that's written
on our heart? It is the fact. Something we
couldn't do before. We wouldn't even consider it.
The Word is read. We fuss about it. We say, well,
I believe part of that. Let me tell you, once God saves
His people, they don't fuss over the Word. It's God's Word and
that's it. It doesn't matter whether we
believe it or not. Now, I'm convinced God's people
will believe it. They will say they don't understand
it. I can appreciate that. God does
too. But to say I don't believe it? No. That's having the law
of God written on our heart. When he speaks, it's his word. Alright. Romans chapter 8. Glorious
liberty. Glorious liberty. Verse 21. Because the creature itself also
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. No more curse, for we know that
the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until
now. Now I don't understand all I
know about that, but not only was man cursed, but this earth
was cursed. And then it goes on to say, and
not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our body. For we
are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what
a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if ye hope for
that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it likewise. The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we will not know how to pray
as we ought. Look at that verse though, verse 21. Because the
creature itself also shall be delivered, shall be delivered,
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. delivered to the glorious liberty
of the children of God. The church has a position delivered
to the glorious liberty of the children of God. Now, we will
do, God said, Christ said, He both wills, how does that
go? Had it on the tip of my tongue. to will and to do of His good
pleasure. To will and to do. He gives us
that ability. To will and to do of His good
pleasure. Alright. Now, the church will
not suffer loss or be treated less graciously because of our
sin. Sutton, please. The church will
not be treated less because of our sin. between the time we
are regenerated and the time we die. Do you know why? I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. The Lord Jesus will not treat
us less gracious because of our sin. He has a purpose to deliver
all his people to the father and he died for them to give
them redemption so he could deliver them to the father and our natural
innate sin that we have from Adam will not prevent it. If
it does, our sin is greater than God. And it's not. Especially when
it was paid for. The church will not suffer loss
or be treated less graciously because of our sin. It will be
treated as God purposed to treat his church and that was with
love and mercy and grace. He intended that from the beginning
before the foundation of the world and he will not change
his purpose. He will give those characteristics
and attributes of God to all of his children, all of the time,
and present them spotless. That's what he will do. No more
curse. In that verse over there in the
book of Revelation, chapter 22 and verse 3, it says there, but
there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it. Now, that's kind of the reason
that there'll be no curse and no sin. Why? When a place is full, nothing
else can get in. Now I'm talking about full. When the kingdom is full of the
glory of God, he will prevent All, well, in that last chapter,
in verse 27, chapter 21, verse 27, it says, and there shall
in no wise enter in anything that defileth. Why? Because the
kingdom is filled with the righteousness of God. It is filled it full. Nothing can permeate that. We
have a kingdom that is pressurized, if you please, by the righteousness
of God. The only way we can fly at 33,000
feet is if we're in a pressurized cabin. Nobody can survive 33,000
feet in a cabin in an airplane that's not pressurized. And if
it opens up at that, there's problems going to happen. We
are in a pressurized kingdom. I'm talking here, we're in a
pressurized kingdom of the righteousness of God and nothing can permeate. Nothing can get in. Everything
is prevented from getting in that is not according to the
righteousness of Christ. He makes his people righteous
by his own righteousness and in that kingdom it is so righteous
by the righteousness of God that not one sin can enter in. Everything is prevented from
entering in that, what's it say? Nothing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie can enter into
this kingdom. God has so permeated, so filled
it. He gives us a picture of this
over in the Old Testament when they built the temple. And it says the smoke that filled
that temple. Moses couldn't even go into it.
Why? God's in there. He has permeated that whole scene. Inside there is just permeated
with the presence of God. Even Moses could not enter into
that place. Now the kingdom of God is so
filled with the righteousness of Christ that nothing that defileth
shall enter in. Now we say, well we're in the
kingdom and I have enough in me to defile it. God in his mercy
prevents it ever from entering in. He takes our spirit in, leaves
our flesh out in some miraculous way. And we're permitted to be
there by the grace of God, and what we are does not change the
righteousness of Christ. You put enough hot water in,
or in cold water, you get lukewarm water. That's not happening in
the kingdom. I'll get enough people in there that are sinners
and it's going to happen. No, no, no. The righteousness of
Christ has permeated the kingdom to the point that nothing else
can enter in. Pressurize you. I just like that. Look with me, if you would, in
Isaiah 35. Isaiah 35. There shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it. There, there. They represent all that's glorious,
all that's holy. and their holiness and their
glory and their being and their purpose, their grace, their mercy,
so fill the kingdom that it prevents anything that would detract from
entering in. Isaiah chapter 35, Isaiah 35
verse 3, Strengthen ye the weak hands,
and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of fearful
heart, Be strong, fear not, behold, your God will come with vengeance,
even God with recompense. He will come and save you. Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf
shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap
as a heart, or a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For
in the wilderness shall the waters break out, and streams in the
desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool in the thirsty
land, spring of water. He's not talking about irrigating
some dry desert. He's talking about people. This
is what God's going to do to his people. That which looked
barren is going to blossom in spring. The parched ground shall
become a pool in the thirsty land, springs of water, in the
habitation of dragons, where each shall be grass with reeds
and rushes. There's going to be plenty of
water. What? a water proceeding from the throne of God, every
spiritual blessing for his people. And a highway shall be there,
and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean
shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those, the wayfaring
men, the fools shall err therein. What's it say? The way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over
it. This is the highway of holiness.
This is the kingdom. This is the entering in. God
has such a way to prevent our natural tendencies from rising
up, killing them, putting away them at the cross. There'll be
no more curse. And this place is full. Nothing
can enter in. The kingdom of God is full of
the righteousness of Christ. permeated this is the revelation
of Jesus Christ permeated the kingdom to such a point no one
can enter in except those he calls and he has made them after
himself and then the last part of that verse it says and his
servant shall serve him his servants shall serve him I am convinced that everyone
that God ever saves will serve Him. I've had people tell me, I had
a grandmother, she made a profession of faith and for 70 years she
didn't serve the Lord, but I know. I went to a funeral, my older
brother, he made a profession of faith in a Baptist church
and joined the Jehovah's Witnesses and I had a cousin tell me Well,
I know where Virgil is now. And I says, where is Virgil?
Well, he's in heaven with the other brother that died. And
I says, no, he's not. No, no. She was very upset with
me. I'd made a judgment. No judgment. He did that. You cannot become
in a group that denies, denies God the very Son of God. and end up on the right hand. Every believer of Christ Jesus
will serve the Lord. That's what he says. And his servants shall serve
him. His servants. Free grace has
made them servants, taken them from bondage, and placed them
in liberty. We're at liberty. Brother D.J. Ward told us about every black
person carried a Lincoln penny. Boy, when those Lincoln pennies
came out, they made them into jewelry. They carried them around
their neck. They had them in their pocket.
Why? Because this man set us free. This man set us free. This man set us free. Jewelry
had them. They worshipped that That man,
Mr. Lincoln, because he set them
free. Well, the Lord Jesus sets his people free and guess what?
We worship Him. We serve Him with gladness. It
is not hard work. It's a new creature in Christ
Jesus, worshiping the Creator. Thank you for delivering me.
Thank you for plucking me out. Thank you for taking me from.
Thank you. Humans, people, do that. Boy, saved from a drowning, someone
plucks us up, thank you. I'm going to send them a card
every Thanksgiving and thank them. We thank God saves his
people and his people are thankful and they serve him. Look with
me in John 12. John 12. Great grace has made
them servants, taken them from bondage. We are really in bondage
of sin. We can't think without it. We
can't walk without it. We can't sleep without it. We're
in bondage of sin. We're in darkness. We're in a
pit. We're just held captive by sin. And he sets us free. Notice here
in John. John chapter 12. John chapter 12 and verse 26. If any man serve me, let him
follow me. And where I am, there shall also
my servant be. If any man serve me, him will
my father honor. How does a father honor? What? He draws us out of this world No greater honor than to be drawn,
plucked out of this world, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, redeemed
by the Lord Jesus Christ. If any man serve me, let him
follow me. And where I am in here, in this kingdom, his servants
shall serve him with gladness." They're taken out of prison.
I heard a message one time that just awestruck, the illustration.
Barabbas in prison. And he's down there in prison
and he keeps hearing these words, crucify him, crucify him. He
didn't know that there was someone else up there yelling at him.
Just shaking in his boots, crucify him. Here comes the guards, open
the gates, come down to get him. Here it is, the time has come.
Walked him out, didn't say a word, soldier on both arms leading
him out. Got him out, got him into the
sunlight, turned him loose. We're taken from prison and put
in the custody of the Creator. Servants of the Most High God. Taken from prison and given liberty. Liberty to worship God that we
could never worship before. It was impossible to worship
this God. We had no heart for it. And he
gives us a heart to worship him, to love him, to serve him. And I'm reminded too of those
on the right hand side, when they said, when did we do that?
When did we do that? When did we do that? It's not
something that we have to think about. It's something that's
done. It's like breathing. It's something that's done. So,
what a blessing in this place, here. Blessing of the revelation
of Jesus Christ. No curse. No curse. Throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it, but the throne of God. Why? All that Pressurization
to keep all that's evil out And his servants shall serve him
and verse 4 will not deal with this But it just read it and
they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads