Sunday, November 23, 2008

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war with the one sitting on the [white] horse and with his army... And the rest were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the one sitting on the [white] horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. Rev. 19:19-21.

I wrote the previous devotional early on the morning of Mother's Day. In the afternoon my family and I drove off to a friend's place where a number of families were getting together to celebrate the occasion. After a nice meal the group began to break up into smaller groups and found quiet places to talk in the house or around the wooded yard outside.

I joined a small group near the pool, which was slowly being filled from a hose. When one member of the group asked if I was anticipating any new publications, I mentioned that I had just published several, but a devotional book would keep me occupied for a while. Someone asked me what a devotional book on the book of Revelation would be like, and I shared the penicillin story on the previous page. And I said something to the effect that "the book of Revelation describes God's antibiotic for the universe."

A member of our group, who teaches business at the university, pondered the concept for a while and then inquired, "If God has an antibiotic for the universe, what do you see as the resistance to that antibiotic?"

Not having thought in those terms, I answered flippantly, "You can't make an illustration stand on four legs!" But the more I thought about his question, the more I felt that it might have some relevance to the issue of God's cleansing the universe of sin and sinners at the end of history.

You see, resistance to antibiotics occurs when people don't finish the bottle. They take just enough of the medicine to feel better, and then they stop. The problem is that the partial dose of anitbiotic killes off the weaker bacteria in their system, but the remainder are strong enough to resist the next batch of antibiotic to some degree. If enough people take partial doses, new strains of bacteria that the antibiotic can no longer control may arise.

By way of analogy, resistance to God's saving work arises from free will. God allows us to frustrate His work in our lives if we so choose. When we apply the gospel just enough to feel better, but don't take the full dose of its cleansing power, our resistance to the gospel gradually grows. Over time we respond less and less to God's call. The day may come when the only way to overcome our resistance is through the destruction illustrated in the passage above.

Lord, give me the full dose of Your transforming power. May I never be satisfied with halfway measures. I accpet Your complete Lordship of my life.

While we were yet unloving and unlovely in character, "hateful, and hating one another," our heavenly Father had mercy on us. "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." Titus 3:3-5. His love received, will make us, in like manner, kind and tender, not merely toward those who please us, but to the most faulty and erring and sinful(TFMB 75).