Advent 2018: Revelation 3

Wednesday, December 5, 2018
At EACF we've been using the G.R.O.W. rubric to ask God to teach us through His word. We'll use that for this Advent devotional series as well.

PRAY and ask God to meet you and teach you as you read His word today.

READ Revelation 3. Meditate on what would a church look like with the reputation of being alive but actually being spiritually dead. What would an individual Christian look like who would fall under that charge?

REFLECT
Advent is also about Christians looking forward to the second coming of Jesus and the rest of the work that God has promised to do.

God - What does God teach us about Himself through this text? God will judge. We do not think of His judgment for Christians often, but it is clear that He is watching us and will hold us accountable.
Redeems - How does God work in our lives? God is gracious but He is also sanctifying us, not settling for sanctification by fire but desiring to produce fruit in and through our lives. He loves us more than we love ourselves.
Our - What is our identity as highlighted here? "I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God" (2). There seems to be an emphasis here on works, but that coheres with James' letter expressing how the fruit of our faith demonstrates the truth of our faith. "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent" (19). We are loved and called forward toward completeness in Christ.
World - How is God calling us to share His grace with the world? Imminent judgment should sober us, even those of us who consider ourselves Christian. We must be truthful about our need to grow in righteousness through our faith in Christ.


RESPOND
I think about how in the USA we take so much for granted. I learn perspective when I read about how Christians around the world really do live by faith. God, we repent. We confess that we often take a casual attitude toward our relationship with You - that should not be! Shake us, wake us, and make us more than we are for You have more for us to know, receive, and do. We look forward to how You will continue to unfold Your plan for You are not done yet and we should still pray and live with anticipation, passion, and purpose. Refine us, we pray.