And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Rev 19:11)
"How vain will be the plea of many sinners at the great day! We followed our guides; we did as we saw others do! God has given a rule to walk by, in his word; neither the example of the most, nor of the chief, must influence us contrary thereto: if we do as the most do, we must go where the most go, even into the burning lake. (Matthew Henry)"
Not a place I'd like to see! The visual in my mind is painful enough. We are reminded many times that hell is a real place, far to many to actually count (and I googled and got different numbers - suffice to say, it's a lot). Fortunately we have the opportunity to NOT go there. Being "washed in the blood" sets us free! Being "saved" causes us to change, to want to change and be devoted to all that the Lord has for us. Sometimes we may not like what that is, but we nonetheless accept it, thank him for it, and move forward. This life on earth was not designed for our "pleasures". We cannot have it both ways and we are warned against "candy coating" his message either for our own peace of mind or in the fear of losing a potential soul saved by the blood.
We are commanded to act accordingly. As I have said before, our right to be happy does not go before God's right to be happy! Doing what HE asks of us (praise, prayer, worship, and witnessing) is what makes him happy. Just saying the words "I've been washed in the blood" is not a "get out of hell free" card. If you have truly accepted Christ as the Savior, you will WANT to do all those things for him! You will WANT to offer praise and thanksgiving and tell others about the love he has for them! You won't be worried about your appearance or your "social standing". Being a Christian is not a "sit on the sidelines and watch" gig. It's a full participation one! Sitting in church on Sunday and then cursing the fellow who cut you off in the parking lot as you attempt to leave is probably not the best example to set. If you are one of the "chosen", act accordingly.
Don't let yourself be a cattle in the herd. Be a sheep, know the Shepherd's voice and come as you are called! Live the love that Christ has given you in all that you do ~ no matter how difficult, no matter how "unpopular". The time for keeping up appearances is long gone; better to be unpopular now, than to regret it for all of eternity. Give yourself over to the full measure of the sacrifice given for you! It may not carry much weight here on earth, but it will in the next life!
