Sunday(4.2), Eternal Choices
 Revelation 14 is Jesus’ final message of mercy to a fallen and rebellious world, one that has, for about six thousand years, been steeped in sin and evil. There will come a day when every human being on planet Earth will make their final, irrevocable decision, either for or against Jesus. Revelation’s message of Christ’s righteousness, delivering us from the condemnation of sin, as well as the grip of sin in our lives, will echo and reecho throughout the earth.


 Read Matthew 24:14 and compare it with Revelation 14:6. What promise did Jesus give to His disciples regarding the worldwide spread of the gospel just before His return?


 Jesus’ promise that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world” (NKJV), given in Matthew 24:14, finds its final fulfillment in Christ’s last-day message, in Revelation 14:6, which says that the gospel is proclaimed to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (NKJV).


 Three times in Revelation 22 Jesus says that He is coming quickly (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20). In the context of His soon return, our Lord adds, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev. 22:11, NKJV). Revelation moves to one glorious climax where every person is led to decide for or against Christ.


 Of course, every day, by our choices even in the so-called “little things,” we are choosing either for or against Jesus. It’s not likely that someone constantly making the wrong choices in their life now, will suddenly, at the final crisis, come down on the side of Jesus, especially when the force of the whole evil world is against them. Now, today, and every day we must choose to be faithful to Christ and to His commandments. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3, NKJV). As Ellen G. White has said: “Jesus does not change the character at His coming. The work of transformation must be done now. Our daily lives are determining our destiny.”Last Day Events,p. 295.

 How does God shape our characters? What means does He use for us to grow in grace? What can we do to more fully allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to be more like Jesus?