Revelation 21

Revelation 21: 6-8, 26

Verses 6-8 - He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Verse 26 - The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

(David Gurzik authored and I really liked his commentary and explanations). The invitation and a warning of verse 6-8, 26 (bottom):
“a. It is done! God’s eternal purpose in Jesus is now accomplished. Ephesians 1:10 has been fulfilled: that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him. At this point, all things have been resolved or “summed up” in Jesus - it is done!

b. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts: Drinking and thirst are common pictures of God’s supply and man’s spiritual need. Drinking is an action, but an action of receiving - like faith, it is doing something, but it is not a merit-earning work in itself.

i. “What does a thirsty man do to get rid of his thirst? He drinks. Perhaps there is no better representation of faith in all the Word of God than that. To drink is to receive-to take in the refreshing draught-and that is all. A man’s face may be unwashed, but yet he can drink; he may be a very unworthy character, but yet a draught of water will remove his thirst. Drinking is such a remarkably easy thing; it is even more simple than eating.” (Spurgeon)
c. He who overcomes shall inherit all things: Those who overcome (by faith in Jesus, as in 1 John 5:5) enjoy a special relationship with God (I will be his God and he shall be My son).

d. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable . . . have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: But the Jesus-rejecting and apostate are specifically prohibited from entering the New Jerusalem.

i. Cowardly: Is cowardice enough to send a person to hell? “John is not speaking of natural timidity, but of that cowardice which in the last resort chooses self and safety before Christ.” (Morris) John Trapp spoke of these “Cowardly recreants, white-livered milk-sops that pull in their horns for every pile of grass that touched them that are afraid of every new step.”

Verse 26: There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles: Does this mean that such people will threaten the city? It isn’t necessary to say that this is the idea, because all sinners and death have been cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). Instead, “the exhortation warns present readers that the only way to participate in the future city is to turn one’s loyalties to the Lamb now.” (Johnson)”

(…and the bolded statement above is exactly what we were discussing last night...)