But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:27 NRS
Revelation chapter 21 is surely one of the most stirring chapters in the Bible. The rich and vividly detailed picture of the new Jerusalem will always be thrilling and inviting to the child of God. Reading the chapter recently my eye was caught by the final statement.
Part of the reason for that was some thinking I have been doing recently about the nature of reality. Our culture is in a full-out assault on reality. We think that we are on the front edge a great move in which human consciousness will determine what is so in every realm. Of course, this is not new at all. Purveyors of magic, whether we call them “shamans” or “witch-doctors” or “gurus” have all claimed for thousands of years that they can cause to happen whatever they wish. In fact, apart from sleight-of-hand they are all liars.
What is the appeal of this way of thinking? It is an assertion of the absolute power of the human mind, and the ultimate blasphemy. Why is there reality at all? Why are there natural “laws”? Why does the sun never come up in the west?” The Bible gives us the answer. It is because the sole Creator of all things is “true.” That is, he is utterly reliable, and he has built that kind of reliability, that kind of “truth,” into his world.
So what is “unclean”? Anything contrary to God and his character. What is an “abomination”? Anything contrary to the way God made the world. What is “falsehood”? Trying to push out of sight some reality that contradicts me and my attempts to aggrandize myself.
In short, if you want to be in New Jerusalem, you’re going to have to be “clean” and “real” and “true.” That is, you’re going to need to belong to God without a rival, live in keeping with the world as he designed it, and be so free of yourself that the truth is no threat to you. Are these possible? Oh, yes, the Lamb can do that for you. Are you letting him?
Called To Be Transformed 