Are you thirsty, in a salvific sense? (open-air preaching video)

Today while I was street preaching a message about a ‘Biblical thirst’ (dipsaō) that is responsive to salvation, this woman walked by me uttering the words “that’s ridicules!” So I responded back for all to hear. She told me “Jesus wouldn’t do that!” Later after my sermon she continued to rebuke me for rebuking her. But she refused to hear about the Jesus of the Scriptures.

Then one fellow on the right told me during the Q&A that he was a “Pharisee,” so I responded to him the way Jesus responded to the Pharisees in the Scriptures. Truth, is I was most-likely gentler than Jesus was. He later told me that he thought of picking up a rock and “stoning” me.

But on the other hand many professing Christians praised the Lord and rejoiced in Him, while others made serious inquiries. One lady asked for some of my tracts, so she could distribute some on her own time. Even knowing my conversations with the angry woman were not private, I omitted them.

Music ‘Blade of Blood,’ by Tom Player.

The Text I preached from was Revelation 21:5-8 –

“Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Side notes on the ‘cowardly’

Notice how “the cowardly” leads the pack amongst these hell-bound lifestyles?  These cowardly are the fearful and faithless. This ‘fearful’ (KJV) is the Greek word deilos (δειλός) which is a strong adjective used only three times in the Scriptures. They are the ones whose conduct, character, and reputation are consistently known as being spiritually timid, faithless and/or fearful. They lack the moral fortitude necessary to Biblically follow Christ. They are not willing to die for the cause of Christ. They are not willing to “confront the world.” A Christian is not continually overcome with fear, but they are continual overcomers of their sins, and formal life-styles. This courage is not a ‘works salvation,’ nor is it the cause of salvation, but it is because of salvation.

Over the decades I have noticed that most Bible commentaries are silent on Revelation 21:8, specifically δειλός, but some do have the courage to speak on this.

“The sins of those who perish, among which are first mentioned their cowardliness and unbelief. The fearful lead the van in this black list. They durst not encounter the difficulties of religion, and their slavish fear proceeded from their unbelief; but those who were so dastardly as not to dare take up the cross of Christ, and discharge their duty to him, were yet so desperate as to run to all manner of abominable wickedness – murder, adultery, sorcery, idolatry and lying.”

– Matthew Henry, pg. 1998 

“The fearful, who, through fear of losing their reputation, estates, honours, or lives, deny me, or shall not dare to own me.”

– Matthew Poole, pg. 1004

“Cowardly recreants, white-livered milk-sops, that pull in their horns for every pile of grass that toucheth them, that are afraid of every new step, saying as Caesar at Rubicon, “Yet we may go back;” that follow Christ afar off, as Peter; that tremble after him, as the people did after Saul, 1 Sam. xiii. 7, and the next news is, “They were scattered from him,” Ver. 11. These lead the ring-dance of this rout of reprobates; and are so hated of Christ, that he will not employ them so far as to break a pitcher, or to bear a torch, Judges vii.”

– John Trapp, pg. 782

“Those who were cowards and deserters in the battle against the devil will be condemned to the second death.”

– Andrew of Caesarea, pg. 360

“The Lord watched over all who love him but will destroy all sinners. He mentions the cowardly along with the unbelievers, since those who doubt the rewards for those who conquer will certainly be afraid to undergo trial.”

– Bede, pg. 361