In the verse above the Lord does not say I know the state of your mind, that you cannot decide whether or not I am the Son of God. The Lord talks about saying "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" when in actuality you are poor, blind, and naked. Can you see the difference here? The issue is not one of belief but of works. Isn't this what the passage states?

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)

Not I counsel thee to believe that Jesus is the Son of God!

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)

"To him that believes that Jesus is the Son of God . . . even as I also believed that Jesus is the Son of God . . . ." Such an interpretation is ludicrous.

Oh well, many may read the above paragraphs and still insist we are saved by grace and what we do is not that important. Let the filthy be filthy still, the Bible says, which is a shocker when you think about it.

But there may be some poor dude who sees the asininity of the whole business and turns away from today's Evangelical teaching and begins to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. If so, then my retirement years have been well spent.

Whoever overcomes, meaning whoever chooses to fight the good fight of faith, turning away from the problems mentioned in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation, will inherit (not be given, but inherit as a son) the new heaven, the new earth, the tabernacle of God, and the saved nations—all these things.

But best of all, God will be his God and he will be God's son.

My own father meant well and was kind to Audrey and me, sharing from his Social Security money when we were struggling to get started in life.

But he was weak, having a problem with alcohol. Our home was the typical dysfunctional American family. There was not a strong model to shape my character and I have suffered for that.

But now I have a Father of whom I am exceedingly proud. And I want Him to be proud that I am His son. I want to do everything He finds acceptable. I want to be in His Presence always because He is my Father. He is my "Dad."

I want to be just like Him. I want to walk like Him, to talk like Him, to think like Him. I want to be holy and righteous as He is holy and righteous.

I have always been jealous of the Jews because of their illustrious ancestry. Mine was that of Druids in England, living as animals while Solomon was humbling the rest of the nations with his wisdom and splendor.

Also I have envied those who have been raised in a Christian home.

One day the Lord said to me, "You have Abraham, David, and Christ in your ancestry. Be content. Let me hear no more of this."

Wow!