Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3:11-13
The tiny South Pacific island of Nauru is the third smallest country in the world, with a population of just 12,000. The island was a German colony for many years and then under Australian control until 1968 when they finally gained their independence. Recently, the leaders of the country decided to change the name to the Republic of Naoero, using the traditional language of their ancestors. President David Adeang said, “This change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity and the beginning of renewed national pride.”
Names can carry enormous weight and significance. Many prominent Bible characters like Abram, Jacob, and Saul were given new names that signified a change in the direction and focus of their lives and their relationship with God. When we come to Jesus for salvation, everything about our lives is changed. We are taken out of the devil’s family and adopted into the family of God with all the rights and privileges that go along with it.
As wonderful as the benefits of salvation in this life are, they pale in comparison to what is waiting for us in Heaven. There with our new name we will sing the praises of Jesus forever. “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;” (Revelation 5:9).
