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“Temptation Or Testing?”
THE INTRODUCTION:
Many times the Hebrew and Greek words translated “temptation” are also translated “test” or “trial”.
In the KJV the two Hebrew words which are most often translated temptation or test are ‘bahan’ and ‘nasa’. The two Greek words translated similarly are the words ‘dokimazo’ and ‘peirazo’. The folllowing table better explains the relationship of these words to one another…
| Hebrew | Greek | Hebrew and Greek Translation in KJV: |
| bahan | dokimazo | examine, prove, assay, try, allow, discern, like |
| nasa | peirazo | tempt, try, prove, examine, assay, adventure, go about |
As you can see from the above table, all 4 words carry with them the ideas of attempting (Deut 4:34, Acts 9:26), testing (Job 23:10, 1 John 4:1), discerning (Gen 38:25, Luke 12:56), and/or tempting (Isa 7:12, Matt 4:1).
In all of the above usages the principle of “testing or attempting something resulting in a conclusion being drawn” is present. So why would this term be used to describe a temptation taking place? In this study we will being seeing that the temptations we face are all trials that reveal truths about us.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Jas 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Rev 3:10 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
THE STUDY:
Just as King Nebuchadnezzar came to understand, we all understand that the Lord is truly in control of every event that takes place in our lives…
Dan 4:34-36 – “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.”
This principle not only applies to the blessed times of our lives, but even the more difficult, trying times are under God’s control and allowed into our lives for a purpose. Remember, the Lord never brings temptation upon us ….
Jas 1:13 – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”
But He allows the powers of darkness, the fallen world, and our flesh to tempt us. The story of Job clearly presents this truth to us…
Job 1:6-12 – “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”
Also as Christians, we are also familiar with God’s promise that He never allows anything in our lives that does not eventually work for our good and His glory…
Rom 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
When we put all of these Biblical principles together, we can see that the Lord controls our temptations and allows temptations to come upon us for our good and His glory. But how does this all work? How does the Lord allow temptations to enter our life and how do we benefit from them?
This is where our word study comes into play. Our word study gives us one of the great reasons why God allows temptations to come upon us… Every temptation is used by the Lord as a time of testing that teaches us something about ourselves.
This principle is repeatedly brought out in Scripture. Two such texts are:
Jas 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Rev 3:10 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
(Please note in both James 1:12 and Revelation 3:10, temptations are described as trials (testings) that are faced by man.)
That is why the words translated “tempt” or “temptation” carry with them the idea of “testing or attempting something resulting in a conclusion being drawn”. In other words when we are tempted, we are being tested. This test, and how we respond to it, can teach us much about our Lord, Satan and, especially, ourselves.
When we are tempted, we can learn about the Lord’s enabling grace, His patience and His forgiveness; we can learn about Satan’s methodology, his strength and his limitations as he attempts to bring the Christian to failure; and we can learn about ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our need of Christ enabling for our day to day walk.
CONCLUSION:
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, gives us one practical application for our lesson this morning.
2Co 12:7-10 – “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
In this text, Paul lists many testings he faced in life (his “thorn in the flesh”, other “infirmities”, “reproaches”, “necessities”, “persecutions”, “distresses”)… Please note all these testings were actually temptations that sought to hinder Paul and his ministry for Christ.
Paul came to recognize that even these testings (or temptations) were something that brought him pleasure because they taught him about Christ’s enabling grace and his great need of Christ on a daily basis which kept him close to Christ.
Folks, we should never underestimate the importance of using times of temptation for our benefit and the Lord’s glory…
May we learn of Christ’s great enabling grace that allows us to remain faithful to Him even during the heaviest times of temptation in our lives.
Through this may we also learn of our daily need of Christ’s grace in our lives.
And finally, when we fail him during times of temptation, may we immediately seek His forgiveness, allow this to reveal our weak areas, our need to avoid these areas of temptation whenever possible, and finally, may we work to strengthen ourselves in these areas through Bible study, prayer and seeking a close walk with Christ.
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The Reign Of The Saints
In Revelation 5:8-9, we find the 4 beasts and the 24 elders (symbols of the people of God) praising the Lamb (Jesus Christ) for His great work on their behalf…
“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 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;”
Then, in the very next verse, they praise Christ for the blessings they receive through His work …
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Here, we read of the saints being given two positions of great authority (“Kings and Priests”) allowing them to “reign on the earth”. What does this promise involve? Or put another way, In what way do the saints of God reign as Kings and Priests upon the earth? This is the question we will be answering in this Bible study.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Daniel 7:15-22; Daniel 7:26-27; Matthew 19:27-30; Matthew 24:45-51; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 12:42-48; Luke 19:11-27; Luke 22:24-30; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 20:4-5; Revelation 22:3-5
THE STUDY:
When we speak of the saints reigning, we are describing several different types of dominion that are granted to the redeemed of God. The following is a description of these types of dominion by subject in outline, form. What follows the outline is a listing of many of the Bible texts which teach these areas of dominion with a brief summary of each event listed in chronological order (when possible).
Dominion Over The Nations – The Saints God-Given Authority Involves the saint exercising great authority over the powers of darkness IN THIS PRESENT WORLD and in THE WORLD TO COME:
A) Saints are given DOMINION IN THIS PRESENT WORLD (the existing heaven and earth):
(1) This dominion involves the ability to overcome the control of our sinful flesh and powers of darkness in this present world. This is why the saints are described as “Victors over the world” or “Overcomers”.
(2) This dominion is displayed by the saints’ sharing of victory at Armageddon – the saints accompanying Christ at final defeat of lost mankind in this present world at Christ’s second coming
B) Saints are promised to receive DOMINION IN THE WORLD TO COME (the New Heavens and New Earth) in which we will live eternally:
(1) This dominion will be a reward for the saint’s faithfulness – The future dominion of the saints is given as a reward for victorious living now. This dominion involves dominion over the nations, and dominion over the New Heavens and New Earth…
(a) Dominion Over The World By Judgment – this will take place as the saints share in the final judgment of the wicked men and angels, both Jew and Gentile, both OT and NT lost mankind. This will be the ultimate defeat of the powers of darkness in the world to come lasting for eternity.
1. Judging Israel – Saints will judge Israel (who rejected Messiah and crucified Him) during judgment of the lost. Israel is a representative of all lost mankind due to their rebellion and rejection of Christ.
2. Judging Angels – Saints will also judge the fallen angels (demons) including Satan, himself at this final judgment of the lost.
(b) Dominion over New Heavens and New Earth – Reign on NH & NE in Christ’s presence will stretch from the 1000 year reign into eternity. This will take place from the creation of the NH and NE throughout eternity. This includes both phases of the eternal state (the 1000 yr reign and the finalized eternal kingdom of God)…
1. 1000 Yr Reign – Beginning Of Christ’s reign on NH NE. As believers are judged they receive authority over NHNE during this time period
2. Eternal Kingdom – This is the ultimate proof of the saint’s victory over this sinful world. Their dominion over the world symbolizing the renewal of the Garden of Eden on the New Earth.
Scripture References For Above Outline:
Dominion Over The Nations
1. The Lord blesses those who are truly saved (overcomers) with dominion over the powers of darkness of this world….
Revelation 2:26-27 KJV “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
Note: “The nations” are referring to lost mankind (as part of the powers of darkness of this world). In this text, we are given representations of the two types of dominion possessed by saved mankind (dominion in this world and dominion in the world to come).
The phrase “rule with rod of iron” points us to the overcomers dominion over the powers of darkness in this world. This victory finds its completion at the Battle of Armageddon which is the last historic event that takes place on this present evil world.
The phrase “power over the nations” speaks of the dominion which the saints will possess in the future in the New world to come. This phrase speaks of the judgment of lost mankind at the final judgment and consignment to the Lake of Fire. This judgment is the ultimate, eternal defeat of the powers of darkness for eternity.
The Dominion Given To Saints NOW: “Overcomers”
1. The ability to escape the dominion of sin (context – false teaching) based upon power of indwelling Spirit…
1 John 4:4 KJV “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
2. Access to Godly power overcoming the dominion of sin (Satan, antichrist spirit, powers of darkness, our flesh) which is received through saving faith (resulting in Spirit indwelling)…
1 John 5:4-5 KJV “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
3. The Saints had overcome the dominion of sin (shown by thrones) and were now in Christ’s presence following their death …
Revelation 4:4 KJV “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”
Victory At Armegeddon
1. The Lord, accompanied by His saints, returns to the earth and gains the final victory over the lost kingdoms of this current world…
Revelation 19:11-21 KJV “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Note: The victory at Armageddon is an outward display of the authority given to the saints as Overcomers.
The Dominion Given To The Saints As A Reward For Faithfulness
1. Faithfulness of true believers will result in rewards and blessings of rulership at the believer’s judgment…
Matthew 24:45-51 KJV “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:14-30 KJV “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
2. The truly saved servant was faithful – he was rewarded with rulership. The lost servant was unfaithful and cast into hell.…
Luke 12:42-48 KJV “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
Note: Of those who were lost the greater the knowledge (responsibility) the greater the punishment. (Teaches us that levels of hell exist based upon amount of knowledge and willful rejection of truth)
Luke 19:11-27 KJV “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
Note: Those who are lost servants, who fear Lord as being unjust and hard will have their knowledge of God and hypocritical service made useless and they will be empty handed at day of judgment. The lost, who are outwardly rebellious and immoral, face immediate rejection by God as well.
Dominion Over New Heavens and New Earth
1. Saints, those who are redeemed through blood of Christ, are given authority to rule and enter God’s presence. Both types of dominion will be clearly seen as the saints enter eternity with the Lord, ruling over the New Creation and entering into His presence for an eternity.
Revelation 5:8-10 KJV “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 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; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
1000 Year Reign
1. This marks the first part of Christ’s eternal reign on the New Heavens and New Earth (immediately following the appearance of the NH & NE following Armageddon) At this point in time the saints are judged and they are given reign over NH and NE for eternity (restoration of Garden of Eden before fall).
Revelation 20:4-5 KJV “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
2. This time periods runs from the 1000 Year Reign throughout Eternity
2 Timothy 2:11-13 KJV “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
Revelation 3:21 KJV 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.
Judging The World
1. Saints will judge lost world (fallen world) during final judgment of lost…
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 KJV “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”
2. This judgment also involves fallen angels (including Satan) as well as lost mankind…
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 KJV “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”
Note: saints will judge fallen angels during GWTH (Jude 1:6) (Satan included?) Saints, as Overcomers were given authority over demons during Bible days pictured saints holding authority over demons (John 12:31). Likewise, angels ministering to believers is a sign of man’s authority over angels as well.
3. A part of this judgment involves the nation of Israel (those who rejected and crucified Christ) picturing all lost mankind.
Matthew 19:27-30 KJV “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
Note: “The regeneration” is speaking of the reformation of the Heavens and Earth resulting in the New Heavens and New Earth. The Lord is reigning upon the earth with His saints at this time.
Luke 22:24-30 KJV “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Eternal Kingdom
1. Saints given “the kingdom” beginning with the end of Armegeddon (appearance of NH and NE) into 1000 yr to GWTH to Eternity
Daniel 7:15-22 KJV “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
Daniel 7:26-27 KJV “But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
2. The eternal, perfect, dominion over the New Heavens and New Earth. This is tantamount to the blessings of the Garden of Eden restored to mankind. The curse of sin being totally undone…
Revelation 22:1-5 KJV “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I stand at the door, and knock”
Revelation 3:20 KJV
(20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
In the context of our verse for this morning, we see that the Lord is offering to individual saved members of the local assembly renewed intimate fellowship with Him. This can be had if the member willingly accepts His warnings, repents of their sin, welcomes His renewed fellowship, and do what they can to correct the sinful situation in the assembly.
Folks our Lord desires a close relationship with His people. Stop and think about it. Gaining and retaining a close relationship with His people is why the Lord saves us, instructs us, warns us, and chastens us. It is why He so graciously gave us guidelines for living our lives on earth. It is why He has prepared a place for us to dwell eternally. These and many other blessings come our way because our Lord desires His people to love and commune with Him.
Sin separates us from God. Even though God’s people are eternally secure in Christ, with their eternal destiny made sure based upon the work of Christ on the cross, their relationship with their Heavenly Father can be hindered through the commission of sin. It is much like a disobedient child whose relationship with his parents is hindered while yet retaining his family membership.
This is probably the greatest danger of sin being allowed to dwell in a Christian’s life… it ruptures our communion with our Lord, replacing our peace with guilt, our assurance with doubt, and our familiarity with alienation. We feel alone, miserable, ashamed and worthless. This is the result of willful sin dwelling in the life of the Christian.
So what is the Christian to do? The Book of 1 John was written to members of God’s family. A portion of its text is dedicated to instructing Christians on how to deal with acts of willful disobedience to their Lord…
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
(1 John 1:8-10 KJV)
Basically, this text gives us these keys to dealing with sin in our lives…
- Recognize the sin – Take the time to honestly examine our lives in the light of God’s Word
- Admit the sin – Once we see the sin, we must own it and accept our responsibility for it
- Confess the sin – We are to say the same thing about our sin as God says about our sin. We must say that it is what it is, filthy rotten sin that only pollutes us and our relationship with the Lord. We must say it has no place in our life, turn our desires from it and submit ourselves to our Lord by ridding it from our lives through His gracious intervention.
Is the Lord knocking on the door of our heart wanting communion to be renewed? Do we feel the urging of the Holy Spirit to deal with a sin that resides with us? Is the chastening hand of the Lord upon us, attempting to persuade us to forsake the sin that we are knowingly harboring?
May we all deal with sin appropriately, realizing that our fellowship with the Lord is at stake!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:”
Revelation 3:19 KJV
(19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Although we have a tendency to forget this…. One of the greatest blessings that a Christian can receive from the Lord is the blessing of His chastisement. Keep in mind, the chastening hand of the Lord comes upon us to renew a right relationship with Him, to restore our Godly testimony in the eyes of others, and most importantly show us His love.
Folks, the chastening hand of God in the life of the Christian is a wonderful reminder of His great love for us… it is the Lord saying, “I love you so much, I will not allow you to stray far from me; I will not allow you to harm yourself through the exercise of sinful excesses; I care, and will always care, about your well-being and your relationship with Me.”
This is why the Lord specifically gives us instructions on how to most greatly benefit from His chastening hand…
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:5-11 KJV)
1. Do not despise it (hate it)
2. Do not faint from it (be discouraged and quit)
3. Recognize it as an indication of His love for us
4. Recognize it as proof of our genuine membership in His family
5. Allow it to bring us into subjection to our Father
6. Recognize it as being for our benefit
7. Keep our mind on the end result of this chastening… we will bear more spiritual fruit.
Do you see the chastening hand of the Lord at work in your life? May you accept His chastening hand in a Biblical way, allowing it to encourage and strengthen your walk with Christ!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Is The Lord Disgusted With His People?
Revelation 3:16 KJV
(16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I will spue thee out of my mouth”
Revelation 3:16 KJV
(16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
“I will spue thee out of my mouth”. What a horrible thing to hear our Lord say! Stop and think about the different implications to that statement:
First of all, the idea of spueing (spitting) out of the mouth implies a dislike for something. It is saying, “I do not like this”.
But it also implies separation. When we spit something out of our mouth we are separating ourselves from it. It is saying “I need to get this out of my system ASAP”.
But finally, and most importantly, it implies disgust. Many times, when we spit, it is done out of anger and repusion. It is saying “I loathe this. I want nothing to do with it.”
It is the Lord saying, although you are one of my own, you are displeasing, and irritating me to the point of disgust. Although you are still loved and a part of my family, there is now a breach in our relationship and you are to blame.
What could possible cause the Lord to react in this way? In the context, the Lord is speaking to a local assembly about their lukewarm attitude. However, this same type of attitude can enter the hearts and lives of individual Christians as well.
What does a lukewarm attitude comprise? It is a “no care” attitude about sin. It is saying, “I don’t care if sin is in my life and I will not make the effort to examine myself and deal with any sin I may find.” The Lord put it this way “thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Rev 3:17)
It is a child of God saying, “I do not care what my heavenly Father desires for my life”, “I do not care if I am pleasing Him”, “I do not care if I am hurting Him and openly defying Him with my actions”. “I just do not care!”
Do we care about sin in our lives? If so, we will be diligently examining our lives to see if any sin dwells within us. And once the examination is finished, we will confess any sin that is found, turn from it, and seek to live a Godly lifestyle for Christ.
Anything short of consistently dealing with sin in our lives is simply saying “I do not care.”
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “the beginning of the creation of God”
Revelation 3:14 KJV
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Jesus is the One that brought God’s creation into existence, and authoritatively rules over it!
Colossians 1:15-17 describes Jesus as “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Not only does the title “the beginning of the creation of God” reveal that Jesus is the Creator and Ruler over all, but it also teaches us that Jesus is God Himself. Remember, He is the One that created “the creation of God” (ie “the creation that is created by God”.) Well, if Jesus brought into existence “the creation that was created by God”, then it only follows that Jesus must be God!
Folks, let’s always recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as our Creator, Lord and God! May we appreciate Him as our Creator, submit to His will and ways as our Lord, and worship Him as our God… Today and every day of our lives!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “the Amen, the faithful and true witness”
Revelation 3:14 KJV
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
As the Lord writes to the church at Laodicea, we find the Lord identifies Himself as “the Amen”, and “the faithful and true witness”.
Although these are two separate titles, they go hand in hand. The title “Amen” points to the person and life of Christ as the trustworthy, dependable One, while the title “the faithful and true witness” speaks of the promises and teachings Christ as the One whose speech can be trusted and is actual to fact.
Folks, do we ever stop and think what life would be like if Christ could not be totally trusted?
If Christ cannot be totally trusted, His promises to us would hold no meaning. We would always be fearful that He would break His promises to us and look the other way when we needed Him the most.
If Christ cannot be totally trusted, we would live in constant doubt of His life-example and teachings. As we read the gospel accounts of His life and words, we would find them shallow and without substance. After all, just because He was merciful in the times of the N,T there would be no guarantee that He would not change. Just because He taught many things about God, there would be no reason to accept them as truth.
And above all else, if Christ cannot be totally trusted, we would be placed in a positon where we would be obligated to question our very salvation and eternal destiny. His decree that our sins are forgiven and our eternity is secure may simply be a cruel joke on His part, leaving us spiritually destitute and condemned when we face His Father at the final judgment.
But folks, we can know that He can be absolutely trusted. As the “Amen” and “the faithful and true witness” we can rest assured His promises are certain, His life example is genuine and sincere, and His words to us are perfectly true!
Let’s thank Him for His dependability in word, deed and promise. And show our appreciation by keeping them in our mind and trusting Him every minute of every day! In all that we do, let it be by faith and reliance upon Him.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 KJV “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”
Hebrews 11:6 KJV “But without faith it is impossible to please him:…”
Romans 14:23 KJV “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Revelation 3: Summary
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER:
In our previous studies we have seen that Revelation chapter 3:, beginning our section on the individualized letters to the seven churches of Asia, contains 3 main divisions:
- Revelation 3:1-6 – Christ’s letter to the church at Sardis
- Revelation 3:7-13 – Christ’s letter to the church at Philadelphia
- Revelation 2:14-22 – Christ’s letter to the church at Laodicea
SUMMARY OF EACH DIVISION OF CHAPTER:
1. Revelation 3:1-6 – Christ’s letter to the church at Sardis
In this letter, we see Christ presented as the One who controls and authorizes the Holy Spirit and His Pastors to present His Word to His people.
We also see the condition of the church at Sardis was grave. They were described as spiritually “dead” and yet did not see the horrible condition they were in. They believed themselves to be alive and well.
We saw that the remedy for their situation was for them to wake up and recognize their need; hold fast to the areas of service that was still in existence; take heed to the warning from Christ, and repent of their spiritual laxness and lack of concern.
They received a warning that if they did not deal with their sin that Christ would come upon them quickly and unexpectedly, not to bless but to chasten them for their apathy.
Christ promised them that those who were faithful to His commands, proving they were genuinely saved, would be assured of receiving eternal rewards and dwell forever in His presence.
Finally, we saw that He promised those who were genuinely saved (overcomers) would possess the righteousness of Christ, are eternally secure in Him, and be presented to God with Christ proclaiming their innocence based upon His shed blood.
For a much more detailed look at this section of Scripture:
2. Revelation 3:7-13 – Christ’s letter to the church at Philadelphia
In this letter, we see Christ presented as the promised Messiah of the Old Testament.
We also see the church as being faithful having great opportunities of service open before them. Even in the midst of great persecution, they remained faithful to Christ, His Word and continued to profess Him as their Lord and Savior.
The Lord promised to them that based upon their patient service towards Him, He would graciously without some of the great Roman persecution that would take place in the future.
The Lord leaves them with the promise of His quick return and the responsibility to remain faithful so that they would not lose their eternal rewards.
Finally, we saw that He promised the overcomers that, because they were owned by the Lord, they would be permanently in the presence of the Lord throughout eternity, would be recognized as citizens of New Jerusalem, and would experience a new level of intimacy with Christ.
For a much more detailed look at this section of Scripture:
3. Revelation 2:14-22 – Christ’s letter to the church at Laodicea
In this letter, we see Christ presented as the One who possesses authority, reliability, and ability to instruct us. lead us and rule over us.
We also see the church was oblivious to their true spiritual condition. They were described as being (spiritually) wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.
They did not see the sin in their midst and quickly repent (hot to be obedient to Christ), nor did they see the sin in their midst and stubbornly resist repentance (cold in their obedience of Christ), instead they were unaware of their own sin (so unconcerned about their sin they didn’t make the effort to examine themselves (neither cold nor hot… lukewarm). Because of this the Lord declares that if they do not take action, He will reject them and their hypocritical worship.
To remedy their situation, they were to begin rise up, take action and serve the Lord anew by searching the Scriptures for insight into their horrible condition.
The Lord warned them that if they remained lukewarm, He would chasten them for their disobedience.
Finally, we saw that He promised those who were genuinely saved (overcomers) that He would begin to convict each member individually, desiring renewed fellowship with them.
The Lord promises to overcomers in the church that they would rule with Him over a new heavens and earth throughout eternity. It would be much like a restored Garden of Eden that would include man’s perfect dominion over the newly reformed earth.
For a much more detailed look at this section of Scripture:
WHAT’S COMING NEXT IN THIS SERIES?:
In the next lesson in our series, we will be looking at Revelation 4:. In this chapter and the following chapter, we will see a vision of heaven and a glorious scene of the worship of God and the Lamb (Christ) by the dead saints who have gone on before us.
The following is a short outline of our next two chapters…
- Vision Of Heaven 4:1-5:14
- Worship Before The Throne (4:1-11)
- The Throne Of God (vs 1-5)
- The Four Beast’s Worship Of God (vs 6-11)
- The Scroll And The Lamb (5:1-7)
- Worship Of The Lamb (5:8-14)
May the Lord bless us as we seek to see Jesus in the pages of the book of Revelation.
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Revelation 3:14-22 “Christ’s Letter To The Church At Laodicea”
THE TEXT:
The Letter To Laodicea…
Revelation 3:14-22 KJV
(14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
(15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
(16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
(17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
(18) 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.
(19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
(20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
(21) 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.
(22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
THE INTRODUCTION:
From our previous lesson, we saw a very basic summary of the contents of these letters include:
| Church Location | Name Meaning | Areas of Faithfulness | Areas of Unfaithfulness | Possible Punishment | Reward To Overcomers (proof of genuine salvation) |
| Ephesus | Desired or Allowed | Many areas of faithful outward service. Hate doctrine of Nicolaitanes. | Left first love (Christ)Service not motivated by love for Christ. | Removal of candlestick (church no longer enjoying fellowship w God) | Eat of Tree of Life in Paradise |
| Smyrna | Myrrh | Spiritually rich | N/A | N/A | Not hurt by second death |
| Pergamos | Fortified Tower | Faithfulness in face of persecution | Allowing doctrine of Balaam and Nicolaitans(physical and spiritual fornication) | Will war against those who hold false teaching | Be given hidden manna and white stone with new name |
| Thyatira | Sacrifice, Offering, Corpse | Works of love, service, faith, patience | False Prophetess in midst. (sexual immorality and idol worship) | Sickness, tribulation and death upon her and her followers. | Be given power over the nations |
| Sardis | Depart, Escape, Exit | A few faithful areas of service remain. A few faithful members remain. | Testimony that they are spiritually alive but really dead. Their works not “perfect” before God. | Will come upon them as a thief (implied removing anything of value leaving spiritually destitute) | White garments. Name not blotted out of book, confess his name before the Father |
| Philadelphia | Love Of The Brethren | Kept Word not denied name of Christ. Persevered in trials | N/A | N/A | Permanent pillar in temple of God. Name of God and New Jerusalem upon them. New name given to them |
| Laodicea | Judgment Of The People | N/A | Lukewarm service. Blinded to their spiritual destitution. | Spew out of Lord’s mouth. Rebuking and chastening from Lord. | Sit with Christ in throne. |
Beginning in chapter 2 through chapter 3, John writes personalized messages to the 7 churches. Each message contains four basic parts:
- Description of Christ
- Commendation for faithfulness and consequences
- Exposing unfaithfulness and consequences
- Promise to Overcomers
The first of these personalized messages is written to the church at Laodicea.
- Description of Christ (v 14)
- Commendation for faithfulness and consequences (N/A)
- Exposing unfaithfulness and consequences (v 15-20)
- Promise to Overcomers (v 21-22)
THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:
Revelation 3: –
(14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
Laodicea was located in the Lycus Valley which was route of travel and trade for many who were traveling from the east to west. The great amount of wealthy traders that passed through the city caused the city to become very wealthy and self-sufficient. At one point it time, the city was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake. The citizens chose to reject monetary help from the Roman government and totally rebuilt the city by their own means.
Due to their great wealth and prosperity, the city became the home of great monuments, schools of science, medicine and art as well as other cultural attractions. The city was originally called “the city of Zeus” and was a center of Zeus worship. Many of its citizens were Jews who continued to monetarily support the temple in Jerusalem.
The city received its supply of water from a series of pipes that ran from springs outside the city. Many believe that this is a source of reference for the Lord’s description of them being like “lukewarm water”.
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
This description of Christ comes from John’s vision of Christ in Rev 1:5 & 8…
- the “Amen” or “thus it shall be” – Christ’s purposes will come to pass. He is the Almighty God who is in control of all
- the “faithful and true witness” – He can be trusted to speak factually. His testimony is reliable.
- the beginning of the creation of God – He is the originator of all God’s creation. As Creator, He holds authority over all.
When we look at these descriptions, we can see that Christ is presenting Himself as the Lord who possesses the authority, ability, and reliability to instruct us and rule over us. His teachings are not to be ignored, nor to be accepted half-heartedly. They are to be accepted and willingly submitted to.
(15) I know thy works,
The Lord now explains to them their spiritual condition. Instead of commending them, He immediately turns to explains the great need of the assembly.
“I know thy works” – He sees our acts of labor for Him. He knows what we do, why we do it, and the pain we encounter as we serve.
that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
What was the condition of the church?
- thou art neither cold – Their attitude was not cold, seeing the need of repentance and STUBBORNLY REJECTING restoration.
2. thou art neither… hot – Their attitude was not hot, seeing their need of repentance and ACTIVELY SEEKING restoration.
3. thou are lukewarm – They did not even see their need of repentance.
They were not motivated to turn from or seek restoration through repentance, they continued along their way not even seeing the great need of the assembly. They did not care about their spiritual condition, they were not willing to make the effort to examine themselves and see their great need.
What a horrible condition to be in. To be one of the Lord’s assemblies and not seeing the sin that lies within. They were caught between cold and hot, feeling at comfort and at ease, thinking they were fine, when really they were in a shameful condition with great spiritual needs.
This is the worse condition to be in. In the case of those who are hot, if they see their sin, they will repent. In the case of those who are cold, if they see their sin and refuse to repent, the Lord can convict them and eventually bring them to repentance. In either case, it is better to be hot or cold so the Lord may deal appropriately with the sin. To be lukewarm is to be condemned to spiritual failure not seeing our sin, not feeling guilt nor feeling the need to repent.
I will spue thee out of my mouth.
As long as the need of repentance is not recognized, it can never be dealt with. This was the sad condition of the church at Laodicea. They were so lax and uncaring they did not see their great needs. The Lord was disgusted with them for being lax in such important matters as these. As long as they remained in this sinful condition, they would lack fellowship with the Lord and be rejected by Him. (1 John 1:5-7)
(17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Their condition in further explained…
They thought their condition was wealthy, overflowing with riches and lacking nothing. They were more concerned about their physical state (their wealth, overabundance, and self-sufficiency) than their spiritual condition.
In actuality, they …
“knowest not” – they were ignorant of their true spiritual needs.
“wretched” – balancing great hardships, distressed (juggling spiritual deficiencies without remedying them)
“miserable” – pitiful, needing great mercy and compassion
“poor” – spiritual beggars
“blind” – unable to see due to callouses (their sinful conceit blinding them)
“naked” – spiritually stripped and shameful
They were in a horrible condition having great needs, without recognizing them and, therefore, not dealing with them.
(18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;
The Lord tells them the three remedies they need…
1. gold tried in fire – acts of Godly service that proceeds from persecution (1 Peter 1:7) – in doing this they will be laying up riches for their eternity with Christ. They would have to wake up and see the great needs around them, deal with the sin in their midst, and begin again to serve their Lord in Spirit and in Truth.
and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
2. white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed – acts of righteous, Godly service that covers the shame of disobedience and laxiety. They needed to no longer continue to drift, but to rise up and serve the Lord in a way pleasing to Him. In doing so, they will be clothing themselves in works of righteousness through the gracious intervention of the Lord in their lives (Ephesians 4:24).
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
3. anoint thine eyes with eyesalve – wake up! Open their eyes to their true condition and be honest with themselves. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we examine ourselves to see the sin that lies within us (1 John 2:20-24)
Please note all three of the remedies mentioned point to the need of an awakening to self-examination and active service for Christ… please notice the three basic remedies teach us three aspects of good works of service:
- gold in fire – service to the Lord holds great eternal value
- white raiment clothed – righteous works that prevents the shame of sin
- anoint with eyesalve – righteous works are direct results of spiritual sight, understanding the Word and seeing the needs around us.
(19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
The Lord explains to the church at Laodicea that, due to His love for them and the assembly as a whole, that He will warn, convince and discipline them to bring about repentance for their sin. They should not take these warnings as a sign of His hatred and anger, but as a sign of His love and concern for them.
Also, because these warnings are given from a heart of love and concern, the church was to take them very seriously and act accordingly.
There are three basic results of sin as the Lord deals with sin in the lives of Christians or churches:
- separation from God (inhibited fellowship)
- rebuke – guilt (the revelation and conviction of sin)
- chastening – discipline (punishment to restore fellowship in the rebuke is ignored)
(20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Although the church as a whole is separated from the Lord due to sin within, the Lord now offers each individual member to willingly accept His warnings, welcome His renewed fellowship and do what each person can to correct the situation in the assembly and their own personal lives. If they do, He will restore fellowship with them as individuals, in spite of the condition of the church as a whole. In this we can see His great love and mercy. Although He was disgusted with them and ready to spue them from His mouth, His mercy still called out to them willing to renew fellowship with them.
It is much like His teachings in Luke 12:36 –
“And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.”
In other words, Christ is speaking to His servants knocking at the door wanting them to welcome Him in and receive His instructions for them. This should have been the attitude of the members of the church at Laodicea.
In Song of Solomon 5:2-6 –
“I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.”
This gives us the perfect of example of a local church that ignores the Lord’s desire to renew fellowship and communion. Because, they were occupied with other matters, and careless about their spiritual condition, they are too late to receive Him when He comes to knock.
Please note: the Lord is not speaking to lost men, contextually, He is clearly speaking to members of this church with whom fellowship has been broken. The members must individually take action (submit to His will, and see the great need of the assembly) for things to change in the assembly.
He is not speaking to the church as a body, but to each and every individual member, note the “any man” and “him” and “he”… clearly singular individuals. This helps us to understand that any change that takes in an assembly must start in the hearts of individual believers. Without individual members submitting to His will, the church as a whole will never come into submission and renewed fellowship with Him. It is only when members see the needs of the assembly and then submit to His will, that genuine change will take place in the assembly as a body.
(21) 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.
The Lord now promises those who are truly saved “overcomers” or “victors” (Revelation 12:11) to enjoy great blessings in eternity. One of the greatest blessings is to rule with Him as authority holder in judgment and rulership (1 Corinthians 6: 2-3, 2 Tim 2:12) During the 1000 Year reign we will be ruling over the new creation of God (Revelation 20:4-6)
This is simply following the example of Christ who was the Victor over sin and death and then was exalted to His Father’s right hand (Eph 1:20-23)
2 Timothy 2:12 KJV – “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:”
Suffering for the cause of Christ (a sign of genuine salvation experience) will result in His people sharing in His authority over all. If a person denies Christ (a sign of a lost individual) will result in Christ’s rejection of the denier in the last day.
Those in the church who would awaken to the desires of the Lord and do what is necessary, would show themselves to be genuine believers and share in His authority. Those who remain in denial of the truths of God and reject His hand of chastening, show themselves to be unregenerate, and therefore will not share in the inheritance of God’s people.
(22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Lord speaking to the members of the church at Laodicea says, “If you are truly saved, pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is telling the churches.”
CHRIST REVEALED:
In this section of Scripture, we see Jesus shown to us as the One who possess the supreme authority, ability, and reliability. We also see Him as One who cares so much for His people that He takes the time and effort to chasten those whom He loves, while standing ever-ready to forgive those who come to Him with a genuine repentant heart.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)
Based upon the person, work and love of Christ, He deserves passionate, committed service from His people. He deserves for His people to recognize their desperate need of Him as the chief supplier of all their needs and desires. Above that a careless, halfhearted, lukewarm commitment to His service will not be tolerated.
Do we care enough that we take the time to examine ourselves, recognize our true spiritual condition, and deal with our sin promptly? Do we look to Christ as the Ultimate Provider of all of needs and abilities? Do we live for Him, or do we live for our own comfort and ease? Do we really care or do we simply go through the motions of service as long as there is little or no cost to us?
May the Lord bless us as we seek to see Jesus in the pages of the book of Revelation.
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I will write upon him the name of my God,… the city of my God… my new name.”
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I will write upon him the name of my God,… the city of my God… my new name.”
Revelation 3:12 KJV
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.
One of the great promises given to genuine believers (“overcomers”) is the receipt of confirmation of their blessed, eternal, position in Christ. This confirmation is symbolized by various names being written upon the redeemed.
Back in John’s day, servants bore the names of their masters upon their bodies as a declaration of their master’s ownership. This is the picture that is set before us in today’s Scripture. Note which names are being written upon the saints…
- the name of my God – declaring that the child of God is the eternal possession of God, never to be under another’s rule, bondage, or captivity. He is eternally secure in the counsels of God.
- the name of the city of my God (New Jerusalem) – declaring that the King of King’s subject is a citizen of New Jerusalem (heaven descended to earth) located on the New Heavens and New Earth.
- my new name (the new name of Christ) – declaring that the servant of Christ is the eternal servant of the newly revealed Lord Jesus Christ. Keep in mind, this side of heaven, the saint can only see Christ dimly as through a smoky glass. But once the saint enters eternity, he will be able to see Christ with much more clarity and understanding. This is why the saint will have a “renewed” name of Christ written upon him, reflecting the renewed sight and understanding we will possess of Him.
How will this take place? Our willing, joyful worship of God at His throne, our citizenship in New Jerusalem, and our presence with Christ will all be proofs of our eternal standing in Him. Compare this to the lost’s reluctant worship of God. their suffering in the Lake of Fire, and their separation from Christ which will all clearly declare their eternal rejection by God.
Folks, we need to praise Him that we will be clearly revealed as the people of God throughout eternity, enjoying the many blessings that He has chosen to give to those for whom Christ died. And in response let’s serve the Lord with glad hearts knowing that we have a wonderful eternity awaiting us as those children of Almighty God.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Are Your Eternal Rewards Secure In Christ?
Revelation 3:11 KJV
(11) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
Revelation 3:11 KJV
(11) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
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“Let no man take thy crown”…. What??!!! You mean I can lose my eternal, heavenly rewards??? Yep. That is what this verse says. If we are honest, we cannot deny this truth from God’s Word.
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So how is it possible that we can avoid losing our heavenly rewards? This same verse explains that to us. Notice what is said “hold that fast which thou hast”… in other words, do not go backwards in our walk for Christ. We can do this by consistently holding fast to the truths which we have been taught. We do this by learning them, understanding them, applying them and sharing them. If we consistently do these things we shall never fail in our service to the Lord nor will we lose our eternal rewards. However, if we let them “slip” from us, we will certainly face loss.
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One short example will suffice. Let’s say we learn the truth that, as Christians, we are not to live lives of deceit. We learn that truth, we understand that truth, and we go on to apply that truth by living honest, sincere, transparent lives. Then lets suppose a neighbor or fellow-worker approaches us and asks us why we refuse to lie, even though it would seem to benefit us greatly. We answer because we are servants of Christ and share the gospel message with them. For this, we gain eternal rewards.
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Time passes, over time we become lax and allow the truth of living honest lives to slip from us. Eventually, we begin to live a lifestyle of deceit and hypocrisy. The neighbor or fellow-worker sees this take place in our lives. He no longer respects us and disregards our message of Christ that we shared with him. Basically, by allowing the truth to slip from us, we have effectively undone our testimony for Christ. Our testimony has been rendered spiritually worthless. For this, we lose those rewards which we had gained.
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Why should we be rewarded for that which has no spiritual benefit (our destroyed testimony)? In this text, the Lord helps us to understand that we have lost our reward for possessing a Godly testimony by destroying that testimony through deceit. We “let slip” the truths of God in our lifestyle and, in doing so, have totally undone that which we had accomplished for His cause. The Apostle Paul described this condition as being spiritually shipwrecked (useless in His service)…
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1 Timothy 1:18-20 KJV
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
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May we all be on guard to not let the truths of God slip from our minds, hearts, lives or mouths. In doing so we will guard against losing the wonderful, eternal rewards that are awaiting us!
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May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
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For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “thou hast kept the word of my patience,”
Revelation 3:10 KJV
(10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
It takes patience to be a servant of the Lord.
What do we mean by being patient? The word for “patience” in this verse is a Greek word that describes a donkey that willingly bears a heavy load upon his back. He doesn’t kick it off, he doesn’t run away, he doesn’t bray in opposition to his load….he just continues to stand there and accept whatever burden is placed upon him. This is the Scriptural idea behind being patient in our service to Christ.
When we serve the Lord we must bear many differing “weights” upon our back. The weight of our own sin, the weight of others’ judgmental and belittling attitudes, the weight of Satanic opposition, and the weight of past failures, just to name a few. But, in spite of facing all these weights we continue on faithfully knowing…
… God’s grace is sufficient: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 KJV
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
…. justice will come to pass: Revelation 14:9-12 KJV
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
… and we are headed for eternal rewards to be enjoyed in a promised land where these weights will no longer exist: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.
This is the three-fold basis of the patience of the saints. May we all keep these principles in mind as we faithfully bear up under the weights that come upon us as we serve our Lord!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:”
Revelation 3:8 KJV
(8) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Here, we are told that the Lord opens doors of opportunity for His people to serve Him. He is the one that opens them and it is ONLY He that closes them.
But I would like us to notice why He opens these doors for His people… “for (because) thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
To put this very simply…. because they remained faithful to the Lord in the opportunities they were given, new opportunities for ministry then opened up for them. Although they had very little strength (influence) in their community (because they lacked wealth, authority and fame) they still obtained, and applied, the truths of His Word and publically professed Christ to others. Based upon their faithfulness, the Lord then opened these new doors of service for them.
Folks, do we desire for the Lord to use us in great ways? It is important we recognize two things:
First, EVERY ministry that the Lord opens to us is a very important needed ministry. Anyone serving the Lord is serving Him in a great way. There is a very great need for faithfulness in the area to which you have already been called.
Secondly, when we are faithful in the ministry we have been given, the Lord will open more opportunities of service for us. So, if we desire to be used by the Lord in more areas of ministry then, be faithful in our current ministries and the Lord, by His grace, will open more opportunities to us…
Matthew 25:23 – “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
May we all seek to increase our service to the Lord by being faithful in our ministries NOW!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”
Revelation 3:7 KJV
(7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
In our verse for this morning we find several descriptions that point to Him as the Perfect King over us…
He is said to be sinless (“holy”); faithful and genuine (“true”), in control of the physical and spiritual nation of Israel (“hath the key of David”); working His will perfectly in our lives and the world around us (“he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”).
Stop and think about the blessing of knowing that the One we are committed to serve is the One who is a perfect King.
Let’s just imagine He was not perfect….
What would it be like to serve One who was not holy?
We could not count on His leadership… He may lead us down a sinful path that would lead to our destruction or spiritual shipwreck.
What would it be like to serve One who was not faithful and genuine?
We could not count on Him being sincere and speaking the truth to us. He may lie to us and refuse to keep the promises He gave to us.
What would it be like to serve One who was not in control of the physical and spiritual nations of Israel?
We could not look at the physical nation of Israel as a witness of His greatness and glory. And worse yet, we could not count on Him securing us access into His spiritual nation. When we needed Him most, He may fail to bring us into His kingdom, forcing us to face eternal punishment for our sins.
What would it be like to serve One who was not in sovereign control over all?
We could not be assured that every event in our life is for our good. Likewise, there would be no purpose in asking the Lord to intervene in any situation that we face. Worst of all, Satan could intervene and snatch our eternal salvation from us.
But praise His wonderful name we KNOW that He is holy, true, possessing the key of David, and He is in control!
May we praise Him for allowing us to serve Him… the Perfect King!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Revelation 3:7-13 “Christ’s Letter To The Church At Philadelphia”
THE TEXT:
The Letter To Philadelphia…
Rev 3:7-13 KJV
(7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
(8) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
(9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
(10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
(11) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
(12) 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.
(13) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
THE INTRODUCTION:
From our previous lesson, we saw a very basic summary of the contents of these letters include:
| Church Location | Name Meaning | Areas of Faithfulness | Areas of Unfaithfulness | Possible Punishment | Reward To Overcomers (proof of genuine salvation) |
| Ephesus | Desired or Allowed | Many areas of faithful outward service. Hate doctrine of Nicolaitanes. | Left first love (Christ)Service not motivated by love for Christ. | Removal of candlestick (church no longer enjoying fellowship w God) | Eat of Tree of Life in Paradise |
| Smyrna | Myrrh | Spiritually rich | N/A | N/A | Not hurt by second death |
| Pergamos | Fortified Tower | Faithfulness in face of persecution | Allowing doctrine of Balaam and Nicolaitans(physical and spiritual fornication) | Will war against those who hold false teaching | Be given hidden manna and white stone with new name |
| Thyatira | Sacrifice, Offering, Corpse | Works of love, service, faith, patience | False Prophetess in midst. (sexual immorality and idol worship) | Sickness, tribulation and death upon her and her followers. | Be given power over the nations |
| Sardis | Depart, Escape, Exit | A few faithful areas of service remain. A few faithful members remain. | Testimony that they are spiritually alive but really dead. Their works not “perfect” before God. | Will come upon them as a thief (implied removing anything of value leaving spiritually destitute) | White garments. Name not blotted out of book, confess his name before the Father |
| Philadelphia | Love Of The Brethren | Kept Word not denied name of Christ. Persevered in trials | N/A | N/A | Permanent pillar in temple of God. Name of God and New Jerusalem upon them. New name given to them |
| Laodicea | Judgment Of The People | N/A | Lukewarm service. Blinded to their spiritual destitution. | Spew out of Lord’s mouth. Rebuking and chastening from Lord. | Sit with Christ in throne. |
Beginning in chapter 2 through chapter 3, John writes personalized messages to the 7 churches. Each message contains four basic parts:
- Description of Christ
- Commendation for faithfulness and consequences
- Exposing unfaithfulness and consequences
- Promise to Overcomers
The first of these personalized messages is written to the church at Philadelphia.
- Description of Christ (v 7)
- Commendation for faithfulness and consequences (v 8-11)
- Exposing unfaithfulness and consequences (N/A)
- Promise to Overcomers (v 12-13)
THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:
Revelation 3: –
(7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;
The Lord addresses this letter to the local church located in Philadelphia. The main north-south and east-west trade routes intersected at Philadelphia. This caused the city to be greatly influenced by the Greek traveler/merchants/traders that passed through the city. Their influence included introducing the worship of Greek Gods into the city. Those who began this idolatrous worship turned against the local church there and persecuted its members.
Besides these idolaters, the city also contained many radical Jewish citizens that actively persecuted the members of this church.
The city had undergone a very severe earthquake about 80 years earlier which had resulted in a majority of the city being destroyed. Following this massive quake the city suffered from aftershocks for many years afterward resulting in great destruction and the need to be constantly rebuilding the city.
These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
The Lord now, using symbolism from the vision of Himself seen by John in chapter 1, describes Himself using symbolism that points to Him as the promised OT Messiah:
- He that is holy – He that is sinless and separated for God’s use (Isaiah 47:4)
- He that is true – He is the One that is genuine, sincere, and only speaks with veracity (Psalm 31:5)
- He that hath the key of David – He possesses ultimate authority over the physical and spiritual nations of Israel (Isaiah 22:22)
- He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth – He is the Sovereign Lord who controls all things, His will cannot be stopped by anyone. (Isaiah 22:22)
Every one of these titles for Christ are used in the OT in reference to the promised Messiah. When Christ refers to them in this letter, He is giving the local church at Philadelphia a very strong reminder that He is the promised Messiah who will gain the ultimate victory over His enemies…
Psa 21:7-10 KJV – For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
During this time of great persecution at the hands of both Jews and Gentiles, the church could know with certainty that the Lord they serve is the True Messiah who will have the ultimate victory over those that oppose His people.
(8) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
The Lord now commends them for their faithfulness in these areas:
- I know thy works – the great effort they expended as they served their Lord
- thou hast little strength – although they had much spiritual strength, they had very little respect (“clout”) in the eyes of the world. They lacked great authority, social status, education and wealth. (Many times the Lord uses the weak of the world to bring Him the most glory and honor. The weak cannot claim their strength won the victory, they must acknowledge that any victory they are given is through the power of God and not their own.)
- thou hast kept my word – they possessed, guarded and maintained the truths of God.
- thou hast not denied my name – they neither disowned nor blasphemed His name.
I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it – Because they were faithful in these areas, the Lord blessed them with additional opportunities to serve Him.
The Lord blesses faithfulness by giving greater responsibilities and opportunities of service. Likewise, when we are unfaithful in the responsibilities we have been given, many times He will decrease the opportunities of service. (Matt 25:26-28)
(9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Just as in the city of Smyrna (Rev 2:9), the local church at Philadelphia faced persecution at the hands of physical Jews who mistakenly believed their lineage made them a part of spiritual Israel (God’s spiritually chosen people.) Note that these physical Jews were called “the synagogue of Satan” because they were, in actuality, worshipping and serving Satan by denying that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
The Lord gave them the promise that someday these lost Jews would be defeated and the saved members of the church would be given positions of rulership over them. This will take place during the Battle of Armageddon and final judgment of lost mankind (Rev 19:11-16, 1 Cor 6:2)
(10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Another blessing they would receive of the Lord, based upon their faithfulness, was that the Lord would “keep thee from the hour of temptation…”
In other words, the Lord would keep them separated from the great Roman persecutions under Trajan that would touch the lives of all men on earth. These same persecutions would fall specifically on churches and individual Christians in various nations as a time of trial or “temptation” upon Christians (to forsake Christ and turn from His teachings). The Lord protected the church at Philadelphia from these Trajan persecutions.
Remember, the Lord had told the church at Smyrna that they would face tribulation (Rev 2:10). This helps us to understand that the Lord deals differently in the lives of those who are faithful to Him. We need to always be sure and not try to guess why the Lord deals with His people as He does. His mind is greater then ours, His ways are higher than ours. We can never begin to really understand all His workings among men.
This great promise of escape from temptation was given to them because they had kept God’s Word patiently, while under great persecution and stress. They were willing to wait on the Lord to remove the persecution from them, instead of taking matters in their own hands, forsaking the truth, so that their persecution might end prematurely.
(11) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
The Lord promises the church that He will come suddenly and unexpectedly. This is speaking of the Lord’s intervening protection keeping the church safe from the Roman persecutions. They were to hold onto the areas of faithfulness that existed so that they might receive eternal rewards at His second coming.
In other words, “Church at Philadelphia, don’t give up. I am coming quickly to protect you in the midst of the persecutions that will take place around you. By remaining faithful NOW it will secure many eternal rewards for you when I come back at the second coming.”
(12) 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.
To those who were true believers in Christ (overcomers) he promised:
- will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: – the overcomer will become a “permanent fixture” in the temple of God. In other words, he will forever be in the presence of the Lord, honoring, praising and serving Him. This is emphasized by the phrase “he shall go no more out”.
- and I will write upon him the name of my God, – showing ownership, much like a servant who wore the mark of his master upon him.
- I will write upon him… the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: – showing the overcomer’s citizenship in the New Jerusalem (heaven on the new earth – Rev 21:1-2)
- and I will write upon him my new name. – showing the new relationship that will be enjoyed by the overcomer and His Lord Jesus. He will see Christ in a new way and experience a new level of intimacy with Him.
(13) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Those who are genuinely saved, able to understand the Word through the ministry of the indwelling Spirit, are invited to read this letter, understand it and put it into action in their own personal lives and the life of the corporate assembly.
CHRIST REVEALED:
In this letter to the Philadelphians, we can see Jesus as the Promised Messiah of the Old Testament. It is this same Jesus that holds the ultimate authority over Israel, the physical nation separated for His use in the times of the Old Testament; and the spiritual nation of Israel (found in both Old Testament and New Testament times) made up of all the elect to salvation, sanctification, and eternal glory.
Jesus, the Messiah and King of Israel, is shown as the Loving Lord who rewards the faithfulness of His followers with increased opportunities of service and temporal blessings of protection and strength and eternal blessings of security, fellowship and revelation of Himself.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)
Folks, we can see in this short letter the need for faithfulness in times of trials. May we be motivated to this faithfulness by remembering our Lord is in control. He is in control of the opportunities of service placed before us, our temporal physical and spiritual needs being met, and our security and eternal glory.
May we honor and serve Him knowing He is truly the Sovereign King that constantly is at work on behalf of His chosen people.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to see Jesus in the pages of the book of Revelation.
Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog: http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
Video Blog: http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
Email Contact: settledinheaven@gmail.com
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life”
Revelation 3:5 KJV
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
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Oh what a glorious thought for the people of God! Our names will not, and cannot, be blotted out of the book of those who possess eternal life!
Folks, think about how gracious and kind our Lord is to us… when we rebelled against Him and lived a lifestyle of sin, He gave Himself for us; ….
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Romans 5:6-9 KJV “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
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When we rebelliously opposed Him, rejected Him and hated Him, He intervened in our lives, softened our hearts and gave us the spirit of repentance and belief….
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Ephesians 2:4-9 KJV “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
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2 Timothy 2:24-26 KJV “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
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Then, to top it all off, gave us His great salvation permanently, with absolutely no possibility of loss….
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John 6:37-40 KJV “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
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Hebrews 10:14-18 KJV “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”
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The eternal security given to us by our Lord is not a “license to sin” …
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Romans 6:1-2 KJV “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
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But it is one of the greatest motivations to serve our Lord with our entire being…
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Romans 12:1-2 KJV “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
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Because of all He has done for us (including securing us eternally) we owe Him EVERYTHING, our time, our talents, our possessions, our entire lives.
What a great Lord that we serve! May we serve Him with all entire being for the rest of our lives out of appreciation for all He has done for us!
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May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “he that hath the seven Spirits of God (4)”
Revelation 3:1 KJV
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”
In this devotional, we will continue to look at the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2), which is described in this passage as the “seven Spirits of God”. For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at “The Spirit of knowledge” and “The Spirit of the fear of the Lord”.
What do we learn about the ministries of the Holy Spirit from these titles? These two ministries of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people go hand in hand. As we learn more about the Lord, we are moved to reverence, and fear Him in greater ways. Truly. with knowledge comes a greater respect for the Lord, a recognition of our frailty, an admittance of our continuing sinfulness and our great need of the Lord’s mercy.
It is very important that we understand the meaning of the word “fear” for this lesson. The word fear is the Hebrew word “yare” it is translated in the Bible as “afraid”, “fearful”, “dreadful”, “exceedingly”, and “fearfulness”. It always carries with it the idea of fear or anxiety, or distress, and many times is linked to the idea of greatness, veneration or astonishment.
The idea is this whenever “yare” is present in the life of a person:
- it shows itself as “fear” which comes from anxiety based upon…
- the realization of the greatness or overwhelming ability of the thing feared.
To put it simply, when Christians come to a greater knowledge of the Word they also come to an understanding of The Lord’s greatness, His overwhelming power, His authority and His holiness. This in turn reminds us of our frailty, sinfulness, and inability to please Him of our own ability.
These truths (about God and ourselves) cause us to reverence His person and to fear His chastening hand in our lives. It is much like a child who, not only reverences their Father, but fears His hand of discipline. This type of fear, in no way, minimizes the work of Christ, nor the assurance of salvation that the Christian possesses. It is simply a recognition of our continued failings in life and His love for us in as a heavenly Father, disciplining us to renew a heart of obedience to Him. (Hebs 12:4-17)
There are some that mistakenly believe a Christian is only to reverence the Lord and not to fear Him. However, if we correctly understand the scriptures we know that a Christian is to have a healthy fear of the chastening hand of God in our lives which is one motivation, among many to live Godly lives for Him. Although we do not fear losing our salvation, nor Him sending His eternal wrath upon us, we are to fear what He may do in our lives when we fall into known, unrepentant sin.
This principle is clearly brought out in Isa 11:2 as a ministry of the Spirit in our lives, this is why He is called “the Spirit of the fear of the Lord”. We can also see the same principle in many verses including…
Psalms 2:11 KJV – “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
Psalms 89:7 KJV – “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”
Psalms 119:120-122 KJV – “My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. AIN. I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors. Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. “
Isaiah 66:2 KJV – “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
Hebrews 12:28-29 KJV – “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”
May we ask the Lord to develop within us a Godly reverence and fear in our lives through the intervention of His Spirit and increased knowledge of His Word.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “he that hath the seven Spirits of God” (3)
Revelation 3:1 KJV
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”
In this devotional, we will continue to look at the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2), which is described in this passage as the “seven Spirits of God”. For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at “The Spirit of counsel” and “The Spirit of might”.
What do we learn about the ministries of the Holy Spirit from these titles? It is from the Holy Spirit that the saint is given divine guidance and instruction (counsel), and the strength and the boldness (might) to follow that His leadership.
The Holy Spirit leads us to do the will of our Heavenly Father. Without this leadership in our lives, we would be unable to begin to discern the Lord’s will and know the path of life we are to take. Then, following the Spirit’s guidance, we then find that the He strengthens us to boldly follow the will of the Lord in the face of persecution and sacrifice…
Psalms 18:32 KJV – “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”
This is the two-fold ministry that the Spirit performs among all of God’s people. This is why He is described as “The Spirit of counsel and the Spirit of might”.
Folks, do we appreciate the Holy Spirit’s leadership for our lives? And, likewise, do we appreciate His enabling grace which allows us to bravely do what we have been called to do? Following His leadership and seeking His strength are two keys to living a successful Christian life.
May we all remember our frailties and the great need of the Spirit’s daily leadership and strength as we seek to fulfill our life’s callings.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Settled In Heaven Blog 