Times and Seasons – The Book of Revelation FOR TODAY

What constitutes a healthy church?

The Philadelphia church in Asia Minor exhibited many qualities that were pleasing to God, as highlighted by the glorified Christ to the apostle John in 95 AD:

⁸ “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. ⁹ Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.

¹⁰ “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. ¹¹ I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.  Revelation 3:8-11 (NLT)

What are some their good qualities that we can glean from Jesus’ statements?

1)     The Philadelphia church had at least some strength when it came to obeying the word of God.  The church was far from perfect or from being a spiritual powerhouse, but their work and devotion to Christ were sufficient to be well pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.  We can take solace from the fact that it does not take a herculean performance to please God.  If we put forth a good effort, He will apparently be pleased with us.

2)     The church did not deny the Lord Jesus, even when suffering oppression at the hands of those under the influence of the evil one.  Like the Pharisees in Christ’s day, the worst oppressors had the appearance and title of God’s religious authorities. But whether they knew it or not, they were actually serving Satan and his purposes.

3)     The church persevered through very difficult times.  Despite going through a season of trial because of their faith, they did not deny it, abandon Christ, or turn away from a devotion to Him. For this reason, God promised to remove them from a future trial of global proportions.  (Exactly how this will play out is a subject of great debate within the church. More on the topic of the rapture be explored in future meditations).

4)      Because of these qualities, the churchgoers in Philadelphia were in possession of a crown.  These are likely eternal rewards for works done in the will and power of God.  The crowns were not associated with salvation – Jesus’ true believers will enter the heavenly kingdom even if they lose their crown.  Christ paid the redemptive price on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead, giving new life to those who would accept Him by faith.  But even so, losing one’s crown is a big deal, one that none of us will want to experience.  It is a tremendous possession to be treasured, not lost.

We do not want to go astray in the way of Reuben, King Saul, Balaam, Ananias and Saphira, or even King Solomon – all Biblical characters who lost their significant status in the Lord’s eyes by turning their backs on Him in a big way.  But even these great stumbles do not necessarily reflect on their salvation – that comes by faith in the Lord, and He alone is the Judge.

One lesson that could be learned from Jesus’ message, as a church or as an individual, is to be faithful to Jesus, seeking to serve Him even in our own weak way, in good times and in times of persecution or trouble. If we do this, we, too, will possess an eternal crown of glory to go along with our justification by faith in Christ.

Lesson number two: Do not lose our crown!  If I am headed down an evil path that is taking me further and further away from the Lord, stop!  Turn around, and go right back to Him at once.  He will lovingly accept us back, and we can avoid grievous eternal consequences through His abundant grace and mercy. God is so good to us!

Reflection

We can be drawn away from the Lord through evil temptation that may seem harmless at the time.  Perhaps Jacob’s concubine Bilhah was lonely and got a little too friendly with Reuben.  We can all find ourselves in such dangerous situations.

King Saul thought he could do things his own way, even when they went against God’s.  Balaam saw potential riches if he could advise a cunning way to defeat God’s chosen ones.  Ananias and Saphira might be admired by their churchmates if they lied about their donation, even though their lie was to the Holy Spirit.  And King Solomon thought he could keep all of his tremendous blessings from the Lord, even though he devoted more and more of his later life to the worship of foreign gods with his beautiful wives. 

What attractive temptation is currently trying to lure you or me away from faithfulness and a persevering devotion to the Lord, seeking to rob us of our eternal crown?

Heavenly Father, thank You for our salvation by faith in Christ, and for giving us a crown of Your glory.  Help us to keep it by staying faithful to You and to persevere in our efforts to follow and serve Jesus day-by-day.  Keep us from the path that would lead to a catastrophic loss of Your precious gift.  We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a blessed and beautiful day in the Lord today.