If you have nothing but nature, it would be intelligible; but if you have seen the Son of God and believed in Him, if by grace you have the same life which was in Him, so that this thing is true of Him and of you, no possible standard can suit for you as a Christian short of Christ Himself. It was founded with the deliberate intention that it might be a missionary of Greek culture and language to Lydia and Phrygia; and so well did it do its work that by A.D. 19 the Lydians had forgotten their own language and were all but Greeks. It is blessedly true that even out of failure a man can redeem himself--but only if he casts himself upon the grace of Jesus Christ. In gratitude it changed its name to Neocaesarea--the New City of Caesar. He did originally, as for instance in the ten words, though afterwards in this very particular intervention came in. To have one's name written in the book of life is to be numbered amongst the faithful citizens of the Kingdom of God. 71-72; Thomas R. Edgar, "An Exegesis of Rapture Passages," in Issues in Dispensationalism, pp. They were not like that famous church at Corinth, where everybody could teach everybody, but where nobody cared to learn of any one. What said the Lord? They had little strength, but they kept God's word, and they did not deny his name. In entering Gods kingdom, Jews must follow the way of these Gentiles, not Gentiles follow the way of the Jews (8-9).When God judges the ungodly, Christ will protect those who have remained loyal to him. Lord, if there is something wrong in what we are doing, how we are doing it, let your Spirit reveal to our hearts. I am afraid that there are great truths in God's word which we do not intelligently believe, but take for granted. To the church at Sardis 1. He is going back to Isaiah 22:0 for this description. The Jews lost their place to the Gentiles ( Romans 11:11). And too many souls overall miss the wonder, inspiration, and comfort gained by those who would endeavor toward . "He that believeth hath everlasting life," for "this is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." He crossed the Halys, engaged in battle and was routed. A new evil appears. It was a time of drunkenness and feasting and the giving of gifts and celebration as the sun past through the winter solstice. Sardis was still a wealthy city. 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. There is no surer way of allowing a child to end in ruin than to allow him to do as he likes. He gave the Christians five promises instead. "Repent; or else I am coming to thee quickly, and will war against them with the sword of my mouth." ", F. The letter to the church in Philadelphia 3:7-13. Too many of us are Christian one moment and unchristian the next. Hence, evidently, there is a comprehensive term employed with divine wisdom, "to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." Indeed, there is nothing more remarkable, especially when we bear in mind who the writer is, than the absence here of His proper relationship to the children of God. Why, these are the treasures of men, and they shall pass away. Such is the strength of the promise and the blessedness of it, that the Lord promises His own to be kept from the time. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. Tacitus (see Wetstein, in loco) mentions an earthquake that sank twelve cities in Asia Minor, in one night, by which, among others, Philadelphia was deeply affected; and it is possible that there may have been reference here to that overwhelming calamity. Let us see how the idea of discipline runs through the Bible. There is no value in all the brass counters which circulate among the many; they are current with the world, but the Kingdom of God does not know them. It was precisely because the church was faithful in time of trial that Christ in turn will be faithful to them. Revelation 3:1. "And I will give him the morning star." Here is something to make us think: (i) The one attitude which the Risen Christ unsparingly condemns is indifference. I do not say when, where, or how; but as surely as He lives, will the Lord vindicate the truth He has given, and the testimony He has raised up for His name. To those who have kept his word, Christ promises, I will keep you from the coming hour of trial, which will put those who dwell on the earth to the test. (ii) Swete thinks that the white garments stand for the profession a man made at baptism; and that the phrase described the man who had not broken his baptismal vows. The Jews claimed they were the people of Gods kingdom and tried to shut the Gentiles out. 293. It set out along the valley of the River Maeander until it reached what were known as the Gates of Phrygia. This at the same time goes on down to the end, and brings in the Lord's coming; for, it will be observed, the coming of the Lord is not introduced in any of the first three, but from Thyatira it is, because the condition intended goes on to the coming of the Lord. The hour of temptation A time of sore and peculiar trial which might have proved too much for their strength. Hot food and cold food can both be appetizing, but tepid food will often make the stomach turn. And in this picture we see certain great truths of the Christian religion. He that overcomes should be clothed in white, for there were a few in Sardis who had not defiled their garments, and who should thus walk with Him in white; because they are worthy. When another subject is about to open, the first voice which he heard as of a trumpet talking with him said "Come up hither;" there is no question then of a voice behind. That does not matter; but it does matter that you be faithful to your Lord. If the Lord chastens you, be thankful you are His child and He loves you. "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." The promise of the Risen Christ is that the victor will sit with him in his own victorious throne. Here the name of Jesus is enough to stir the heart in a sweet and suited doxology. Philadelphia, Promise And Warning ( Revelation 3:7-13 Continued). A Church with a positive message is bound to be one to which there will be opposition. The National Christian Council of Japan in a document found the distinctive difference of Christianity from all other religions in, "Man not seeking God, but God taking the initiative in seeking man." Still they become a witnessing body more or less in spirit, apart from that which set up the highest pretension but in profoundly wicked communion with Jezebel, as the Lord judged and stigmatized what man called "our mother, the holy Catholic, church." Nothing is more common among Protestants, than to admit a thing to be perfectly true because it is in the word of God, without the smallest intention or thought of acting upon it. There the Holy Ghost was the only one competent to minister and effectuate such grace according to the counsels of God, and in the ordering of His love. The Lord sent the letter to the church in Philadelphia to praise the Christians for their faithfulness in spite of persecution and to encourage them to persevere. He talks to some of you, and you are so dogmatic, and firmly rooted, he calls you pig-headed, and says it is no use arguing with such bigots; and so he goes to argue somewhere else. He puts His voucher on the book from the beginning. my beloved is knocking. (ii) It was a great centre of clothing manufacture. [Note: See Stanton, pp. They have the truth in a measure, but not so as to clear souls from bondage, or bring them distinctly into liberty, peace, and the power of the Spirit. . Did they like to be near a throne, although it were the throne of Satan to dwell there? Shocks were an everyday occurrence. Where was the labour of love? I believe that is something that God is going to do. "He that overcometh, he shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. The problem is that the words "because you have a little strength, and because you have kept my word, and have not denied my name," can go equally well with what precedes them or with what follows. They are neutral in principle and practice, being half-hearted about Christ. One can understand their passing through the scene of his power, but to be dwelling there is significant. When the Lord is seen in the vision of chapter 1, these are not the ways in which He is described at all "He that hath the key of David.". Whichever picture is behind this, the sense is that the faithful ones will wear the unmistakable badge of God. As Beasley-Murray said, "This is not a designation of a period of time, but of the trial itself. This meaning is particularly appropriate for Philadelphia. The word of Jehovah was sent to Jehovah's people. The sheep which grazed round Laodicea were famous for their soft, violet-black, glossy wool. Christ calls the church to that duty which he before promised he would enable her to do, and that is, to persevere, to hold fast that which she had. Revelation 3:10-11 New King James Version 10 Because you have kept [ a]My command to persevere,I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come uponthe whole world, to test those who dwellon the earth. 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. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Under John's leadership, Grace Community Church's two morning worship services fill the 3,500-seat auditorium to capacity. Second, it supplies us with an inspiration. If you have been vacillating and shifty and tricky, and have believed everything and nothing, nobody will take any particular notice of what you say, except it be to shut the door against your uncertain prattle. How came this? The condemnation of Laodicea begins with a picture of almost crude vividness; because the Laodiceans are neither cold nor hot, they have about them a kind of nauseating quality, which will make the Risen Christ vomit them out of his mouth. The problem of modern evangelism is not hostility to Christianity; it would be better if it were so. There the king of Lydia ruled over his empire in oriental splendour. . There is a general theory abroad that it is quite right and proper to point out to a brother all his imperfections, for it will be a salutary medicine to him, and prevent his being too happy in this vale of tears. There may be individual reality even where the associations are miserably untoward. "Woe to you," said Jesus, "when all men speak well of you!" [1.] Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Spurgeon Collection" by: Tony Capoccia Bible Bulletin Board Box 314 Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022 Websites: and Email: Online since 1986. We read of the saints in one place or another. As the King James Version has it, "I will come in and sup with him." We eat our way into the word of God, we live upon what we learn, tunnelling through the truth with receptive minds. "I am the Alpha and Omega, saith the Lord God, that is, and that was, and that is to come, the Almighty." Let there be at least individual even if unvalued faithfulness to the Lord Jesus. Rush to the front. Three centuries before, Philadelphia had been given an open door to spread Greek ideas in the lands beyond; and now there has come to it another great missionary opportunity, to carry to men who never knew it the message of the love of Jesus Christ. These were said to be the treasures of the church. Those men of old time whose influence upon their own age seemed so little, nevertheless prepared the way for those braver spirits who, by-and-by, shone forth like the stars of the morning. "Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers; with their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet" ( Isaiah 49:23). If we do not provoke Christ to shut this door against us, men cannot do it. The most vivid example of this kind of rebuke is the way in which Nathan opened David's eyes to his sin ( 2 Samuel 12:1-14). Still, after all, one of the grand points fought for at the Reformation, and gained for Protestantism, whatever might be its defects, was this; that man was put fairly, freely, and openly in presence of the Bible. Again, we can understand an angel employed a real angelic being as the means of communication between the Lord and His servant John; but it would be harsh to suppose that His servant John writes a letter from Christ to a literal angelic being. In the early Greek manuscripts there was no punctuation at all. It was picked up by the Protestants. 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