The Downfall of Sin

Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises. Revelation 2:18-29

Introduction Our faith can cause some internal struggles. Where does normal participation in society require sacrifices or compromises we shouldn’t make? Where are there economic incentives for us to disregard God's Word to maintain our comfort? Our culture is both overt and covert about trying to have everyone accept, approve, and even endorse what the Bible calls sin. The end justifies the means. Everyone else is doing it. It's not as bad as [something else]. I deserve this. Love is love.

In the tapestry of our lives, the threads of sin often weave themselves into the fabric of our faith. The city of Thyatira (Thy-uh-tee-ruh), known for its thriving commerce and trade, becomes the backdrop for a letter that delves into the complexities of staying true to one's faith amidst a culture that often leads us astray. Today, we'll discover timeless insights that resonate with the challenges of our own journey. If Ephesian Christians were tempted by rigidity and lovelessness, Smyrnean Christians by persecution, and Pergamum’s Christians by persecution and compromise, economic pressures were inviting sin into Thyatira. Much like today, in the culture, sin was labeled a good thing, and believers were pressured and eventually joined in. Revelation 2:18-29

Revelation 2:18–29 ESV

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Scriptural Analysis Like many of the other sins in these letters, the church in Thyatira had been persuaded that there were some sins they could tolerate. They had decided to stay faithful in some ways, but they allowed sin to creep into other areas when culturally useful. These letters are not about instilling undue fear or perpetuating legalism. They show why, in Thyatira’s complacency, they needed the shock of the dramatic images and language that come later in the letter. They needed to be woken up to their sins, preventing faithfulness, and they needed a vision of the coming kingdom so vibrant that they would rid their communities of abuse, idolatry, and sin. Verse 18 This is the longest of the seven letters, written to the smallest of the seven cities. The risen Christ tells the congregation of Thyatira that he is the Son of God, the only time this title appears in Revelation. Thyatira was not the center of one cult but had multiple sects and cults. Thyatira was a working person’s town, a center for manufacturing. The city was filled with many trade guilds for commerce, such as cloth making, dyeing, leatherworking, bronzeworking, and pottery making. Lydia, Paul’s first convert in Philippi, was a merchant from Thyatira. Trade guilds are somewhat similar to modern-day unions. The people banded together for the various trades they were engaged in. But more interesting than that was each guild had a god. Each guild had come to define a guardian god that particularly gave himself to taking care of them, and they worshiped that god. If you were associated with a guild, you were in a religious group, and there was a god over that group that you had to worship. Associated with that worship was immorality, as in almost all the pagan systems. There would be idols, idol feasts, and celebrations. These guilds were cults. Verses 19-20 This church is known for its love, faith, service, and perseverance. These four virtues are probably meant to be paired. The first two are motives; the second two are deeds. Love for others had produced service; faith in Christ had assured perseverance in their commitment to him. They were not content to stand still in loving deeds and faithful perseverance. They had grown in faith and thus were stronger in love than when they first came to know Christ.

The criticism Christ has is severe. All their growth in love and faith was overshadowed by the success of a pernicious teacher code-named “Jezebel.” The original Jezebel of the Old Testament (1 & 2 Kings) passionately promoted the worship of the Canaanite deity Baal. Judged by God, she met a violent death. The “modern Jezebel” in the church of Thyatira was also leading people away from the true God. She had called herself a prophetess, deliberately led Christians into immorality, and encouraged violation of conscience regarding the false gods associated with the trade guilds. Jezebel, as she is labeled, encouraged Christians to get along with the pagan society around them. “If you can’t beat them, join them.”  What matters is that some Christians of Thyatira were brazenly practicing open immorality in the name of “being tolerant.” This so-called prophetess, like the historical Jezebel, was subverting the people of God by introducing idolatry to the church at Thyatira. Verses 21-23 As punishment, she was about to be thrown onto a bed of suffering. How fitting that the one who was making the body of Christ in Thyatira sick spiritually should be struck down in her own body.

First, we see those who commit adultery with her. This does not mean that Jezebel had literally opened a brothel but that some church members were struggling with her teachings, falling into some degree of moral compromise. Biblical Adultery often means God's people being unfaithful to God through idolatry and worshipping false gods like the ones in the guilds. They faced the prospect of intense punishment unless they repented.

The second group is called her children. Again, this is not literal but refers to those who had wholly committed themselves to Jezebel’s doctrines. She had become their spiritual mother. They are her children, which was often a way the followers or disciples of a teacher were referred to back then. Like their mother, they were unwilling to repent, so Christ was about to strike them dead.

Third, Christ spoke to the rest of Thyatira. These are the faithful believers who do not hold to her teachings. The grace and love of God shine through here, for despite the egregious sins promoted by the false prophetess, she was given time to repent and turn from her evil. But like Jezebel of old, this woman was determined to pursue her own desires and refused to turn from her deviant teaching and lifestyle. Verses 24-25 Cults and “mystery religions” flourished in the first few centuries. A common feature was the delicious promise that after persons were initiated into the cult, they gained “deep secrets” or special wisdom. No doubt this was part of “Jezebel’s” allure. Throughout the New Testament, believers are urged to remain faithful to the gospel's simple truths and moral standards. There is no need to look for some fanciful new teaching. God's Word has always been enough. There is no need for a new or secret word from God.

All of Thyatira had not embraced Jezebel and her teaching wholesale. Some do not hold her teaching. Christ calls this faithful remnant to hold fast until he comes. He saddles them with no other burden. They are to maintain their Christian faith and commitment, not waver in their faithfulness to Christ. So this clause may also be phrased as “You must continue to believe strongly in me” or “You must remain loyal to me.” Verses 26-29 A further reward for the overcomer is to receive the Morning Star. Morning stars appear only when the night is over and a new day is at hand. The key for interpreting this is in Revelation 22, where Christ is called the bright Morning Star. The reward is Christ himself, who will end the long night of sin’s rule in the universe. Verse 29 repeats the regular invitation to hear and heed the message. These verses call to conquer sin and persevere in faith and good works until the end. Jesus promises that those who follow him will rule in eternity. TODAY'S  KEY  TRUTH Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises. Application This letter to the church in Thyatira begins the second group of letters to the churches of Asia Minor. In the first group, the church at Ephesus was characterized by a loyalty to Christ that lacked love. In the church of Smyrna, loyalty was tested by persecution. In the church of Pergamum, compromise was an issue. Yet, all three churches were true to the faith and were still fighting against sin. In the case of the church at Thyatira, as of the churches in Sardis and Laodicea, as we'll see in the following weeks, the situation was far more serious. Here, not merely a small minority was indifferent, but large numbers had actually yielded to the demoralizing influence of false teaching and sin.

If the church married the world in Pergamum through compromise, they were celebrating anniversaries of sin in Thyatira. Sin had taken over in Thyatira. This letter shows the depth of that sin as the church has been infiltrated by error and sin.

This church was tolerating sin in the two forms that it was forbidden. It was tolerating spiritual adultery to another deity, and it was tolerating physical immorality, both for the sake of economic progress in their trades. As I just shared, each trade guild had come to define a guardian god that particularly gave himself to taking care of them. In order to have good standing in the guild, you would need to engage yourself in the guild activities. You could easily be kicked out if you did not engage in the guild activities. The guild has routine activities that involve sacrifices to that god, feasts to that god, and immoral behavior. Jezabel, as she is known, was basically saying, "It's ok. God understands." In other words, sin is okay and even beneficial for you.

Jesus does commend the love at the church. There are acts of love going on. "You’re caring for each other, and you’re loving each other. This is wonderful. Love was in action." Jesus also says, “I also know about your faith.” He is saying here that you’re reliable. Basically, you’re dependable, fairly consistent, and hang in there. But apparently, it was love divorced from sound doctrine. That’s possible. There are people who care about each other and serve their community in the most liberal or heretical of churches. There are atheists who are loving and caring and who help others.

A common thought today is that love is fine. Serving people is fine. Being faithful is fine. Enduring through the hard times, that’s all well and good. But don’t ask people to take a strong stand on sin. Don’t ask us to take a strong stand on doctrine. This was their issue then; today, it is common, even in churches. We don’t want to deal with sin. We don’t want to affirm sound doctrine. We don’t want to deal with what it means to confront sin. Jesus declares, "Love and faithfulness and service and endurance aren’t enough. There must be a commitment to sound doctrine and holy living. Sin must be confronted."

Ephesus had the doctrine and missed the love. Thyatira has the love and missed the sound doctrine. We have both extremes today. We have those moral doctrinal, narrow-minded perfectionists who are loveless, ruthless, graceless, and offensive. They condemn everyone else because it's all about the rules and being self-righteous. On the other end, those tolerant, sentimental, mushy, lovey-dovey groups disregard biblical holy standards, truth, and living. Both are disastrous. The desire of God is a beautiful God-intended balance of holiness and love. Thyatira had the love but didn’t have the holiness. Love without holiness descends to immorality. Love without holiness descends to immorality, which leads to death.

Sadly, this letter is written at the end of the first century. By the end of the second century, Thyatira had no church; it was gone, out of existence. The sin of compromising with culture didn't lead to the church and believers thriving as promised. The problem that faced this little church was not persecution. The problem is sin, which always leads to a downfall. Even when society and culture make it sound okay and acceptable, sin always has the same result: our downfall.

Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises. Conclusion Sin always promises, but it never delivers. Sin disguises itself as something attractive, refreshing, and rewarding. But underneath the false exterior, sin is destructive, and those who engage with it know only regret. We need to be convinced that we must never flirt with sin. We need to have the false exterior of sin pulled back so that we see it as it is. Sin is sin. Even when we think sin is understandable or have some warped sense of a greater good, sin is still sin. We must understand that even when sin is socially accepted and perceived as justifiable, it will eventually lead to destruction.

The scriptures tell us over and over that sin leads to death and destruction because there are consequences with going against the grain regarding how God designed us to live. Physically, sin can have all types of consequences, leading to serious health issues and even death. Emotionally, sin weighs upon our hearts and minds, causing emotional distress. Sin can look good in the moment, but it always fails in its promises to make life better.

We, of course, see some aspects of the self-destructive nature of sin today. The more we lie to others, the closer we are to not even knowing the truth ourselves. The things we steal, end up stealing any true joy or satisfaction from our hearts. The adultery we commit, whether physical or in the mind, works against our own ability to connect to our spouse and family. Every sinful act we commit is not only a breaking of God’s law but also a self-destructive action that works against our own good, whether in the present or in the future. Sin always works against the one who sins in a self-defeating and self-destructive way. We often see this in this life, but we certainly see how this can play out in the afterlife.

The awful consequence of sin is it breaks our relationship with God and separates us from Him, resulting in spiritual death because sin disqualifies us from living in God’s presence. Spiritually, sin separates us from God. No matter the promises it makes, sin will never leave you content.

Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, they had done nothing wrong. They had nothing to be embarrassed about, including their nakedness, even before God. Satan promised greater knowledge and a greater life. The sin didn't deliver. It didn't change what they were told it would change. Instead, sin changed their attitudes toward each other. Before their sins, they were not aware of either their own or the other's nakedness. Why cover up if there was no sense of shame or embarrassment between them? Yet, with sin, their attitudes toward each other had changed. It is as if each felt their nakedness needed to be hidden from the other. Humiliation and shame became a part of their relationship. Their untainted feelings for each other that had existed since their creation began to turn sour immediately. Sin never delivers lasting contentment. It only leads to a downfall.

Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises.

The Bible declares that every human being who has ever lived has sinned. But let's be honest; we know that is true because of our own experience with sin. Because of our sins, we are separated from God. Since God is the infinite and eternal Creator, all sin is ultimately against Him, and only an infinite and eternal punishment is sufficient.

The gospel proclaims that Jesus paid sin's punishment through His substitutionary death for sin. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, proving that God accepted His payment for sin. Jesus was punished for our sins so that we could be forgiven and avoid sin's punishment. Because of His great love for us, Jesus laid down His life, paying the penalty that we had earned but could not pay. Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating that His death was indeed sufficient to pay for our sins and that His life conquers death on our behalf.

Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises.

As he wanted for the church in Thyatira, Jesus wants to heal your heart. In order for him to do this, we have to follow His words: repent. If a sin has you in its grip, you can be free from its power by acknowledging your sin. Jesus says we can be victorious over sin, even the biggest one of all, the one that seems to have your name on it. Whether it's lust, pride, jealousy, anger, greed, or whatever it may be, you can be freed from the prison of sin. Jesus saves all who will receive His free gift of salvation by faith. Jesus saves all those who cease trying to save themselves and fully trust in His sacrifice alone as the payment for sin. Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to pay for the sins of all humanity, but His gift of salvation is only received through faith. We must trust Him. While sin never delivers on its promises, Jesus always keeps His word. He can and will save you.

Sin Never Delivers On It's Promises. But Jesus always keeps His word.