Hold Fast

We are overcomers. Conquerors. As such, we will take the spoils of victory, the things accomplished by the grace of God in our lives, and present them to the King of Glory. Anything we take that was done for anything other than the glory of God cant be presented there.

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.’

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12

HOLD ON! Guard and protect your works. Our works make the crowns we will lay at Jesus feet. And our works are the only thing about us that can be disqualified. Our spirit is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus has laid hold of us. But we are to guard our works so that pride or selfishness doesn't steal them. Because when they are done out of pride or selfishness they are useless. Those are the ones not allowed in the presentation to the King. And we may see a little more about that in a couple of weeks.

How Jesus describes Himself: Son of God, not the sun god. Eyes like flame, seeing all. We recognize the description of Jesus here matches Daniel 10:6.

V19 love, faith, service, patience endurance: these things are yours, and they are increasing! He is not condemning them for busy-ness or religious activity, but praising them for the genuine-ness of their faith! He says your latter works exceed your first. You are growing!!

v20 but you have allowed false teaching and the ‘works’ that accompany it.

One more time with what this looks like: fitting in so as to avoid ostrasization. Fitting in included going to ‘that temple’ where they practiced sexual immorality and ate the meat sacrificed to idols. I know we’ve had this idea several times already (since we started Revelation) and I’d like to help understand what is referred to here.

For both Jews and Gentiles, there was some concern about the literal act of eating meat sacrificed at pagan worship rituals. It often found its way to market and Jewish law forbade eating it. Gentiles coming out of that way of life sometimes had issues of conscience with eating it. So much so the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 and then Paul other times in his writings dealt with it. And even tho sometimes is was urged to abstain and sometimes understood to be non-consequential (1 Corinthians 8), the heart of the matter was always deference. Not preference. Coin toss.

The problem condemned in our text today is different. The people in the church at Thyatira were attending the pagan feasts and festivals IN ORDER TO FIT IN. And while there, were engaging in what was offered there, including meat sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality.

Remember the church at Smyrna refused this compromise. It brought them poverty in this life but gained them reward in the Kingdom!

So compromise and false teaching are two things repeatedly condenmed in these letters to the churches. Two things which bring a call to repentance. Here’s the thing about repentance:

As long as you are drawing breath, there is the opportunity to repent. Every day is a day to get right with God. Coming to the end of your self and finding He is always there to forgive is always a relief. Yet we resist repentance.

King David got it: Psalm 32

But there were those in this church who had no need to repent. They had neither received the false teaching nor engaged in the acts of immorality promoted by such teaching. And for them there would be a reward!!

Jesus ties the false teachings here to the ones at Pergamum when He uses the phrase ‘deep things of Satan’. They were all inspired by their father the devil. And they led people away from the simple truth of God, from the law of Christ - love God, love each other. They were adding burdens of attending these festivals and ‘if you’re a real believer you’ll do this or say this or think this’. So Jesus says: I place no other burden on you. If I use the phrase 'I hold these truths to be self-evident’ you know where it came from. You likely know what truths are being referred to. So did they. I place no other burden on you comes from the Jerusalem Council’s advice in Acts 15.

Why? Why is it so important to root out false teaching? When it leans toward legalism we are crushed under the weight of something we cant bear. When it leans toward antinomianism (abuse of grace) experiences become the focus and the Word of God is no longer central. Even the resurrected Jesus took the chance to emphasize this point on the road to Emmaus. You remember. Two of the disciples were walking along, despondent of the end of what they thought was the beginning. Unbeknownst to them Jesus appears and starts walking along with them. They lament. So what does He do? Show them the scars? Perform a quick miracle? No, He starts with Moses and walks them through the ETERNAL TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE!! He knew the experience of only seeing the scars would only have sufficed for them. But the Word of God stands for ever. For all generations! It is the Word that brings us to faith in Who they walked with that day! SO the truth of the Word must remain central to all we do! False teaching CANNOT be allowed in the church.

So hold fast. Our Philippians 3:12 verse:

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Hold fast to your confession. Hold fast to what you know to be true of Jesus!

Your reward will be tangible. It will be authority over THE NATIONS. Not authority over the clouds and harps. He is talking eternal KINGDOM work here! You will rule with Christ in the KIngdom of God!

Are you preparing crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus? Will you have a crown of joy? Peace? Splendor? The Victor’s Crown? To offer to the King of Glory?