Trusting God for Future Vindication

Introduction:

Tonight we will bring an end to two years of study.

Hopefully you have found it fruitful and beneficial to your spiritual maturity.

We end with the church at Philadelphia.

Like Sardis belongs with Laodicea.

Philadelphia belongs with Smyrna.

While the former two receive no praise, these two receive no critiques.

What does it mean to trust God…what are we trusting him to do?

Vindication is part of the theme of Revelation.

Our vindication is wrapped up in His.

Tonight we will be reminded of this truth.

Romans 12:17-21.

The churches faced suffering from:

Jews

Authorities

False Doctrine

An Assertion of Deity and Messiahship

The letter begins with four descriptors of Jesus.

Holy (see: Rev. 4:8; Rev. 6:9-10).

Truthful (genuine; see Rev. 6:9-10 above).

The one possessing David’s key

Along with “c”, is “the opening and no one will shut”.

For the last two see Is. 22:22-30.

These are messianic claims and claims to equality with God.

Here is our comfort: see Rev. 14:12.

Ro. 1:1-3

As we learned on Sunday night, we know the assurance for God’s people is wrapped up in the reality of Jesus’ person.

The Power of Christ Enables Endurance

The text has three points of emphasis indicated by the repetition of the world: “behold”.

Rev. 3:8.

Rev. 3:9 (2).

We can look at its meaning in one of at least two ways:

I know your works can be interrupted then completed with “that” at the end of the verse.

Understanding it this way, the text would have a “past” feel.

The “open door” then would refer to their ability to faithfully endure the sufferings they have faced.

I know your works can be a simple assertion with the attention being drawn from that point to “behold I have given you...”

The “OTI” clause would then be causal to explain why Jesus has given to them an open door.

This whole statement would then explain something about their present and future.

It might imply that he had protected them and would protect them from extreme ferocity of persecution because of how they have already responded under such intense pressure.

The Philadelphian believers have been put in a situation where they could renounce or deny the name of Jesus, this would mean his essence, his identity, and they have not done so.

They valued his identity above their own.

The Person of Christ Ensures Vindication

This begins with an acknowledgement of worshipping the true God.

This echoes the following passages:

Is. 45:14; 49:23; 60:14; Ps. 86:9: All of these relate to the acknowledgement of God’s person.

It includes a reversal of fortunes:

They will go through the test.

“the ones dwelling upon the earth” is a special identifier in Revelation.

See passage list.

The Philadelphian believers will not.

It is possible that just as testing of believers by unbelievers demonstrates the genuineness of faith, so the testing of the world may demonstrate the worthiness of their destruction.

He offers assurance of his soon return in Rev. 3:11.

Identity with Jesus Ensures Permanent Identification with God

Jesus assures the one who overcomes (see Rev. 12:11 on how this occurs) permanence as part of the dwelling place of God.

You can have the seal and name of Jesus, or you can have the mark of the beast.

You can be associated with the name of Jesus, or you can be a dweller upon the earth.

God calls upon us to completely identify with him even to the point of death assured of our final vindication.