#DailyDevotion Where Do You And You’re Congregation Need To Repent? Jesus Has Promises.
December 14th
Read Rev 2:1–29
Rev 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Rev 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Rev 2:10-11 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. (11) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Rev 2:16-17 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. (17) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Rev 2:21-27 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality…The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, (27) 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.
As we are in the last days, since Christ ascension into heaven to all power and glory, we have these words of his to the Churches. True we should 1st understand these were for 7 of the local churches in Turkey. But since this was sent to all the churches we should take them to heart as the Church.
In each letter to the various congregations there is a generally something we are called to repent of and words of encouragement to remain faithful to the end. Where do you find yourself, your congregation, your church body and the Church on earth as a whole in these letters? It is a call for self examination, confession, repentance and faith in Christ.
Have we become cold towards Christ and take him for granted? Are we undergoing persecution and being tempted to abandon the faith? Are we being permissive towards sexual immorality in the Church and the lives of our fellow believers? These are the things Christ is warning us about in today’s lesson.
But look at what Jesus is promising us if we are faithful. We will receive a crown of life and the second death will not hurt us. We will receive the hidden manna (Christ) and a new name (Child of God) and we will be accepted and not blackballed (the white stone). We will receive the authority Christ himself exercises over the nations. What belongs by right to Jesus he gives to those who trust in his name.
Is this not enough to cast off the former way of life and to be faithful unto death, to conquer the world, sin and the devil? It is.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant us your Holy Spirit that we may cast off the shackles of our sin and live in the glorious promises of your glory. Amen.