It’s exciting to read Jesus’ letter to the church in Philadelphia. Finally, we see a church that was on the right track and Jesus only had good things to say about the way they were living. He had placed before them the open door of salvation and once they walked through it, no one could close it on them. They did not have much strength, but they did have much faith! They kept His word and did not deny His name. Jesus said that one day the people that were trying to bring them down would be the ones to fall.
Jesus promised the Christians in Philadelphia that because of their unwavering faith, they would be kept through the trials that would one day come upon the whole earth. The same is true for Christians today. When a time of testing comes, believers with unwavering faith will either be kept from it or strengthened through it. Jesus encourages each of us to hold on tightly to our faith while we await His imminent return.
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” – Revelation 3:11 NLT
God has given us all that we need to live a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3) He expects us to use the talents and opportunities He gives us for His Kingdom and if we do, one day we will receive a crown that we can put at His feet in praise and thanksgiving.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was the lukewarm church in Laodicea. Jesus had no words of commendation for them. Instead, He condemned them for being neither hot nor cold and He said that because they were like lukewarm water, He wanted to spit them out. (Revelation 3:15-16) This was an analogy the people in Laodicea would understand. They were a wealthy city and the only thing they could not provide for themselves was a water supply so they had created an aqueduct to bring water into the city from nearby hot springs. By the time the water reached them, it had cooled to lukewarm, so it was neither hot and soothing nor cool and refreshing.
The people in the church of Laodicea had come to depend on their own wealth and self-sufficiency and all they saw was their own greatness. They did not see themselves the way God saw them. They were more concerned with adorning their physical bodies in beautiful textiles than they were with clothing their spiritual selves in Christ’s righteousness and purity. They were famous for the eyesalve they had created to cure people’s eyes but it did them no good because they were spiritually blind. Jesus loved them and He wanted to shake them up and get their attention before it was too late.
You say, “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!” And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” – Revelation 3:17 NLT
None of the wealth they had accumulated could save them. They needed to repent and turn back to God. Jesus warned them to turn their focus off their financial wealth and to focus instead on accumulating treasures that would be stored up in heaven for them. They needed to put their time and energy into the things that matter in God’s economy.
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. – Matthew 6:21 NLT
Jesus wants to have a relationship with you that will change your life for eternity. He stands at the door of your heart and asks to be let in. Don’t let temporary worldly satisfaction get in the way of opening the door for Him. Be all in for Jesus! Surrender your whole life to Him and you will have eternal victory!
Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on His throne. – Revelation 3:21 NLT
