HOW DOES OUR LORD REGARD HIS CHURCHES?

How does our Lord regard us and His churches? In the Book of Revelation, we find letters written to seven churches. These letters give us a broad range of His responses. Only two of the seven churches received unqualified praise. All of the other churches had been instructed to repent. However, Smyrna had been issued a bill of spiritual health. Even though they were poor, the Lord declared them “rich” (2:9). The Church at Philadelphia was likewise commended:

• “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”(Revelation 3:8-10)

This church was praised in that they hadn’t turned from the Lord in any way. Not that anyone is morally perfect, but they were never instructed to repent. Presumably, repentance was already part of their staple. Consequently, He would honor them before their enemies by showing them “that I have loved you.”

This should lead us to ask, “What did they do to warrant such love?” For one thing, our Lord honored them on account of their “works.” Even more fundamentally, this account twice credits this church for keeping “my word” - “Because you have kept my word... I will keep you from the hour of trial.”

This church would be blessed because they had obediently kept the Word of God. They didn’t place themselves above the Word as judges. Instead, they allowed the Word to judge them by keeping every one of His Words (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).

Too often, we stand in judgment over the Word to decide which teachings work for us and which are to be disregarded. When we do this, we can no longer call ourselves “Christians,” followers of Jesus, who had submitted to everything the Father had taught Him:

• “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 5:30; 12:49-50)

This should also be our MO! In contrast, the other churches had not kept His Word consistently, and their works were the evidence of this. For example, the church at Sardis had strayed from the Word. Therefore, the Lord warned:

·       Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:3)

Sardis had strayed from the message that they had heard. Five churches were all told to repent in hope. No matter how far they had strayed away from the Word of the Lord, if they would simply confess their sins and repent, their glorious hope would be insured. No matter how far we might fall, we have the same hope.