Jesus wants a non-compromising church: The Antidote to compromise - Revelation 2:12-17

Revelation 2:14-16 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the 
Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 

Review Yesterday we took a look at Jesus' third letter in the book of Revelation to the church at Pergamum - a church who had compromised.  We had noted how Jesus compared her internal problems to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolatians, and drew parallels to the historical account of Balaam's deception of Israel in Numbers 22-25.  We saw three elements associated with compromise from that historical record: apathy, blindness and carelessness.  To illustrate how all three of these elements work together to set up somebody to compromise and ultimately fail, I give you a story told by my grandmother: the two frogs that fell into a can of cream.

Two frogs and a can of cream
Have you ever compromised in your Christian walk or do you know of a church that has compromised? Consider the two frogs that fell into a can of dairy cream.  Two frogs were playing near a can of cream one day when they suddenly fell into the can.  Unable to climb out, both frogs knew they were in trouble.  The first frog chose to be apathetic and blinded himself to the truth of the situation, carelessly remaining in his spot.  The second frog meanwhile decided to try to swim and began moving his legs as fast as he could.  The first frog picked on him and said it was a waste of time and to enjoy their new surroundings.  The cream was smooth as silk and as long as it was outside, the temperature would become more comfortable as a the day wore on.  The second frog ignored his compromising friend and soon before he knew it, his frantic swimming had caused the cream where he was at to form a pat of butter whereupon he could perch himself and hop out of the can.  Sadly the compromising frog never got to see his friend escape, for the weight of the cream had overtaken him and all that could be heard from the can was the pop of an air bubble at the place where the second frog had sunk.  Apathy + blindness to the truth + carelessness = discipline/judgment.  

Pergamum was that second frog in the can who needed to heed the warnings of her Savior who was urging her to swim by His grace and not get pulled under by the seductive lies of the teachers within her. Sadly this tendency to mix worldliness with Christianity has been amply documented throughout church history and is clearly evident today.  As John wrote in 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

When the church compromises in its attempts to win people over, everyone stands to lose

Compromise throughout church history
In briefly commenting on the error of the Nicolaitanes in Revelation 2:15, Dr. W.A Criswell writes: "The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is a doctrine of sacramental salvation. According to that doctrine, one is converted not by the power of the regenerating spirit of God through the acceptance of the saving message of Christ, but by an act of parliment. As you are born a citizen of the state, you are christened a member of the church."1 For the first three centuries of church history, the Christian church had been persecuted like the church at Smyrna. By and large she had remained pure.  At the beginning of the fourth century a Roman Emperor named Constantine legalized Christianity, making it not only legal but intermingling it with the Roman way of life.  Constantine had experienced a supposed conversion to Christianity led him to unite the church and the empire into what would eventually become Christendom. As you move into the sixth century, the beginnings of the Roman Catholic church were well underway with the elevation of Mary and the initiation of the papacy.  By Constantine's planting of the seed and the Roman Catholic system taking root, the boundary between church and the world had been blurred.  

Compromise in the Christian world today
In our church world and culture today, we are seeing similar concessions being made.  No longer is it acceptable in many quarters to preach Jesus as the only way and the Bible as the only Divinely revealed book.  The institution of marriage, once uniformly agreed upon in all pulpits, is now being redefined and softened. I am frankly shocked at how our Christian book stores will sell and promote books written by popular evangelical authors who deny the existence of hell, the Trinity, the Deity of Jesus Christ, the exclusivity of the cross, salvation by grace through faith alone and the inerrancy of scripture.  Furthermore, the headlines of church leaders yielding to worldly pleasure and the church itself mirroring the culture in terms of divorce rates and neglect of moral and spiritual responsibilities has the marks of a Pergamum-like flavor in many churches.  

To compound the issue even further, many so-called Bible believing churches are looking increasingly to culture and the secular world, rather than the scripture for guidance in everything from counseling to leadership to communication of the Word.  I even saw one church leadership training conference, hosted by a popular evangelical leader, have as a keynote speaker an outspoken celebrity.   This celebrity in question was giving advice on church leadership and yet he himself purposefully avoids church!   Am I saying that there is no truth whatsoever to be found in non-biblical resources.  No. All truth that corresponds with scripture is God's truth and God can at times grant insight to the church from science or the culture, since he owns every square inch of truth. (Proverbs 2:6)  However the issue at hand is whether or not the guiding principles of our church or Christian lives are the chapter and verse truths that can only be found in scripture. 

As Bible teacher Dr. John MacArthur notes: "While tolerance is lauded in our modern culture, tolerating heretical teaching or sinful behavior in the church is not a virtue but a sin." 2 As we noted already: apathy + blindness + carelessness = discipline or judgment. 

How to avoid compromise and be the non-compromising church that Jesus wants
The prescription issued by Jesus in this letter to Pergamum is the only antidote we have to reversing the pattern of compromise: repent, receive and resolve.

1. Repent - Revelation 2:16.  
Repentance is when I have a change of heart away from my sin to running full speed into the arms of Jesus. When we have grown apathetic, seek Jesus to reignite the opposite affection - love. Whenever you and I have blinded ourselves to doctrine and the truth of scripture, run to Jesus who is the fullness of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Whenever we have become careless in our morals and decisions, run to Jesus to become vigilant in living for Him. (Ephesians 5:14)

2. Receive. Revelation 2:17a
Receive the word.  Receive what the Spirit is saying to the churches.  Ask Him to give you the ears to hear so that you may freely receive all that He has for you. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)

3. Resolve. Revelation 2:17b
Resolve.  That is - make a firm decision to not go back.  Jesus closes this letter with an exhortation and encouragement to overcome and draw closer to Him.  Thus resolve to draw nourishment from Jesus, the hidden manna, bread of life ("the hidden manna" of Revelation 2:17 corresponds to John 6:48-50).  Resolve to trust in Him, your precious stone that alone grants you admittance into the favor of God. ("the white stone" of Revelation 2:17 reminds one of the "precious stone" of 1 Peter 2:7).  Resolve to ever focus on His name, outside of which no salvation or hope can be found. (Acts 4:12 corresponds most likely with the name written on the stone in Revelation 2:17). Repent. Receive. Resolve. This is the three-fold antidote to compromise issued by the Great Physician.  May we by faith take it in and be the non-compromising Christians and church that He wants.  


Endnotes:
1. W.A Criswell. Expository Sermons on Revelation. Volume 2. Zondervan. Page 138.

2. John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Revelation 1-11. Moody. 1999. Page 89

P1 Jesus wants a non-compromising church - Revelation 2:12-17

Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this".

Introduction
As we have been making our way through the Book of Revelation, we have in recent weeks been exploring the kind of church Jesus wants.  In Revelation 2:1-7 we met the church at Ephesus, and found Jesus rebuking her for losing her "first love", discovering the fact that Jesus wants a loving church.  Then in our study of the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11 we found Jesus commending her for her courage in trials, concluding that Jesus also wants a church full of courageous faith.  In today's post we will begin considering the third church addressed by Jesus in Revelation 2:12-17 - the church at Pergamum.  

Pergamum - The Cultural and Political Capitol of Asia Minor
Pergamum was the capitol city of the province of Asia Minor, prompting commentator Steve Gregg to compare it to the Washington D.C of its day.1  Pergamum was famous for its ancient collection of 200,000 books and was known for being the center of pagan worship - most notably the worship of the Roman deity of healing - Aesculapius.  Symbolized by a snake, the temple of Aesculapius featured a large room full of non-poisonous snakes that would crawl on hopeful worshippers lying on its floor who believed that contact with the serpents would yield forth healing. In addition to the local pagan customs, Pergamum, like the two other cities we have studied thus far (Ephesus and Smyrna), was a stronghold for Roman Emperor worship.  Anyone living there who opposed such systems would had been barred from buying or selling.  

Meet the Church at Pergamum - The church of Compromise
Pergamum the church was a church that attempted to straddle the fence so-to-speak.  On the one hand she was a church who had in recent memory held fast to the faith and had endured spiritual and cultural pressure. (Revelation 2:12-13).  In may ways her actions were noteworthy being that she was in a place that Jesus termed "the place where Satan's throne is". (Revelation 2:13)  However despite her early efforts, Pergamum had come to tolerate the presence and teaching of leaders and heresies that Jesus identifies as the teachings of Balaam (Revelation 2:14) and the Nicolatians (2:15).  In short, Pergamum had come to compromise, and what Jesus was desiring above all else was for Pergamum to stop compromising lest He came and dealt with the erroneous teachers with the sword of His mouth. (Revelation 2:17).  

The recipe for Compromise 
So what exactly was Pergamum doing that led Jesus to rebuke her so sharply? The clues to her defection comes from the historical parallel Jesus makes between Pergamum's compromise and the pagan prophet Balaam in Numbers 22-25.  The tragic story of compromise that Israel did as a result of Balaam''s efforts casts much light upon what went on at Pergamum.  Israel had just won a hard fought victory against two mighty kings.  According to Numbers 22:1, they were camped on the plains of Moab, undoubtedly getting a well-deserved rest.  The Moabites did not like the mighty Israelites camping in their backyard, and so their King, Balak, hired Balaam, a pagan prophet, to deliver curses against Israel.  What follows in the remainder of the account gives the A,B,C recipe for compromise:

Apathy
Israel should had known that the Moabites (and the Moabite's allies, the Midanites) were up to something since Israel had just won a major battle against two other major enemies.  Once Balaam had agreed to work with Balak in pronouncing curses, he set up an altar of sacrifice not once, not twice but three times. (Numbers 23:6, 13; 25:1). Each time Balaam performed his religious ritual and attempted to curse Israel, God restrained his madness and the result was Balaam blessing rather than cursing. (2 Peter 2:14-16) As you read the account of Balaam's efforts, he keeps getting closer and closer to Israel.  In comparing the places where Balaam did his dirty work in relationship to where Israel was camped, only a few miles separated them.  They would had seen the column of smoke rising up from Balaam's altars.  He may very well had been within visual range and most certainly the Israelites would had been briefed on what to look for whenever a suspected enemy was spying on them.  Nevertheless the text is silent on their response in Numbers 22,23 and 24.  The silence tells us that they did nothing to suppress the impending threat.  The church at Pergamum is described by Jesus as "having some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam." (Revelation 2:14)  Having something you know is not right in your life means you have at some point chosen not to do anything about it.  Apathy is the first ingredient in compromise.  

Blindness
If apathy in one's attitude marks the first step toward compromise, then blindness to doctrine is certainly the next logical step.  In Numbers 25:2 we read - "For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods." How could Israel do such a thing? They had been following Moses for 40 years.  They had enjoyed a major victory and saw God do mighty miracles.  Yet they turned a blind eye to doctrine.  

Israel ignored the second commandment on avoiding idolatry and they forgot who they were and Whose they were.  This episode in Israel's history caused 24,000 people to die. (Numbers 25:9)  To purposefully blind oneself to doctrine means I refuse to be informed on the God Whom I am to love and the identity He has expressed about me in His word. 

The church at Pergamum was tolerating the Balaamites and the Nicolatians who both taught the blending together of Judaism and Christianity with Paganism.  The Apostle Paul in reflecting upon this very same episode in Israel's history writes in 1 Corinthians 10:12 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall."  What you and I believe ultimately determines how we will live. To neglect God's word and sound doctrine means to neglect God and sound living.  If we choose to be apathetic to everything, and blind ourselves to all things, we will end up being about nothing.  Compromise is a terrible state for a Christian and for a church to fall into, and Jesus wants us to avoid it at all costs.  

Carelessness
Once more we turn to the sequence of events in Numbers, noting Numbers 25:6 "Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting."  Like watching a train wreck, the inevitable progression reaches a boiling point.  First there was apathy on the part of Israel to the sneaky efforts of Balaam and King Balak. That apathy in the heart led to blindness to doctrine in the mind.  Once those two steps had occurred, carelessness in the realm of morality was the result.  A man of noble stock in Israel, a son of one of the main tribal leaders, was brazen in his immorality, parading a Midianite woman in the midst of what would had been the equivalent of a solemn church service.  How could this be? How could had it gotten this far? Well it did.  A young lad by the name of Phineas ended up executing the ungodly couple, staying the plague that would had wiped out Israel no doubt. (Numbers 25:8-15)

Why is it that we grow lax in the areas of moral purity? One word - carelessness. The same three elements of apathy, blindness and carelessness that had characterized ancient Israel was operating full swing at Pergamum.  She was in denial, and Jesus had to rebuke her lest those in her membership holding to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolatians be dealt with severely by Him. (Revelation 2:16)

More tomorrow.... 

Endnotes:
1. Steve Gregg. Revelation: Four Views - A Parallel Commentary. Nelson. 1997. Page 68

Living the Life of Grace - 1 Peter 2:11-5:14

1 Peter 2:11-12 "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify Godin the day of visitation."

Review:
Yesterday we considered 1 Peter 1:1-2:10 as an unfolding of God being the Source of Living Grace for the Christian life.  We discovered that:
1. God the Father eternally planned living grace
2. The Holy Spirit effectively applies living grace
3. The Son embodies living grace

Peter writes at the end of 1 Peter 5:12 that we need to "stand firm" in the grace of God that he writes about in this letter.  His testimony and ministry are centered on the grace of God, and his pen under the Spirit's divine inspiration explains this living grace for the Christian life.  In today's post we will consider the remainder of 1 Peter 2:11-5:14 to see how we are to live out the Christian life of grace as we draw from the Triune God, the living source of grace.  

Living the life of grace while relying on God
1 Peter 2:11-5:14
Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:12 "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."  What behaviors are being promoted by Peter? Is he simply telling us to "try harder, do better and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps? Hardly! Without the proceeding Living source of grace, the Triune God Himself in 1 Peter 1:3-2:10, the grace-based behaviors of 1 Peter 2:11-5:14 cannot be carried out.  What is a life dependent upon God's grace supposed to look like and do? Living the Life of grace means:

1. Submission to authority, both human and Divine. 1 Peter 2:13-25

2. Solid Marriages. 1 Peter 3:1-12

3. Suffering for the glory of God. 1 Peter 3:13-24; 4:1-6; 4:12-19

4. Sound Mindset. 1 Peter 4:7-11

5. Strong Churches. 1 Peter 5:1-14

Closing thoughts
Phillip Shaff, the eminent church historian writes the following words about the grace for Christian living in 1 Peter: "The First Epistle of Peter, dated from Babylon, belongs to the later life of the apostle, when his ardent natural temper was deeply humbled, softened and sanctified by the work of grace." Shaff later on writes: "It gives us the fruit of a rich spiritual experience and is altogether worthy of Peter and his mission to tend the flock of God under Christ, the chief shepherd of souls." 1 May we as Christians live the life of grace as we ever depend upon the Triune God, the Living source of grace.  As 1 Peter 5:14 states - "Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!"

Endotes:
1. Phillip Shaff. History of the Christian Church - Volume 1. Page 338

1 Peter 1:1-2:10 - The Living Source of Grace in 1 Peter 1:1-2:10

1 Peter 5:12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 

For the past several weeks we have been periodically looking at grace through the lens of the life of the Apostle Peter.  We first noted on August 16, 2013 a testimony of grace through an overview of Jesus' calling and installation of Peter as a disciple and apostle in the Gospels and Acts.  Next on August 17 we looked at God's healing of the man at the Beautiful gate through Peter's ministry to him in Acts 3:1-10, entitling that post "Peter - the miraculous nature of grace".  In July 29th post we noted Peter as an illustration of a ministry of grace by way of his sermon on the aforementioned miracle in Acts 3:11-4:4.  Through the calling, preaching and ministry of the Apostle Peter, we saw grace as a testimony, a miracle and a ministry.  

In today's post we once again look into the life of the Apostle Peter through his actual writings.  Of interest today is Peter's message of grace in 1 Peter as we consider the Living Source of grace as being God Himself in 1 Peter 1:1-2:10.  

Identifying the main verse, outline and theme of 1 Peter
Main verse of 1 Peter
From the opening statement above, we know that without a doubt grace is from God, through God and to God.  As Peter writes in what I would consider to be the chief verse of his first epistle, 1 Peter 5:12 - "Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!"  

The main outline of 1 Peter
This one verse gives to us a two-fold outline by which we can understand 1 Peter: namely when he is speaking of "the true grace of God", He is speaking of God being the Living Source of grace in 1 Peter 1-2.  Likewise when he then states about the need to "stand firm in it!", he is dealing with the practical living out of such grace in 1 Peter 3-5.   

The main theme of 1 Peter: Living Grace for the Christian Life
From what we can tell of the whole message of 1 Peter, it is none other than the Living Grace for the Christian life.  Robert Leighton, the great Bible commentator (1611-1684) writes these words concerning the theme of grace in 1 Peter: "The grace of God in the heart of man, is a tender plant in a strange, unkindly soil; and therefore cannot well prosper and grow, without much care and pains, and that of a skillful hand, and which hath the art of cherishing it.  For this end hath God given the constant ministry of the word to His church, not only for the first work of conversion, but also for confirming and increasing of his grace in the hearts of his children." 1

God the Living Source of Grace - 1 Peter 1:1-2:10
1 Peter 1:1-2 gives us a compact outline of 1 Peter 1:1-2:10 - "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens,scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."  These Christians were scattered and spread throughout the wide and roaming domains of the ancient Roman world.  They needed encouragement and comfort - Peter had the message: Living Grace for the Christian life.  As you can see in 1 Peter 1:2, the Triune God is identified as The Living source of such grace.  Grace is God doing for you what you otherwise could never do for yourself.  Note how 1 Peter 1-2 unfolds the Triune God as being the Living Source of Grace:

The Father Eternally planned Living Grace
1 Peter 1:3-9
As Peter notes in 1 Peter 1:2, God's grace originated in eternity by the foreknowledge of the Father as He planned it and communicated it in the shared glory He has always had with the Spirit and the Son.  This agreed upon effort between the Father, Son and Spirit is what theologians call "The Covenant of Redemption" and is spelled out more fully in passages such as Ephesians 1:4-12 and Hebrews 13:20.  The Father eternally planned Living grace for Christian living. 

The Holy Spirit Effectively applies Living grace 1 Peter 1:10-16; 22-25
Peter then writes in 1 Peter 1:2 about the "sanctifying work of the Spirit".  The work in question refers to the Spirit's effort to convict, call and set apart sinners loved by the Father to position them to repent, believe and be saved from their sins. (Acts 3:19) By applying living grace at saving faith, the Spirit effectively applies to believers the graces of justification, adoption unto sonship and forgiveness. (Romans 3:24-5:5; 8:16-17)  In other places in scripture, the sanctifying work of the Spirit speaks of the process by which the Spirit is making the believer more like Jesus as the believer gives themselves to the scripture, prayer and regular time with God's people. (John 17:17; Ephesians 4:12-13; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 10:24-25).  So God the Father Eternally planned Living Grace, the Spirit Effectively applies living grace and the Son embodies living grace.

The Son embodies Living Grace.  1 Peter 1:18-21; 2:1-10
Peter writes on in 1 Peter 1:2 "to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."  Jesus Christ is identified in the New Testament as the embodiment of Grace, being that He is God in human flesh. (John 1:14; Titus 2:11)  1 Peter 1:18-21 and 2:1-10 reveals the details of the Son's act and accomplishment of Living Grace in salvation.  

More tomorrow.........

Endnotes:
1. Robert Leighton. Commentary on First Peter. Reprinted by Kregel. 1972. Page 9

Marks of an unhealthy Christianity, and how to cure it

3 John 9 "I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say."

As you turn to the book of 3 John, the main point of John's short little letter is to define and evaluate a healthy Christianity.  In 3 John 1-8 we discover the following marks of a healthy Christian faith:

1. Sound Faith.                          3 John 1-2
2. Strongly Committed Faith.   3 John 3-4
3. Sharing Faith.                        3 John 5-8

Gaius is the main individual to whom John wrote.  His Christian faith bore these telltale signs of a healthy Christian faith.  The book of 3 John features three individuals that fit into two categories: Gaius and Demetrius in verse 12 fit under the category of healthy Christianity, while villain of the book, Diotrophes, classifies under the heading: "unhealthy Christianity".  In fact from reading John's remarks about Diotrophes and his exhortation in 3 John 11, there is no doubt that Diotrophes evidenced unhealthy Christian faith or perhaps even lack thereof.  With that said, let us look at what marks an unhealthy Christian faith.

1. Resistant Faith. 3 John 9
3 John 9 reads - "I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say."  Resistance in spiritual matters can range from a Christian operating in some level of known resistance to biblical instruction to flat out unbelief.  Resistance to God's truth at any level is dangerous.  The problem with Diotrophes was that he "loved to be first among them". 

It is interesting to note in the Gospels, Jesus' own disciples evidenced this first trait of unhealthy Christian faith.  When Jesus began to predict something about His impending crucifixion, a dispute would break out among His followers about "who was to be the greatest or first." Whenever you read passages such as Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 9:34, 10:35-45 and Luke 22:24-27, the same argument raises its ugly head.  

What is the source of resistant faith? Self. Self is that power or principle in the remnants of sin that asserts when it wants, how it wants and what it wants.  Self is always behind resistant faith.  So then what is it that self resists? The cross.  Jesus said in passages such as Luke 9:23-24 that if anyone does not deny himself and take up his cross daily, that person cannot  be a follower of Jesus Christ.  Unhealthy Christianity will embrace moral reform and civic duty - as long as self is out front and center.  This is why the cross must ever be at the center of the Christian life.  A resistant faith is the opposite of the sharing aspect of healthy Christianity we find in 3 John 5-8.  Let us now notice a second trait of unhealthy Christianity......

2. Rebellious Faith.  3 John 10
3 John 10 describes Diotrophes as not only resistant, but rebellious - "For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church."  Diotrophes evidently was a leader of this small band of Christians who had come to assert himself over the flock.  He was a brash and overbearing leader with a bully pulpit who resisted apostolic authority and lacked a missionary heart.  In another one of John's writings we read of such a rebellious faith in John 3:20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."  

An unhealthy Christianity that is in a state of rebellion will resist and rebel against God's word and God's messenger.  Often those who are in such a state may very well be using the mask of religion and have a religious spirit attached to their activities.  Such an attitude must be corrected, otherwise no progress can be made for the kingdom and soon other Christians can be affected. (compare Hebrews 12:15).  So we have seen that unhealthy Christian faith is resistant and rebellious, but now lets notice a third trait....

3. Rotten Faith.  3 John 11
John issues this warning to his readers in light of Diotrophes actions in verse 11 "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God."  My grandma always used to say: "it takes one rotten apple to ruin the whole barrel".  What John says here in verse 11 matches with what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”  

Steps to curing an unhealthy Christian faith
2 Peter 1:4-11 gives us the perfect prescription to curing the resistant, rebellious and rotten effects of an unhealthy faith. I will close out today's post with that text:
"For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control,perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and inyour brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."

Peter - A Ministry of grace

Acts 3:16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Introduction In a post on July 10 we had looked at "Peter - a testimony of grace". Then on July 16 we picked up another episode in Peter's life in the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-10, identifying that miracle as illustrating the miraculous nature of grace.  We saw how God used the Apostle Peter in that miracle, and made some observations concerning how grace is truly miraculous.  Peter's testimony of grace started our periodic study of his life.  Having already investigated the miracle of grace in Acts 3:1-10, we see it explained by Peter in a sermon in Acts 3:11-19.  That sermon highlights what we are calling in today's post: Peter - a ministry of grace.  In today's post I want us to consider what is entailed in a ministry of grace from Peter's second sermon in Acts 3:11-19.

1. Grace of the Savior.  Acts 3:11-18, 20-21
Acts 3:16, quoted at the beginning of this post, demonstrates Peter's constant efforts to point all glory to Jesus Christ.  The ministry of grace will always point beyond itself to Jesus Christ, since He is grace personified as well as its source. (John 1:14; Titus 2:11)

2. Grace of the Scriptures. Acts 3:18, 21-26
Peter did not explain the miracle by his opinion or experience.  Rather Peter appealed to the scriptures.  Scripture was divinely revealed by God to men.  Peter appeals to material from Genesis in Acts 3:13 and 3:25 and the accounts of Jesus' life that would eventually make their way into the Gospel accounts.  The four Gospels had not yet been composed at the time of Peter's sermon. Peter's recounting of Jesus' life proves that the Gospel's are reliable records of what really happened, since Peter's sermon occurred less than a year from when Jesus ascended into heaven.  Peter also makes passing reference to the prophets of the Old Testament and Moses' statements from Deuteronomy 18:15,18 in Acts 3:22. Whenever a ministry is appealing to scripture, it is recognizing that it in and of itself, human creativity is insufficient when it comes to dealing with people's souls.  

3. Grace of the Spirit. Acts 3:19
A ministry of grace will rely upon the Savior, the source of grace and the scriptures, God's verbal expression of grace.  Acts 3:19 demonstrates a third grace in a ministry of grace - the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit Himself is the Agent of the times of refreshing spoken of in Acts 3:19, as seen in an earlier passage, Acts 2:38 - "Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  Other scriptures speak of the Person of the Holy Spirit bringing forth the refreshing ministry of grace in this current New Covenant era in which we live. (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 9:14) 

4. Grace of salvation. Acts 3:19-26; 4:4
A ministry of grace is characterized by the grace of the Savior, scripture, the Spirit and fourthly, salvation.  Salvation is grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  That's the Person of grace.  Salvation occurs only in connection with the scriptures, the power of grace.  Salvation can only be brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Agent of grace. Thus whenever these people heard Peter's sermon, what were the results? Consider Acts 4:4 "But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."

May you and I dear believer be about doing the ministry of grace to which the Lord has called us.  

P3 - Jesus wants a courageous church - Revelation 2:8-11

Revelation 2:10 "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." 

Introduction & review
In the letter to the church of Smyrna, we have discovered that Jesus Christ wants a courageous church from the following two thoughts:

1. Courageous faith comes from Jesus Christ. Revelation 2:8

2. Courageous faith is strengthened by trials. Revelation 2:9-10a

In today's post we will consider a third thought from this text that reveals how Jesus wants courageous faith among His people and churches, namely that courageous faith feeds on the scripture. 

Courageous Faith Feeds on the Scripture. Revelation 2:10b-11
You would think this could go without saying concerning the Bible being the believer's source and food for daily living.  Though many Christian's will tell you that they believe the Bible to be God's word, statistics tell us that only 16% of people in our churches read their Bible's daily.  Jesus states to this church in Revelation 2:10b-11 "Be faithful until 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. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death."

How else can you and I hear what the Spirit is saying to us individually and as a church unless by the scriptures? 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." God affirms His will through the Bible and  confirms it through people, circumstances and peace of the heart.  Unless your emotions or mind have been exposed consistently to the scripture, you will not hear God speaking to you.  The Holy Spirit in you gives you the ears to hear what He is saying in and through the scripture.  Unless you and I are going to the book, we won't hear. 

To prove how scripture feeds a faith in need of courage, let me list for you some scriptures that equip you to face fear head on:

1. Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you."

2. Jeremiah 1:7-8 "But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8 “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord."

3. Isaiah 43:1-2 But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

4. John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me."

5. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

When you realize that this is only a sample of the more than 200 scriptures that speak on the subject of "not being afraid" and urging you to have courageous faith, you understand how rich you truly are.  Jesus told the Smyrnan church in Revelation 2:9a ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)".  What did Jesus mean by that? When you put your treasure in heaven above and not here below, you will have an unending supply of spiritual wealth despite the poverty of circumstances. (Matthew 6:19-20)  It is often the poor of this world that God has so chosen to make rich in faith in Him. (James 2:5)  You and I spend so much time trying to fill the poverty of our sense of need with things that we usually neglect that only book that can sustain - the Bible, and the only person that can suffice - Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: Courageous faith always goes back to Jesus 

When you consider the courageous faith that we as Christians and as a church are being called to have, three things are learned from Revelation 2:8-11.  First, the Smyrna church was given such faith from Jesus Christ, since He is the source of it.  Secondly, as the Smyrnans were told, they would be tested.  Courageous faith is strengthened by trials and testing.  Then thirdly, courageous faith feeds on the scriptures, as we saw particularly today.