He Knows Us Individually

It’s amazing how amazing our God is. He knows each of us individually. It’s demonstrated clearly in His very strong letter to the church in Thyatira, normally entitled (via paragraph heading) “The Corrupt Church”. Further amazing is how the policies of heaven are revealed throughout all of Scripture.

Revelation 1:10-11
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 saying, “ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “ What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

Remember – all seven letters were written to those seven churches in particular and then told to be sent out, as one book, to all seven. They were specific, but public, letters. And those letters are also pointed to anyone, throughout the age, who would have ears to ear. We cannot wisely latch onto the promises without addressing the admonitions. We all rightly hope for the reward of verse 26. Eat the whole scroll.

Those with “ears to hear” therefore ought to include us. All of the scripture for all of the people all of the time.

Revelation 2:18-29
18 “ And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
‘ These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
19 “ I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
Things start off good. The church is not inactive. It’s a busy place, with good works, and faith, and service, and even acts of love.

20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

God being perfect, He will affirm our good works, but has never turned a blind eye to sin. There’s plenty of symbolism in the book of Revelation (“eyes LIKE a flame of fire”, etc.), but this does not appear to be symbolic. This woman Jezebel is presented as a real woman in the church. She is representing herself, and apparently being received as, a prophetess. Leadership is likely lacking discernment and knowledge. Jude tells us false teachers, prophets, etc. will continue throughout the age. Spots in our love feasts. They’d be in the church, speaking things that many would like to hear, affirming and promoting sin as being OK with God.

21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.

Patient God deals with His people, and gives them time. He apparently had already dealt with this woman. Repentance does wonders to get things straight. Ignoring sin, and God’s correction, is a lose-lose. God will escalate how He deals with unconfessed sin, but eventually it will destroy. Prov 29:1.

22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
“Indeed” means “don’t think otherwise”, “for sure, this will happen”. I believe this is a prophetic pre-emptive strike, by God, against the false doctrines of hyper-grace that both ravaged the Old Testament people, and continue to pervert the New Testament believer. Do not be deceived my beloved brethren. (I Cor 5:9 and 10, Gal 5:20 and 21).

23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Would our good God actually do that? Did He do that in the Old Testament? Meanwhile, this is New Testament writing, so if you need to adjust your paradigm of how God might deal with unrepentant saints in this age, that would be profitable.

And now here’s the amazing glory of our God. In the midst of so corrupt an atmosphere and environment, our God knows who is His. We’re assured of that several times in Scripture.
24 “ Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.
25 But hold fast what you have till I come.

All the way to the end of the age, the saints will be here, admonished and encouraged to hold fast. I might add our Lord did not say “hold fast til I lift you out of here years before I come”. There will be ones with ears to hear that will be needing to hold fast till He comes in the clouds.

(And here’s a promise to us all)
26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations —

Jesus is pointing to Psalm 2. That which was ordained for Him is now promised to the ones who will overcome to reign with Him. Remember, this is in the letter to the “Corrupt Church”, and God has it loaded with a promise of ruling-reward for His faithful. How encouraging is that?

27 “He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels ’ — as I also have received from My Father;
28 and I will give him the morning star.
29 “ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

What a great God we serve.
Clarifier – If you find yourself in a corrupt church, perhaps with false prophets offering bad doctrines making room for sinful living, this letter does not automatically tell you to stay there. Back in the days of Thyatira in Asia Minor, this corrupt church may have been to only church in town. We’re not living in Thyatira. You might want to pray about coming out and not touching the unclean thing. But if our Lord clearly calls you to stay there, have great hope – He sees us individually, and even the church-sin around you need not take you down. And He knows it is a burden to righteous saints, and to these good folks He promised no additional burden (verse 24).

Each and every one of us has sufficient grace to rise above sin. To overcome. To receive our reward.

All scripture NKJV

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About ez3728

I am a believer in Jesus - that He is the One and Only Messiah of the world. I believe the Bible is the perfect and complete Word of God, and that God is absolutely competent and capable of keeping His Word perfect, undefiled, and uncorrupted. Jesus was born Jewish. So was I. He lived a perfect life, and is worshiped. I live an imperfect life, and I worship Him.
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