January 26, 2019 -- Revelation 2:10b-11 -- Conquerors
/Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
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.
Revelation 2:10b-11 ESV
These verses are found in a brief letter within Revelation which was sent to the people at the church of Smyrna. It was a church facing great trials and persecution. Here King Jesus, the Captain of their Salvation, gives words of encouragement through the Apostle John who saw the vision of Jesus and wrote this letter.
Remember these people at Smyrna are part of Jesus’ army. They are counted among the people of God. Jesus is encouraging them to stay the course, to continue to walk in His strength and His mercy. We have all seen people fall out of favour with their churches and abandon their walk with God. So how would these words be helpful?
Those hearing these words are encouraged to hear the what the Spirit says to the churches. Get hold of the Bible and know it. Read it. Love it. When we love a sport, we know all the rules and intricacies of the game. If we follow a television series closely we might even have the mug: “If Daryl dies we riot” (though I confess I have no idea what that means I saw this mug at a family member’s house). Sometimes without even thinking we make great commitments to all kinds of things, but not to the study of and the love of the Word of the Spirit.
Being faithful is a decision we make based on what the Spirit says. So that we face every circumstance, every trial, all wounds and suffering armed with this sure conviction—we are in Christ’s army and we will not be fighting for the devil nor aiding him by our words, actions or inaction. We will be true to King Jesus’ Whose banner waves over us. We follow Jesus the Captain of our Salvation wherever He leads for we know He has conquered even death itself.
Brothers and sisters, this means we must guard our thought life! “We have never committed a visible act of sin that has shamed us before others that was not first a shameful thought. We have never wronged another person without first wronging that person in our thoughts. What we habitually think will, sooner or later, manifest itself clearly in some visible expression of that thought.” (Gary Oliver)
Get to a bible-believing church. Get armed once again in the Word of the Lord. Spent time with Christians whose walk with God you admire. Do not let sin master you, rather, follow Jesus, your Master, and offer the parts of your body and your mind as instruments of righteousness.
King Jesus, thank You for these important words You have to the people of Smyrna and to us today. Thank You that by Your Word and Spirit we can indeed be conquerors over perpetual sins and habitual thoughts. Give into our lives true soldiers of the cross in whom we can confide, and with whom we can find holy encouragement. All glory be to You, Living God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
