Faithful Friends

[7] “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. [8] I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. [9] I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. [10] Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
[11] I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. [12] Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. [13] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Rev 3:7-13

Those in the church in Philadelphia were faithful friends to Jesus—they persevered in their faith. Jesus didn’t have anything against this church, He just wanted them to continue on with what they were doing and not let anyone steal from them what they had. We know Philadelphia as the city of “brotherly love”, and that love is just what this church had for Jesus, and He had for them. At first, it may not seem loving that Jesus tells them they had “little strength”, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If we look at ourselves, don’t we all have little strength compared to God? Having little strength helps us depend on God. When we recognize that we have little strength, and all our power comes from God, it shows humility. So, where does your strength come from—within yourself, or from God?

Jesus knows your works, and He is the only one who will open and shut doors for you. Have you had a door that recently opened or shut in your circumstances? When Jesus opens the door, you better walk through quickly, maybe even run! And when Jesus closes the door on a situation, don’t bother trying to open the door on your own, because it isn’t going to happen. You have little strength, remember? Or it could be that you have been waiting on God in a certain situation. Have you asked Him to open or close a door for you? Maybe He’s just waiting for you to ask…

Jesus commended the church for keeping His word. The Greek word for “keeping” actually means to keep an eye on or watch like a warden or guard. Are you guarding God’s word so much that nothing escapes your notice, like a warden watching the inmates? When’s the last time you opened your Bible? You can’t guard it when you’re not in it. He also commended the church for not denying His name. Can we confess to being a Christian and still deny Jesus’ name? What about when we hide the fact that we’re a Christian? Do your friends, family and co-workers know that you believe in Christ, or are you a closet Christian? Be aware that looks are deceiving now just as they were back then. Just because someone wears a cross doesn’t make them a Christian. Not everyone who wears a cross knows the meaning behind it. Just as going to church doesn’t make you a Christian nor does having parents that are Christians make you a Christian. You must, at some point, make a decision for yourself, knowing that you are a sinner who needs a Savior. You need to believe, for yourself, that Jesus took your sins upon Himself on the cross and that He rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of God. Once you understand that free gift of saving grace, then you can also ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life, so that you can become more and more like Him for as long as you live. (For more understanding on what it means to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please read the blog titled, “New Life in Christ”, dated April 2nd, 2010.)

There were plenty of people around the church in Philadelphia who lied about who they were and whose they were. The reality is, those who don’t know Jesus belong to Satan. That’s a hard thing to say, but it needs to be said. You are in one camp or the other. You are either on Jesus’ side or Satan’s side. Do you know whose side are you on? God tells us that there is only one way to Him and that is through Jesus Christ. (Jn 14:6) Jesus doesn’t want anyone to belong to Satan, but He is not going to force Himself on you. He gives you the opportunity to choose Him of your own free will because of His love for you. Jesus loves us all, but to really know the love of Jesus, you must be His. That’s when you hear His voice and see Him at work in your life, and that’s when you come to understand His love for you more and more. When you start to have a personal relationship with Jesus, you start to understand just how much He loves you. Don’t you want to know the love of Jesus?

To those who continue as faithful friends to Jesus, you will have a place in God’s presence. Jesus will go so far as to mark you with the name of His God and His own new name. That’s just another way that Jesus shows His love for you—a love that lasts forever!

~Lisa
 
 
All Scripture references are from the New International Version.
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