Letters to the Seven Churches, Smyrna

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. 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 2:8-11 ESV)

The true gospel of our salvation from sin, which promises us eternal life with God, is that, if we want to come after Jesus Christ, we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our former lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. Yet if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die to sin (not just once, but daily), and we follow him in walks of obedience to his commands, then we have life in Him (Luke 9:23-26).

But that is not the gospel message that is commonly being taught today, at least not here in America. The “gospel” message being largely taught and embraced (accepted, received) today is a very diluted half-truth (false) gospel message which does not require that we die to sin daily and that we walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. 

For it teaches that you can profess faith in Jesus Christ, have all your sins forgiven (past, present, and future) and be guaranteed heaven when you die, but regardless of how you live (whether stated or not). And so they give their adherents free license to continue walking in sin and not in holiness, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord, but while they are still confirming their salvation from sin and the false promise of heaven when they die.

So if you, like me, are out in the public declaring the truth of the gospel, as taught by Jesus Christ and by his NT apostles (taught in context), and as led by the Lord, and if you, like me, are refuting the lies of the enemy and these false gospel presentations, as we are instructed in the Scriptures to do, then you will most likely be persecuted and rejected for your testimony for the Lord and for his gospel and for your walk of faith in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. But your persecutors may be other “Christians.”

And this is because those who are spreading this false gospel message are others who also profess faith in Jesus Christ. Some of them are pastors of church congregations, and some of them are famous people, or politicians, or “Christian” book authors, or leaders of small groups, or moderators of Christian oriented websites, etc. And so they may reject you, and cast you aside, and/or put you out, and/or push you out, and/or they may encourage you to leave and to go someplace else where you will “be a better fit.” 

But then you may find that you don’t really “fit” anywhere, because so much of what is called “Christian” these days is very worldly, so that there is not much difference (distinction) between the church and the world anymore. And since so many people have embraced this diluted (cheap grace) gospel, then you may find yourself as an outsider and unwanted and alone. So even if you are not in jail, it may feel sometimes as though you are. And it can be a very hard and lonely life, feeling so isolated and unwanted by so many.

But we are to be encouraged, for God is faithful in all that he does, and if we are sharing the truth of the gospel, it is getting out to the people who need to hear it. And the encouragement for us who are the persecuted is that we must be faithful unto death (until the end), and we will receive the crown of life. So please know that the NT Scriptures teach that our walks of faith and obedience must continue to the end if we want to have eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Letters to the Seven Churches, Smyrna

Video Talk

December 7, 2024

https://vimeo.com/1037079551 

Your Grace Divine 

 

An Original Work / November 6, 2011

All I have is Yours, Lord.

You gave all to me,

When You died at Calv’ry

On that cruel tree.

Crucified for my sins;

You paid what I owe,

So I’d be forgiven; 

My God come to know.

All I have is Yours, Lord.

You gave all to me,

When You died at Calv’ry

On that cruel tree.

Lord, I am so thankful

For Your grace divine.

I invited You, Lord,

In this heart of mine.

I have been forgiven

For all of my sins,

So I’d live with Jesus;

His grace flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful

For Your grace divine.

I invited You, Lord,

In this heart of mine.

Growing in Your grace, Lord;

Live for You each day;

How I love to worship

You throughout my day.

Sitting at Your feet, Lord,

List’ning to You speak,

Leads me to love You, Lord,

More throughout the week.

Growing in Your grace, Lord;

Live for You each day;

How I love to worship

You throughout my day.

https://vimeo.com/125863486