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Home » Christ's Message for the Seven Churches of Revelation and Today
The Seven Churches of Revelation in Church History

Christ's Message for the Seven Churches of Revelation and Today

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After His resurrection, Jesus Christ commissioned the apostle John to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor about their spiritual condition. Each letter identified the church’s strengths and weaknesses and gave instructions for finding its spiritual footing. These messages reveal that the ancient Church contended with many of the challenges God’s people face today. By studying Christ’s letters to the seven churches of Revelation, we can gain a greater perspective of Church history and faithful Christian living.

Artist Kenneth Noland is quoted as saying, “For me, context is the key—from that comes the understanding of everything.” While “everything” may be an overstatement, contextual information offers us a richer understanding of many things, including Scripture. But what is the context of Christ’s letters to the seven churches of Revelation, and how does it affect our study of Revelation 2–3? Context helps us:

Understand the seven churches in the framework of Revelation
Interpret the seven letters through three layers of meaning
Recognize the seven churches as periods of church history
Acknowledge Christ’s message to the Church of today

Understanding the Seven Churches in the Framework of Revelation

When Christ gave these messages to the apostle John, he was in exile on the island of Patmos. Rome had banished John to keep him from contributing to the growth of Christianity in the Empire. But even the most powerful nation in the world could not prevent John from spreading Christ’s revelation of “the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Revelation 1:19).

The “things which you have seen” are the revelations of Christ Himself to John in Revelation 1. The “things which are” constitute the seven messages of Christ to seven churches in Asia Minor—churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. We find these messages in Revelation 2–3. The “things which will take place after this” make up the rest of the book: Revelation 4–22.

 

Interpreting the Seven Letters Through Three Layers of Meaning

Primary association.

The first step in Bible study is to determine what the passage of Scripture meant to its original audience: who wrote it, when and why, and to whom. Scholars refer to this as the grammatical-historical method—determining what the Bible meant in its original context. We could also call it discovering the primary meaning.

Jesus Christ addressed His letters to historical churches in seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. We begin our study of the seven letters by understanding their historical context—discerning their geographical, social, and political challenges as well as their spiritual strengths and weaknesses.

Personal application.

This step begins by asking, What does the passage mean to me? We could refer to this as discovering the personal meaning of the text. We could apply those two steps—primary interpretation and personal application—and be well equipped for the task of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Meme: Every word Jesus gave to the seven churches speaks to Christians today.

Christ’s letters are “profitable” for Christians of every era (2 Timothy 3:16). Because there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), the problems that beset the seven churches of Revelation reflect the challenges we face today. No one’s opinion about the Church is more important than that of the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18), so every word Jesus gave to the seven churches speaks to Christians today. Christ Jesus’ goal is not merely to criticize but to correct, beginning with individual believers.

Prophetic anticipation.

All passages have a primary interpretation and a personal application; some also have a prophetic application. That means their general relevance reaches beyond the primary (past) and the personal (present) perspectives and extends into the future. Many scholars agree that Christ’s message to the seven churches prophetically revealed seven distinct ages of church history. So Christ’s letters to the seven first-century churches in Asia Minor require all three kinds of understanding: primary, personal, and prophetic.

Meme: Christ's letters require all three kinds of understanding: primary, personal, and prophetic.

Recognizing the Seven Churches of Revelation as Periods of Church History

When we place Christ’s letters in the context of history, the Ephesian church prophetically correlates to the apostolic Church, the Laodicean church represents the Church in the World of the End, and the other churches depict intervening periods of history.

Ephesus: the first-century apostolic Church.

It is not unusual to be excited about new things and to grow indifferent toward them over time. As we observe in the church at Ephesus, it can even happen in our relationship with Jesus. The excitement of meeting and following Him can become routine.

 

Christ warned the Ephesian church: If you do not “repent and do the first works, I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:5). In other words, He would remove the church’s influence and power. Drifting away from the Lord always exacts a toll. Looking back at history, we can see that by the end of the Apostolic Age, the Early Church lost much of its momentum, and the Ephesian church dissolved in the second century.

When we find ourselves drifting from the Lord, the solution is to remember our initial enthusiasm, repent of our apathy, and recover our original passion for the Lord.

Smyrna: the persecuted Church of the second and third centuries.

In Revelation 2:10, Christ said, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.” There has been no end to the speculation about this reference to “ten days.” Some think it refers to ten years of persecution for the church in Smyrna. Others believe it refers to Roman persecution in the second and third centuries. Historians tell us the Church endured ten waves of persecution under ten Roman emperors ending with the reign of Diocletian.

 

Christians in developed countries today think little about being persecuted for their faith. But for many churches in the world, persecution is as much a daily reality as it was for the ancient church in Smyrna. Christ’s brief letter to Smyrna contains a powerful principle for Christians of every age: the opposite of fear is faith—faith in God, faith in what He has said, faith in who He is, and faith in what He has promised us: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Whatever we believe about the meaning of “ten days,” as Christians, we have confidence that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Pergamos: the worldly Church after its integration with the Roman Empire.

One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to weaken the Church through compromise. He used “the doctrine of Balaam” and “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans” to dilute the teachings of the Pergamos church. In the fourth century, he successfully Christianized the Roman Empire and Romanized the Christian Church. The unholy alliance between the Church and Rome undermined Christianity for centuries. Satan has not given up on that strategy; he still works to corrupt the Church and Christian families through compromise.

 

In today’s society, compromise often goes by the buzzword of “tolerance.” Everyone and everything is tolerable except for the absolute truth claims of Christianity. Churches and believers find themselves pressured to conform to worldly values. The solution is to “hold fast to [Christ’s] name” (Revelation 2:13), testify to His Gospel, and stop compromising His Truth.

Thyatira: the Church of the Middle Ages.

The church in Thyatira was steadfast, generous with others, and loving. Its members worked long and hard for the Lord. But because of the church’s devotion, Satan placed a target on its back. Knowing the believers in Thyatira wouldn’t fall for an obvious ploy, Satan used an immoral individual to infiltrate their camp. Before long, sexual immorality and spiritual impurity consumed the church (Revelation 2:20).

 

The Church of the Middle Ages succumbed to the same temptation. Ray Stedman offers this description: “It was a time when the church became corrupt by combining pagan rites and Christian teaching. Many pagan practices and heathen rituals were introduced into the churches, baptized with Christian terminology, related in some way to elements of the Bible, and thus accepted as being true: Images began to be worshipped in churches…. The control of political powers by religious authorities was widely sought.”

Satan is alive and well and will do anything to keep Christians from remaining faithful to the end. Today’s Christians and churches feel pressure to be relevant and all-inclusive regarding spiritual and moral boundaries. We would do well to regard Christ’s warnings and promises to the church in Thyatira as watchwords for this present day.

Sardis: the Church of the Protestant Reformation.

Sardis means “escaping ones” or “those who come out.” In the prophetic view of the Church, Sardis represents the Age of Reformation (A.D. 1517-1750). During that time, many sincere Christians came out of the Roman church searching for sound biblical doctrine and practice—leaders like Luther, Knox, Wycliffe, and Zwingli.

 

Like the Church of the Middle Ages, the church in Sardis maintained spiritual practices and, on the surface, appeared to be vibrant. However, it died spiritually. Sardis calls to mind Jesus’ description of the Pharisees: “like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). Only a few faithful followers of Jesus Christ escaped the spiritual decay that gripped the church in Sardis.

Complacency is the villain of this precautionary tale. The church in Sardis and the Church of the Middle Ages largely died off because they rested on past accomplishments and tolerated sin. We can avoid a similar fate by following the apostle Paul’s instruction: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Philadelphia: the Church of the modern missionary movement.

In many places, church life has become complicated and multi-faceted. But for the church in Philadelphia—one of only two that received Christ’s unfettered praise—life was simple and principled. Situated at the gateway of a large, populous region, Philadelphia’s church reached far beyond its geographical boundaries with the Gospel. Although the church wasn’t particularly influential or powerful, its members remained faithful to the Lord and His Word while leveraging the ministry opportunities afforded by their location. Philadelphia’s church embodied Paul’s admonition in Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

 

From a prophetic perspective, the Philadelphia church represents the universal Church from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the Rapture, overlapping with the period characterized by the church in Laodicea. It provides an exemplary model for modern congregations and individual members.  

Laodicea: the apostate Church at the end of this age.

Of all the places in Scripture where God uses harsh language to address His people, Christ’s stern words to the church in Laodicea are unparalleled. This letter is the only one of the seven that says nothing positive about the church it addresses. Christ accuses the church of compromise, pridefulness, and ungodliness.

The Laodicean church is more like today’s Church than we’d care to admit. John Stott wrote: “Perhaps none of the seven letters is more appropriate to the twentieth-century church than this. It describes vividly the respectable, sentimental, nominal, skin-deep religiosity which is so widespread among us today. Our Christianity is flabby and anemic. We appear to have taken a lukewarm bath of religion.” Instead of pointing people to Christ, the Laodicean church—and, by extension, much of the modern Church—is characterized by self-absorption and ineffectiveness.

Only repentance can restore an apostate. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

Acknowledging Christ’s Message to the Church of Today

In 1851, William Holman Hunt painted what has become one of the most famous religious paintings in the world. Titled “The Light of the World,” it depicts a long-neglected cottage overgrown with vines, the front door closed and shut tight with no visible handle. Standing at the door, arrayed in kingly robes with a crown on His head and a lantern in one hand, is Christ Jesus. With His other hand, Christ is knocking on the door. When someone accused Holman of neglecting to paint a handle on the outside of the door, he replied that it was not a mistake. The door has no exterior handle because those within the Church must open the door to Christ. He will not force His way into our lives.

Meme: Are you propelling your church toward Christ or compromise?

Each letter to the seven churches of Revelation carries an application for God’s people today. And the future of our local churches depends on us, the individual members. Let me ask: Are you propelling your church toward Christ or compromise? Are your doors opened or closed to Him? I am determined that Hunt’s painting will never reflect any church I am a part of—may it never portray yours. No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, as long as you are on this earth, there is time to recover your love for Him, repent of any sinfulness, and revive lifeless congregations. Christ’s invitation to the seven churches of Revelation still stands:

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”
(Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

You Might Also Enjoy:


• The Seven Churches of Revelation Bible Study
• Revelation’s 7 Promises to Every Believer
• The Revelation Prophecy Timeline
• Solve the Mystery of Revelation Through Daniel and John
• Should Christians Be Doomsday Preppers?

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Creation Care

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28

Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. Many countries’ coastlines are littered with plastic and debris, and there is an “island” of plastic more than the twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean where currents have accumulated the debris. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed.

Such images are in stark contrast to the pristine beauty and glory of Eden as presented in Genesis. Though mankind was given the mandate to “have dominion over” (that is, to care for) all of creation, we have not done a good job. When God’s mandates go unfulfilled on earth, God’s glory is diminished. And that mandate extends to our personal life as well. Paul writes that we belong to God and we are to glorify Him with our care and use of our body.

When you see opportunities to care for creation—nature or your own body—do so as a way of glorifying the Creator.

The creation is both a monument of God’s power, and a looking-glass in which we may see his wisdom.
Thomas Watson

Steadfast

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul’s letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. The church in Corinth was an undisciplined church, and he was letting them know that even though the culture around them was in flux, their faith in Jesus Christ needed to remain focused and sure. It is true for us today also. How can we remain steadfast in our faith and avoid the pressures of this ever-changing world? By devoting time each day to the study of God’s Word.

As we read the Bible and immerse ourselves in God’s truth and character, our lives are changed—we become more like Him. God’s Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. As our lives center on God, giving priority to hearing His voice and reading His Word, we become bolder in sharing our faith.

Joshua had the confidence and courage to lead God’s people into the Promised Land because He believed in God’s promise and presence. We serve the same God who said: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

You can place your steadfast trust in Him.

When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful.
Dwight L. Moody

Ready and Willing

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

A leper approached Jesus and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus touched the man, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed”—and he was healed (Mark 1:40-42).

That event is a beautiful example of the willingness of God. In fact, there are no instances of Jesus being asked to help or heal and Him answering, “I am not willing.” There is a place where the Bible says God is “not willing,” and that is 2 Peter 3:9. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Said another way, God is willing for any who want to be saved to come to Him (John 6:37; 7:37). The question is never whether God is willing but whether man is willing.

Have you responded to God’s willing invitation to come to Him?

God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.
J. C. Ryle

Treasure!

I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.
Psalm 119:162

Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. One was an old copy of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The volunteer decided the dilapidated volume wasn’t worth saving and was about to throw it away when she thumbed through it and found a hidden chamber. Someone had used a knife to cut a hole in the middle of the book. Inside was $4,000!

That’s nothing compared to the treasure you’ll find when opening the covers of the Bible. Perhaps it would help to think of it in those terms. Use your imagination to see every word of Scripture turning to gold as you read it. Think of every promise as a precious stone. See the words about Jesus in the Gospels as sparkling like diamonds. Visualize your daily Bible study time like a miser running his hands through a chest of gold.

The treasury of Scripture will enrich your mind, refocus your goals, replace your doubts, and redirect your path—but only if you read it and heed it. Start today!

To get the best use out of [the Bible] for daily life,...Give it the best and freshest, not the most tired and dull, hour of the day.
M. S. Kimber in The Sunday School World, 1893

Hello Heaven!

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside.
2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV

Peter wrote his final letter shortly before his execution. He wasn’t discouraged; he was looking forward to the future. He spoke of “looking forward to these things.” and “[looking] for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13-14).

Life is full of hardships and heaviness. We have the promises of God to help us in difficult days, and we have the Holy Spirit within us. We have a purpose for being here—to refresh the memory of others regarding the things of the Lord. But we’ll soon put aside the tent of our earthly body, and what a relief! Goodbye hardship and heaviness. Goodbye trials and troubles. Hello Jesus! Hello heaven! Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem!

During difficult times, the hope of eternity gives us strength. If you’re prone to worry yourself to sleep each night, turn your thoughts upward and close your eyes thinking of heaven and its eternal throne.

A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there.
Harriet Buell, in her hymn “A Child of the King”

Overcoming Temptation

Temptation. Whether we realize it or not, it is part of our past, and it will be part of our future. The moment we resolve to stand strong and walk away is when temptation grows most intense. That is why Scripture is of paramount importance. God's Word contains the answer to resisting temptation before it's too late. Consider these verses:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, brings forth death (James 1:13–15).

Some people wonder about the value of the Old Testament in a Christian's life. The apostle Paul addressed that question in 1 Corinthians 10:11—"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition." To what things was Paul referring? He listed them in verses 7–10. They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty.

Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is.

With that background, Paul exhorted believers not to make the same choices the Israelites made—not to provoke God's discipline by willfully sinning. None of us is above God's discipline if we engage in sin. We must look for and take "the way of escape" God provides in every situation where temptation is found (verse 13). To think our temptation is unique is to believe a lie. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man" (verse 13). There are no "new" temptations in life.

The apostle James argued that if temptation becomes serious, it is because we have allowed it to do so. Our own "desires" entice us away from God and desire "gives birth to sin" (James 1:13–15). God doesn't tempt us, but He may allow temptation to enter our lives in order to give us opportunities to make obedient and mature choices.

Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and He took the same means of escape that is available to us—obedience to God's Word (Matthew 4:1–11; Hebrews 5:8). Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is. There is always a righteous choice to be made if we are willing to seek it.

Victory in Him

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57

To first-century leaders in the Roman world, the imagery was familiar: A victorious Roman general returning from battle leading his soldiers and their captives into the city. Citizens lined the streets applauding while the aroma of celebratory incense filled the air. Paul uses that image to say that Christ leads His followers in a victory procession through every difficulty in life (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

The Christian’s victory is through Christ. The victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and sin was won by the Cross and the empty tomb. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We have victory now and for eternity only because of the victory Christ won for us. Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us as we keep our faith in Him.

If you need a victory in your life, begin every day by renewing your faith in Christ in whom all our victories are to be realized.

The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world.
Francis Schaeffer

Faithful Fathers: Abraham

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
James 2:23

We can imagine a child writing an appreciative and sentimental memoir about her “perfect father,” understanding that “perfect” was not intended to be taken literally. But how about a book titled The Righteous Father? The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham.

Righteous doesn’t mean sinless, of course. We know that Abraham wasn’t perfect. But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. First, he believed the promises of God about the future God had planned for him (Hebrews 11:8-12). And when he believed God, “[God] accounted it to [Abraham] for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. Second, as a result of Abraham’s trust in God, he became a “friend of God” (Isaiah 41:8). Could any father set a more worthy example to his children or grandchildren than that of being friends with God? Living in right standing with God? That means communing with Him, walking with Him, living for Him, and above all, trusting Him and His promises.

Follow Abraham’s example as a faithful father by deepening your friendship with God.

Friendship is the marriage of affections.
Thomas Watson

Modern Idolatry

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:1 tells us to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is.” In verse 5 we’re told to put to death the passions that come from below—"fornication, uncleanness, passion, and evil desire.” Then the Lord added the sin of greed or covetousness to the list, calling it idolatry.

That verse changes our view of idolatry. It’s not just bowing down to a small carved statue or a pagan worshiper offering incense at a shrine to Buddha. It’s the act of becoming too attached to the material things of the world—falling more in love with the things on earth than on things in heaven.

This has nothing to do with how much money you do or don’t have—a poverty-stricken person can covet just as much as a billionaire. It has everything to do with what’s at the center of our affections. Is it Christ? Is it things above? Or is it things below?

Make sure Christ is at the center of your life and that your love for Him eclipses everything else!

You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them…. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.
D. L. Moody

New Beginnings: Ezekiel

In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Ezekiel 1:1, NIV

We often need fresh starts after enduring bitter disappointments. As a young man, Ezekiel had dedicated himself to be a priest. He was from a priestly family, and he undoubtedly looked forward to serving God in Jerusalem’s temple. Priests began their temple duty at the age of thirty. But when he was about twenty-five, Ezekiel was seized and taken to Babylon, and he never saw the temple again. When his thirtieth birthday came, he must have struggled with questions of “why” and “if only.”

That’s just when God appeared to him as he was among the exiles by the Kebar River. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of God—the throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet.

Oh, to see the glory of the Lord while in the midst of the disappointments in life. When we think life has collapsed around us, the God of glory appears above us. God always has a plan, and our false starts become His fresh starts.

Ezekiel is the prophet of the glory of the Lord…. Ezekiel looked beyond the sufferings of Christ to the glory that should follow.
J. Vernon McGee

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

God of Second Chances

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
Jonah 3:1-2

It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for “the word of the Lord” to come to God’s prophets again and again. It happened to Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and others. And it also happened to Jonah: The word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time (Jonah 1:1) and then the second time (Jonah 3:1). With the other prophets, the “second time” meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. But with Jonah, the “second time” was because Jonah had failed to speak God’s word the first time. Jonah was a disobedient prophet.

God commissioned Jonah to go east to Assyria, to the capital of Nineveh and deliver a message of judgment. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. You know the story—Jonah ended up in the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish. Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. God gave him a second chance.

Don’t let your past keep you from trusting God for a second (or third, or fourth) chance. The God of grace loves to forgive.

Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan

All You Need Is Love: Forgiveness

When Jesus saw [the friends’] faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
Mark 2:5

The hardest part of forgiving another person is acting like the offense never occurred. But that is what forgiving someone means—restoring relationships to the status they enjoyed before the offense took place. It’s one thing to say, “I forgive you,” but it’s another to act like all the effects of an offense are completely erased. After all, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, love is known by its actions more than its words.

Jesus faced this dilemma when He healed a paralytic man. When He told the man that his sins were forgiven (and by extension, he was healed), He was criticized. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sins—something only God can do. So, Jesus proved He had the authority to say, “I forgive you,” by doing something harder. He healed the man’s paralysis. After all, as Jesus explained, actions speak louder than words (Mark 2:8-11).

We cannot go through life without being hurt by others, so we should learn to forgive. Even more, we should practice demonstrating our forgiveness by our acts of lovingkindness. Look for opportunities to do both.

Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan

A Whole Person

In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.
Titus 2:7

In mathematics two of the basic kinds of numbers are integers and fractions: 2, 100, and 56 are integers, while ½, ¼, and 2.5 are fractions. Integers, from a Latin root meaning “whole” or “entire.” The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances.

When the apostle Paul wrote to his young pastoral protégé, Timothy, he told him to show “integrity” in doctrine, to be incorruptible in belief and in actions. Paul wanted Timothy to hold fast to the truth of God, not allowing himself to be divided. A person of integrity obeys the whole counsel of God every day, in every circumstance. Daniel’s three friends in Babylon demonstrated integrity when they were threatened with being burned alive (Daniel 3:16-18). They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. That is integrity.

Are you a whole person or a fractioned person today? If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word.

Integrity of heart is indispensable.
John Calvin

New Earth

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Revelation 21:1

A great misconception carried by many Christians has to do with the location of heaven. The word heaven itself implies that our eternal destiny is somewhere “up there” in the heavens. But the Bible says our eternal destiny is earthly, not heavenly. As Peter wrote, we look for a “new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

In his vision of the future, the apostle John saw that “new heaven and a new earth,” our new domain being pictured as the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:1-2). Somehow, at the end of the age, when Christ has returned to reign and inaugurate the eternal state, this earth will be renovated and a new earth will be the result—a new earth full of righteousness in which pain and sorrow will be absent. The beautiful imagery of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 lets us know that the new earth will be a place that reflects the glory of God throughout.

Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). The New Jerusalem, on the new earth, is that place.

Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death.
William Gurnall

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

The Need for Prayer

Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Officially, church historians recognize seven ecumenical church councils held between A.D. 325 and A.D. 787. The first, the First Council of Nicaea, met to agree on the nature of Jesus of Nazareth as both Son of God and Son of Man, as both fully divine and fully human.

The humanity of Christ, while at the same time divine, is hard to understand. But thankfully, Scripture gives us illustrations: Like us, Jesus suffered, experienced hunger, required sleep, ate food, and had limits on His knowledge (Mark 13:32). One of the most striking and helpful illustrations of Jesus’ humanity was His prayer life. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. Yet He did, following the example of godly men like Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 2:16-18). Jesus repeatedly said that He only did what the Father showed Him to do (John 5:19), and prayer was His means.

If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go to His Father in prayer for strengthening and guidance, how much more do we (Psalm 32:6)?

Prayer and a holy life are one.
E. M. Bounds

What Is Humility?

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5, NIV

What is humility? Is it the opposite of pride? If pride expands one’s importance, does humility deflate one’s importance? That’s the view given by most English dictionaries—a deemphasis on one’s own importance. But what is the biblical view of humility

If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? Or do you graciously say, “Thank you,” in a spirit of genuine appreciation and humility? In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves “soberly”—that is, realistically or accurately. Paul’s topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. We should neither overestimate the gift of God’s grace or underestimate it. Rather, we should think of it soberly and realistically—humbly—and minister accordingly. To think less of God’s gift would be to devalue it; to think realistically about it allows one to serve humbly.

How do you view yourself? With pride? With false humility? Or soberly and realistically according to the grace of God in your life?

A really humble man…will not be thinking about humility, he will not be thinking about himself at all.
C. S. Lewis

The Power of Confession

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
Psalm 32:4

California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the state—shorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.

Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32—a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his “bones grew old” and he groaned “all the day long” (verse 3). It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him (verse 5). And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made (verses 9-10).

Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from God’s sight; but when we seek God’s forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restored—that is the power of confession.

The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.
Richard Sibbes